Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 7, 2019

photo: Dylan Carlson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 0-3 on Saturday with the Memphis game suspended due to rain. Our Player of the Day is Springfield center fielder Dylan Carlson, who went 3-for-5 with a home run and a double.  He also made a splendid outfield assist, throwing out at home what would have been winning run.

Results for games played Saturday, April 6.


Memphis vs. Omaha (suspended)

Ryan Helsley (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

The game between the Redbirds and the Storm Chasers on Saturday was suspended in the eighth inning due to rain with the score tied 3-3.  Action will resume on Sunday at 2:05 CT and will be followed by the regularly scheduled nine inning game.

Starter Ryan Helsley tossed four no-hit innings as the offense took a 3-0 lead. Ramon Urias plated two and Adolis Garcia one. Piggyback starter Genesis Cabrera struggled with his control in his third inning of work as the visitors tied the score in the seventh. Shortly after, the heavy rains began.

Sunday’s game: vs. Omaha, Daniel Ponce de Leon (0-0, 0.00)*, following 2:05 CT suspended game.

* Ponce de Leon is a potential call up to St. Louis on Sunday.


Springfield 4 at NW Arkansas 5 (11 innings)

Dylan Carlson (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

The Cardinals suffered an extra inning loss to the Naturals on Saturday night to remain winless on the young season.  Springfield tied the score in the later innings and dodged a loss in the 10th, but were downed by a walkoff single in the 11th.

With the score 1-0 in favor of the Naturals in the top of the third, Connor Capel hit a line drive double to center to score Johan Mieses, who had walked.  The Naturals, however, answered with three runs in the home third. In the seventh, Alberto Triunfel led off with a double, and Dylan Carlson drove him in with a double to right field to bring the score to 4-2.  In the ninth, Carlson tied the game with a two-run home run to right field.

Evan Kruczynski got the start and he pitched four innings, giving up four runs on seven hits.  The left hander fanned five and walked three.  Roel Ramirez tossed two scoreless innings of relief.  Will Latcham hurled a scoreless seventh, and Seth Elledge followed with three scoreless frames.  Lefty Jacob Patterson pitched the 11th and gave up the walkoff single and took the loss.

Carlson had an outfield assist, throwing out what would have been th winning run at home in the 10th inning.  Johan Mieses also had an outfield assist at home.

Sunday’s game:  at NW Arkansas, Harold Arauz (0-0, 0.00) 2:05 CT.


Palm Beach 7 at Jupiter 8 (10 innings)

Zach Prendergast (St. Louis Cardinals)

The Cardinals were edged by the Hammerheads in an extra innings contest on Saturday night.  Alex Fagalde got the start, and he pitched five innings, giving up two runs on two hits. The right hander struck out five and walked one. Ben Yokley pitched the sixth, and surrendered four runs, only one earned, on two hits.  Zach Prendergast followed with three scoreless innings.  Ronnie Williams pitched the 10th and coughed up the two winning runs.  He was tagged with the blown save and the loss.

The Cardinals got on the board first via Yariel Gonzalez’ RBI single in the third.  Justin Toerner and Chase Pinder had both drawn walks in front of Gonzalez, and Toerner scored on the single.

In the fifth, Jose Martinez led off with a double and later scored on  Pinder’s ground out.

The Hammerhead added six runs across the next three innings to take a 6-2 lead. In the eighth, Luken Baker led off with a single.  Two batters and two outs later, Julio Rodriguez drew a walk.  Martinez singled to advance Baker and Rodriguez.  Ascanio singled to center to plate both runners to bring the Cardinals within two runs.  Toerner followed with a double to left to score Martinez and Ascanio to tie the score at 6-6.

Per the extra innings rule, Zach Kirtley began the 10th inning on second base.  Rodriguez singled to score Kirtley and take the lead.  In the bottom of the inning, however, the Hammerheads scored two against Williams and walked off the win.

Martinez and Bryce Denton each committed a fielding error.

Sunday’s game:  at Jupiter, Perry Della Valle (0-0, 0.00) 12:00 pm CT.


Peoria 8, Beloit 10

Brendan Donovan (State College Spikes)

In their home opener, the Chiefs lost a hard-fought contest to the Beloit Snappers on Saturday.  The lead changed several times, but Peoria ended up on the short end.

The Snappers took a 2-0 lead in the top of the first, but the Chiefs answered with a run in the bottom frame, on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan.  Lars Nootbaar provided his own solo home run in the bottom of the second to tie the game.

The Snappers took the lead again with a run in the top of the fourth.  In the bottom of the fifth, the Chiefs took it back with three runs scored.  Delvin Perez led off the inning with a double to left field.  Donovan singled, and Perez scored, with Donovan advancing to third on a fielding error.  Donovan scored on a wild pitch.  Nolan Gorman doubled to left and Brady Whalen walked. Leandro Cedeno plated Gorman on a sac fly.  The Chiefs led 5-3.

The Snappers responded by scoring three runs in the top of the sixth to take the lead back. The Chiefs added one run in the bottom of the sixth.  Donovan drew a walk then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Edwin Figuera singled to score Donovan.

The Snappers increased their lead with four runs in the top of the seventh.  Down 10-6, the Chiefs attempted a comeback with a run in the eighth on Zach Jackson’s solo home run.  In the ninth, Gorman advanced to first on a dropped third strike and was driven home by Nootbaar.  The comeback attempt ended there, however, two runs short.

Leadoff man Donovan reached base five times on three walks and two hits, including the home run. The designated hitter scored three times and plated two.

Chiefs pitchers had a tough night. Cole Aker started and was charged with three runs, one earned in 4 2/3 innings pitched. Jacob Schlesener surrendered six runs in 1 2/3 innings and took the loss.  Noel De Jesus tossed the final 2 2/3 innings and allowed one run.

Nootbaar and Figuera each stole second base.  Wadye Ynfante committed a fielding miscue but also made a great diving catch in short center behind Schlesener.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Beloit, Diego Cordero (0-0, 0.00) 5:05 CT.


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