photo: Austin Gomber/Springfield Cardinals FANatic Photos
Austin Gomber’s arm and John Nogowski’s bat boosted Springfield to one of the system’s five wins in seven tries on Tuesday. Thomas Spitz was a key late-innings addition in Palm Beach’s victory while Julio Rodriguez was an offensive force for Johnson City. State College’s all-stars were also victorious.
Results from games played Tuesday, August 15th.
Late runs doomed the Redbirds (81-42) to a 6-5 defeat to the Sounds. While the game was the series opener with Memphis as the host, the two squads just finished a four-game set at Nashville, so met for the fifth straight game.
The home team led 3-0 after one but the Sounds eventually tied it a three all at the fourth’s midpoint. Memphis went back up 4-3 after four with both teams adding a tally each in the seventh. But Nashville struck last with two in the eighth off Josh Zeid (BS, 2) (L, 8-3), who allowed two hits and two walks in two innings.
Dakota Hudson tossed the first seven, yielding four runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks. Half of his tallies given up were generated by one long ball.
The Redbirds outhit the Sounds, eight to seven, but left eight on base. Alex Mejia and Alberto Rosario each had two hits, with Mejia singling and doubling in five at bats while touching home once. Rosario went 2-for-4 with an RBI and strikeout.
Stephen Piscotty was an on-base machine, reaching base four times in five plate appearances. The right fielder’s only hit in two at bats was a solo bomb, his third as a Redbird, giving Memphis its last lead of 5-4 through seven. Piscotty worked three free passes and crossed home twice.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Nashville (58-64) (OAK), 6:35 pm CT, Jack Flaherty (4-2, 2.86)
Springfield 7 vs. San Antonio 2
The S-Cards translated 18 hits into a 7-2 victory over the Missions in the first of three games. Springfield (34-17) is the hottest club in the Texas League right now, having won 10 of their last 11, giving them a 3 ½-game lead over second-place Tulsa (LAD) in the North Division.
Springfield’s three through seven hitters generated 13 hits collectively, led by number seven hitter John Nogowski, who was a perfect 4-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI. Catcher Andrew Knizner, the six batter, singled three times in five at bats, touching home twice while Darren Seferina, Adolis Garcia and Eliezer Alvarez all went 2-for-5, the latter two doubling. Oscar Mercado, the final S-Card with more than one hit, went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored before being replaced by a pinch runner after being hit by a pitch to begin the eighth.
Facing San Antonio for the second straight start, Austin Gomber pitched another gem. The southpaw did not allow an earned run over six, both runs charged to him being unearned thanks to a fielding error by Seferina. Gomber’s only hit allowed was a home run to the next batter.
The Florida native retired his next 10 batters before plunking a batter to open the fifth. A 5-4-3 double play erased that base runner. Gomber issued a two-out walk in the sixth but the inning finished when Knizner prevented an attempted steal of second.
Tyler Bray faced the minimum in the seventh before handing the ball off to Rowan Wick. Wick worked around two hits and a walk over the last two frames.
Wednesday’s game: vs. first-place (South) San Antonio (29-21) (SD), 6:30 pm CT, Ryan Helsley (2-0, 1.62)
The PB-Cards (25-25) rallied for a 9-8 victory over Dunedin, evening the series at one game apiece with two to play.
Trailing 8-4 after seven, Palm Beach manufactured a four-run eighth, taking their only lead of the game with a ninth-inning tally. Half of the eighth’s tallies were generated by Thomas Spitz’ fifth home run of 2017. The right fielder, who entered the game as part of a three defensive moves to begin the seventh, drove in Casey Grayson who got aboard via a free pass. Spitz then reached on a fielder’s choice in the ninth, scoring the winning run on a single by Andy Young.
Grayson and Young both singled twice as did Leobaldo Pina. Grayson did the most damage, scoring two times and knocking in one.
