Cardinals Minor League Notebook: 6/30/17

(photo: Austin Gomber/Springfield Cardinals FANatic Photos)

Results from games played Thursday, June 29th.

Memphis 8 vs. Oklahoma City 2

Patrick Wisdom’s two-homer performance led the Redbirds over the Dodgers, 8-2, giving the home team a two-two series split.  Memphis (48-31) has a commanding 10-game lead over Nashville (OAK) and Round Rock (TEX) in the four-team American Southern Division.

Patrick Wisdom

Wisdom accounted for half of his team’s tallies, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and four knocked in.  The third baseman was one of five Redbirds with two hits apiece, joining Harrison Bader, Breyvic Valera, Todd Cunningham and Nick Martini.  The first four did it in four at bats and Martini five.  All five touched home at least once with all but Valera driving in at least one.

Marco Gonzales

Marco Gonzales went seven innings, holding Oklahoma City (44-34) to just two tallies on three hits and three walks.  It was the southpaw’s third straight quality start – of at least six innings and two or fewer runs.  Gonzales fanned six with five ground-ball to four fly-ball outs.  In his Triple-A debut, Tyler Bray used three strikeouts to work around three hits over two scoreless frames.

Friday’s game:  vs. fourth-place New Orleans (29-50) (MIA), 7:05 pm CT, Josh Zeid (4-2, 5.94)

 

Springfield 4 at Midland 5 (10)

The S-Cards’ bullpen could not hold a late four-run lead, falling to Midland, 5-4, in 10 in the first of the three-game series.  Springfield (3-4) is a game behind both Northwest Arkansas (KC) and Tulsa (LAD) in the North Division.

Austin Gomber

Austin Gomber was impressive over the first seven scoreless frames, striking out nine while giving up five hits and three bases-on-balls.  Our Player of the Day threw 72 of his 103 pitches for strikes and left with his squad up 4-0.

But that lead unraveled in the eighth.  Ian McKinney did not retire any of his three batters faced, allowing a hit and two free passes.  Andrew Morales (BS, 1) entered with one run across and runners at first and second.  Morales coaxed a pop out in foul ground but negated that by yielding three consecutive singles before he recorded his next out.  Corey Littrell came in with two in scoring position but negotiated through the jam by issuing an intentional base-on-balls before getting a fly out to center.

Littrell worked a clean ninth but the same cannot be said for Landon Beck the next inning.  Beck (L, 1-1) allowed two hits and three walks, eventually walking in the walk-off.

The visitors managed six hits including solo shots by Oscar Mercado and John Nogowski.  Mercado was the only Springfield player with more than one hit, going 2-for-5 with three strikeouts out of the three hole.  The home run was Nogowski’s only hit in four at bats in the first baseman’s organizational debut.

Friday’s game:  at Midland (2-5) (OAK), 7:00 pm CT, Matt Pearce (7-5, 2.98)

 

Palm Beach 4 at St. Lucie 3 (11)

Chris Chinea’s third home run of the season provided the winning margin as the Beach Birds edged the Mets, 4-3, in 11 for a three-game road series sweep.  Palm Beach (5-2) sits atop the South Division, a half of a game ahead of Fort Myers (MIN), which has also won three straight.

The blast was Chinea’s only hit in five at bats and the team’s second solo bomb of the game.  Andy Young got his squad on the board in the second for an early 1-0 lead.  Young and Randy Arozarena both went 2-for-5 while Darren Seferina singled and doubled in four at bats with a walk and run scored.  Arozarena swiped his ninth and 10th bags of 2017.  The Cards had eight hits in all.

Ryan Helsley was solid for Palm Beach, holding sixth-place St. Lucie (1-6) to three runs on eight hits and a base-on-balls over 6 2/3.  Ross Vance aided Helsley’s final line by recording the seventh’s final out, stranding two inherited.  Both of Vance’s outs were swinging K’s, but he gave up a walk and single, leaving Brennan Leitao to get out of the jam on a 4-6-3 double play.

Brennan Leitao

In a strong relief outing, Leitao (W, 3-0) went on to shut down the Mets on a lone hit over 2 2/3.  Brady Bowen retired two in the 11th but issued a free pass, leaving Estarlin Arias to retire his only batter for his fifth save.

Friday’s game:  at fourth-place Charlotte (3-3) (TB), 6:35 pm ET, Jake Woodford (5-3, 2.89)


Beloit 8 at Peoria 2

The series finale between the West Division co-leaders ended up in an 8-2 loss by the Chiefs, winner of just one of the four games.  Peoria (5-3) is now in a three-way tie for second with Kane County (ARI) and Quad Cities (HOU).

Beloit (6-2) (OAK) scored five times in eight innings against starter Juan Perez (L, 1-1).  Perez yielded six hits, a walk and hit one batter.

