Cardinals Minor League Notebook – September 20, 2021

Photo: Kramer Robertson (Frank Ramirez/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals system went 0-4 on Sunday on Springfield, Peoria, and Palm Beach all played their final games of the season. Our Player of the Day is Memphis third baseman Kramer Robertson, who went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and a pair of RBI.

Results from games played Sunday, September 19th

Memphis 7 vs Louisville 8
A late-inning meltdown by the Redbirds’ bullpen resulted in an 8-7 defeat by the Bats at AutoZone Park.  The loss snapped Memphis’ (57-63) four-game winning streak but the Redbirds still won their series versus Louisville (51-68)(CIN), four games to two.

Up 5-2 through seven, a combination of Seth Elledge (L. 2-2)(BS, 4) and Jesus Cruz permitted six tallies, flipping a victory into a loss.  Elledge retired just two batters, allowing five scores on four hits and two walks.

Starter Matthew Liberatore scattered five hits and three walks over five innings, the only mark against him being a tally in his final inning of work.

Evan Kruczynski and Austin Warner both retired three batters, Kruczynski surrendering a solo shot.

The final two runs crossed home under Cruz’ watch.  The righty served up a solo shot, one of two hits yielded in 1 1/3 frames.

Memphis banged out 10 hits with the most production coming from Player of the Day Kramer Robertson.  The third baseman went 2-for-4 with a double and solo home run, two runs scored and two driven in.

Kramer Robertson

First baseman Brendan Donovan’s three-hit performance led the team, the hits generated in five at bats with two RBI.  Alec Burleson’s only hit in three at bats was a long ball with the bases empty.  The right fielder worked a free pass as well.

Monday’s game:  Off

Springfield 4 at Northwest Arkansas 9
Four S-Card bobbles led to five unearned runs and a 9-4 loss to the Naturals in the season finale.  Springfield (45-75) dropped the series at Northwest Arkansas (64-55)(KC), two games to four.

Starter Andre Pallante tossed the initial four innings, yielding two unearned runs on four hits, a walk plus a fielding error by shortstop Moises Castillo.

Southpaw Garrett Williams completed his 2021 campaign with two clean frames, striking out four and issuing a free pass.  The 27-year-old did not allow a run over his final five appearances covering 8 2/3 innings.

Cory Thompson (L, 1-1)(BS, 1) was snake bitten by the S-Cards’ seventh-inning defense.  Three of the four scores permitted by the right-hander during his inning of work were unearned because of a fielding error followed by a throwing miscue charged to first baseman Luken Baker on the same play.  Thompson gave up three hits in all.

Kevin Marnon was tagged for three runs, earned, on three hits and a base-on-balls in the eighth.

Springfield matched their hosts’ 10 hits but the Naturals did not commit any errors.  Three S-Cards garnered two hits apiece:  left fielder Matt Koperniak, designated hitter Malcom Nunez and second baseman Irving Lopez.  Koperniak drove in one during his 2-for-5 effort while Nunez went 2-for-2 with two walks and a run scored.  Lopez singled twice in four at bats.

Malcom Nuñez

Catcher Ivan Herrera and Baker both went yard with the bases empty, Herrera committing his team’s fourth bobble.

Peoria 0 vs Cedar Rapids 11
The Chiefs finished their 2021 season by absorbing an 11-0 shellacking by the Kernels at home.  Peoria (45-75) claimed two of the six-game set versus Cedar Rapids (67-53)(MIN).

Peoria’s pitching was a parade of mostly futility as seven hurlers took the mound and four were scored upon.  Jack Ralston blanked the opposition over the first two frames, giving up two base-on-balls.  It was the first start after 15 relief appearances for the right-hander who last started on July 4th.

Jack Ralston

The contest quickly got out of hand during Enmanuel Solano’s two-inning stint.  Solano (L, 5-1) was just a tad homer happy, to put it mildly, surrendering three long balls accounting for five of six runs yielded on seven total hits.

Fabian Blanco, Michael YaSenka and Sean Kealey each tossed an inning.   YaSenka’s one-two-three sixth was sandwiched between Blanco and Kealey’s nearly identical stat line.  Both pitchers were touched for a score on two hits, Kealey issuing a free pass.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson recorded four outs, permitting three tallies on four hits including a two-run bomb.  Diego Cordero retired both batters faced, stranding an inherited runner.

Peoria was held to just three hits and one base-on-balls.  Designated hitter Zade Richardson reached base twice, going 1-for-2 with a walk.  Third baseman Jordan Walker was hit by a pitch.

Defensively, shortstop Francisco Hernandez committed a fielding error.

Palm Beach 5 vs Daytona 8  (10)
The Beach Birds could not hold off a late offensive surge, falling to the Tortugas at home, 8-5 in 10 innings.  Palm Beach (37-80) split the series versus Daytona (60-60)(CIN), their last set of 2021.

The home team was down 4-0 midway through six before scoring five times over the next three frames.  Tasked with closing out his team’s 5-4 lead, Roy Garcia recorded one out.  The 21-year-old loaded the bases via two singles and a base-on-balls before notching a swinging K.

Andre Granillo (L, 2-3)(BS,2) yielded an RBI single to his first batter but recorded an out on the play at the plate.  The righty permitted three runs, unearned, in 1 2/3 frames, giving up three hits and issuing a free pass.

Michael McGreevy pitched the first, allowing two runs on three hits.  Austin Love faced the minimum the next frame, striking out two before giving way to Edgar Manzo.

Manzo was the first of three PB-Card hurlers tossing two frames.  The 20-year-old was charged with a run on a hit and hit batsman and was succeeded by Ludwin Jimenez.  Jimenez was tagged for a tally on three hits whereas Ryan Loutos struck out four during his scoreless stint.

Seven Palm Beach batters shared nine hits, with center fielder Mike Antico and shortstop Mack Chambers both going 2-for-4.  Antico doubled once with a run scored and RBI while both of Chambers’ hits were two-baggers generating two runs drive in.

Mack Chambers

Brady Whalen took part in three scores, doubling once in four at bats, crossing home one time and knocking in two.

Defensively, second baseman Franklin Soto committed a 10th-inning fielding error while Antico was credited with an outfield assist at home.

DSL Cardinals Blue – off
Sunday is a scheduled day off in the Dominican Summer League.

Monday’s game:  DSL Cardinals Blue (17-32) at DSL Yankees1 (26-23), 10:30 am ET/9:30 am CT, TBA

DSL Cardinals Red – off
Sunday is a scheduled day off in the Dominican Summer League.

Monday’s game:  DSL Cardinals Red (24-23) vs DSL Brewers1 (27-22), 10:30 am ET/9:30 am CT, TBA


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