Cardinals Minor League Notebook – May 2, 2019

photo: Kramer Robertson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

It was a 4-1 Wednesday across the St. Louis Cardinals farm system as Peoria got a much-needed sweep, the upper minors teams claimed convincing victories highlighted by two homers from Player of the Day Kramer Robertson, but Palm Beach was nearly no-hit while being shut out.

Results for games played Wednesday, May 1st.


Memphis 5 at New Orleans 1

Anthony Shew (Springfield Cardinals FANatic Photos)

Anthony Shew’s Triple-A debut couldn’t have gone much better, as the 25-year-old righty led Memphis to a 5-1 win over New Orleans with 5 2/3 shutout innings. Shew fanned four while allowing just three singles and a walk, as the Redbirds improved their record to 14-12.

Chris Ellis coughed up the only Baby Cakes run, and Chris Beck and Jesus Cruz combined for just 20 pitches to navigate the final two tallyless innings.

Memphis received offensive contributions across the board, with no individual standout. Ramon Urias singled and stole a base, as did Andrew Knizner. Lane Thomas had his first triple, and Max Schrock reached via a hit and a walk. If anyone distinguished himself it was Tommy Edman, with a big pinch-hit RBI double in the ninth to give the Birds some breathing room when they were leading by a scant run.

Thursday’s game: at New Orleans, Austin Gomber (3-0, 2.54) 7:00 CT.


Springfield 9 at Amarillo 6

Kramer Robertson (Andrew Miller/Palm Beach Cardinals)

Player of the Day Kramer Robertson boosted Springfield (9-17) to the victory at Amarillo, going 2-for-5 with a pair of longballs in the 9-6 slugfest. The former LSU shortstop now boasts a team-leading .926 OPS on the season. First baseman Chris Chinea also drove in two with an eighth inning homer, and Dylan Carlson singled, walked, and stole his fourth base in five attempts (third in the past four games).

Righty veteran Williams Perez was the starter and winner, conceding four runs in six stanzas. The 27-year-old fanned seven and walked just one. Roel Ramirez got the hold with a shutout seventh inning, despite a pair of free passes. Merandy Gonzalez and newly promoted Junior Fernandez each allowed a harmless run in an inning of work to finish off the win.

It was Springfield’s first road victory of the season after they went 0-for-April in their 10 contests away from Hammons Field.

Thursday’s game: at Amarillo, Evan Kruczynski (0-2, 10.97) 7:05 CT.


St. Lucie 2, Palm Beach 0

Angel Rondon (Peoria Chiefs)

Righty Angel Rondon allowed one run and was the tough-luck losing pitcher as Palm Beach fell 2-0 at the St. Lucie Mets. Rondon was effectively wild and wildly effective all night, whiffing eight men in five innings while walking five and permitting just a pair of singles. C.J. Saylor and Ramon Santos (season debut) followed Rondon (3-1, 2.03) to the bump, and conceded only one run in three innings despite three hits and three walks.

St. Lucie starter Tommy Wilson (98 pitches) baffled the Beach Cards (17-9) for seven no-hit innings before backstop Dennis Ortega broke up the no-no to open the eighth against Mets reliever Yeizo Campos. Palm Beach managed a pair of singles in the ninth from Justin Toerner and Zach Kirtley, but Chase Pinder grounded out to end the contest. Toerner whiffed twice and is now batting .387 with a 1.053 OPS.

Thursday’s game: at St. Lucie, Edgar Gonzalez (1-4, 3.32) 5:30 CT.


Peoria 6, Dayton 0 (Game 1 – seven innings)

Brady Whalen (Peoria Chiefs)

Nolan Gorman mashed his seventh homer and hot-hitting first baseman Brady Whalen remained on a tear, going deep for the fourth time in five games, leading Peoria to a 6-0 whitewash of Dayton in the first tilt of a Wednesday twin bill. The switch-hitting Whalen, now 12 for his last 31, also doubled while lifting his average to .338 and OPS to .984.

Catcher Ivan Herrera singled in three trips to the plate, and helped his moundsmen by gunning the only two would-be base stealers. (The 18-year-old has now thrown out a solid 35% on the season, and has yet to commit a passed ball in 14 starts.)

Tommy Parsons entered the game with a 0.30 ERA that apparently wasn’t good enough for him, so he threw five more shutout innings. The 23-year-old righty has now allowed 14 hits in 35 innings, with a 26/5 K/BB tally. Not having pitched for over a week, Parsons was pulled after just 53 pitches, likely to give a rusty bullpen some work following several days of weather-related inactivity. Freddy Pacheco and Evan Sisk finished the shutout, with the latter providing a spotless seventh inning after first escaping an inherited bases-loaded crucible in the sixth.


Peoria 7, Dayton 3 (Game 2 – seven innings)

Lars Nootbaar (Peoria Chiefs)

Peoria completed the doubleheader sweep and lifted their ledger to 10-13 with a resounding 7-3 nightcap victory over the Dayton Dragons. Lars Nootbaar led the way with a 3-for-4 performance. The 21-year-old outfielder singled twice and doubled, and plated a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. While there were no other multi-hit games, keystoner Josh Shaw doubled, was hit by a pitch, drove in a run, and crossed the plate twice.

Righty Kyle Leahy got the start and the win, surrendering two runs on five singles and a walk while pitching five innings. Edgar Escobar wrapped the evening up with a 1-2-3 final frame that took just 11 pitches. Other than a four-run debacle last week, Escobar is unscored upon in seven appearances for the Chiefs, covering ten innings.

Thursday’s game: vs. Dayton, Cole Aker (0-2, 9.22) 6:35 CT.


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