Ronnie Williams had almost no control, issuing four free passes and giving up a hit while retiring just one batter.  That performance translated to three runs, two earned.  Eric Carter induced a double-play ball, thus limiting further damage.

Peoria outhit Beloit eight to seven but went 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position.  Juan Yepez and Danny Hudzina each went 2-for-4 with a double, with Hudzina driving in Yepez.

Friday’s game:  at Kane County (5-3), 6:30 pm CT, Mike O’Reilly (5-2, 2.22)

 

State College 7 vs. Auburn 4

The Spikes survived three Auburn home runs to top the Doubledays, 7-4, clinching the three-game series with one to play.  The victory moves State College (6-4) into a three-way tie atop the Pinckney Division with Mahoning Valley (CLE) and West Virginia (PIT).

State College was outhit, nine to 12, but used three double plays to close that gap.  Mick Fennell, Caleb Lopes and Dennis Ortega each had two hits, Fennell and Ortega in four and Lopes in five at bats.  Fennell the center fielder, worked a free pass, scored once and drove in two while Lopez came home once and Ortega knocked in one.  Defensively, catcher Ortega notched two pick offs, both at second base.

Mick Fennell

Levi MaVorhis went the first three frames, allowing two solo long balls that were part of five hits and a walk.  Leland Tilley was credited with his first win by tossing two scoreless frames.

Paul Balestrieri pitched a clean sixth but served up a two-run bomb the next inning.  Three of the four outs recorded by Robbie Gordon were K’s and Andrew Summerville fanned the side for his first professional save.

Friday’s game:  vs. Auburn (3-7) (WSH), 7:05 pm ET, Sam Tewes (0-2, 8.38)

 

Greeneville 5 at Johnson City 3

Four early scores against Edwar Ramirez resulted in a 5-3 Appy Bird loss to the Astros.  Johnson City (5-3), which will try to salvage the third and final game of the series on Friday, drops into a three-way tie for first with Greeneville and Elizabethton (MIN).

Ramirez (L, 1-1) gave up two runs each in the first and third plus another run in his sixth and final inning of work.  Four of the five tallies were earned, coming on 10 hits including three home runs producing four scores.

Will Changarotty struck out four over two, giving up a hit.  Robert Calvano fanned two in the ninth, issuing one free pass.

Designated hitter Wood Myers and catcher Julio Rodriguez each went 2-for-4, with Myers walking once and Rodriguez doubling once with a run scored and RBI on a sac fly.

Friday’s game:  vs. Greeneville (5-3), 7:00 pm ET, Alvaro Seijas (0-0, 12.00)

 

GCL Nationals 3 at GCL Cardinals 1

The defending league champion Gulf Birds (0-3) are still looking for their first victory of the young season after they were downed by the GCL Nationals (3-0) by a score of 3-1.

Angel Rondon

Angel Rondon took the loss despite a quality effort.  The 19-year-old yielded just two runs, one earned, on three hits and a base-on-balls over six innings.  Rondon began the season by starting twice for the DSL Cardinals before making his United States debut in a June 23rd start for Johnson City.

A trio of Gulf Cardinals relievers each tossed a frame:  Alex Fagalde, Juan Alvarez and Gabriel Gentner.  Fagalde was touched for a run on two hits while Alvarez faced the minimum.  Gentner allowed a hit but struck out two.

The home team’s sole tally was manufactured without a hit.  Designated hitter Elehuris Montero was plunked to begin the fifth, advanced to second on a passed ball, scampered to third via a wild pitch and scored left fielder Daniel Gomez’ 4-3 ground out.

Third baseman Taylor Bryant had an interesting professional debut.  The 33rd rounder from Cal State Fullerton garnered one of his squad’s four hits for the day and worked two free passes, giving him a 1.000 OPS.  For now.

Friday’s game:  at GCL Marlins (2-1), 12:00 pm ET, TBA

 

DSL Cardinals 3 at DSL Phillies Red 2

The DSL Cardinals translated 11 hits into a 3-2 victory over the DSL Phillies Red squad.  The Dominican Birds (9-13) are tied for sixth with the Phillies Red, eight games in back of the DSL Twins.

Four Dominican Cardinals had two hits each:  first baseman Cristhian Longa, catcher Ivan Herrera, third baseman Pablo Gomez and left fielder Diomedes Del Rio.  All four players doubled once while all except Del Rio drove in one.  Longa’s RBI knocked in William Jimenez (single) in the ninth for what proved to be the winning margin.  Herrera and Del Rio both reached base once via a hit-by-pitch.

Diego Cordero

But the true star of the game was starter Diego Cordero, who spun eight frames of one-run ball.  The lefty gave up just five hits and did not issue a free pass.  18-year-old Wilman Madera gave up three hits resulting in one run but held on for his first save of 2017 and second of his two-year career.

Friday’s game:  vs. DSL Phillies Red (9-13), 10:30 am ET, Francisco Ventura (0-2, 4.30)


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