Five Beach Birds’ pitchers took the mound, beginning with Connor Jones, who had a dreadful outing. Jones was touched for six runs, five earned, on eight hits and three walks through four. Five of the six tallies scored in the second.
Hector Mendoza tossed a one-two-three fifth but the same cannot be said for Brady Bowen and Dailyn Martinez. Both hurlers yielded a run in their inning of work. Eric Carter worked two scoreless for his first A-Advanced win.
Wednesday’s game: at Dunedin (29-22) (TOR), 6:30 pm ET, Mike O’Reilly (2-0, 3.31)
Peoria 2 at Quad Cities 3
The Chiefs tied it late but could not get over the hump, falling to the River Bandits, 3-2, in a walk off. Third-place Peoria (27-24) has lost the first two of four games versus first-place Quad Cities and now trail them by six games.
Max Almonte (L, 2-4) gave up the run in his second inning of work, permitting two hits and a walk in 1 2/3. Evan Kruczynski went the first 5 2/3, yielding two runs on six hits and a base-on-balls with six strikeouts. Both tallies came in his last inning of work.
Kruczynski’s final score crossed with Austin Sexton on the mound. Sexton gave up two hits in 1 1/3, stranding one of two inherited runners.
Kept off the board through seven, Peoria finally broke through with a two-run eighth. Mick Fennell opened with a double, eventually scoring on a ground out by Evan Mendoza. Ryan McCarvel knotted the game at 2-2 with one swing of the bat, his 14th long ball of 2017. McCarvel had two of his team’s six hits, adding a single to his home run in four at bats.
Wednesday’s game: at Quad Cities (33-18) (HOU), 6:35 pm CT, Frederis Parra (3-4, 3.03)
State College – NYPL All-Star Game – South 5 at North 2
While third-place State College (29-24) as a team was idle on Tuesday, five Spikes participated in the New York-Penn League All-Star Game at Troy, NY. Manager Joe Kruzel and his State College coaching staff led the South to the win.
With the score tied at 2-2 in the ninth, Spikes catcher Joshua Lopez knocked in the game-winning runs with a two-run single and later came around the score the fifth South tally. Andrew Summerville entered with two outs in the ninth and struck out the final North batter.
State College left-hander Daniel Castano, the NYPL’s current wins leader, started the game for the South and yielded two hits and a walk during a scoreless inning. Castano threw 20 pitches, 10 for strikes.
Scott Hurst and Yariel Gonzalez completed the Spikes’ complement of All-Stars, and both started the game for the South. Hurst played center field and went hitless in three at-bats, while Gonzalez played third base and went 0-for-2.
Wednesday’s game: at first-place West Virginia (31-22) (PIT), 7:05 pm ET, Johan Oviedo (1-0, 5.40)
Johnson City 11 vs. Elizabethton 4
Julio Rodriguez’ hot bat helped Johnson City (28-24) to an 11-4 win over Elizabethton (31-22) (MIN), salvaging a split of the four-game series.
Rodriguez accounted for four tallies, going 2-for-4 with a walk, double and solo bomb that was one of his two runs scored and four RBI. Tuesday’s performance merely continues a torrid streak for the 20-year-old catcher, who has a .375 batting average in his last 10 games.
The only other Appy Bird with a multi-hit effort was Luis Bandes, who singled twice in five at bats, knocking in two. Five JC-Cards had one hit apiece, including Brady Whalen, who launched his sixth home run with the bases clear in the third. The third baseman went 1-for-3 with two walks, three runs scored and two RBI.
Jacob Schlesener picked up his second win in three decisions despite a rather rocky effort. The righty allowed five hits, three walks and hit two batters through 5 1/3, resulting in four runs. Schlesener fanned six.
Fabian Blanco went 2 2/3 frames, giving up two hits and a free pass. He allowed one of two inherited runners to score. Jacob Patterson worked a clean ninth.
Wednesday’s game: Off
GCL Cardinals 5 vs. GCL Astros 0 (7) – Game 1
GCL Cardinals 6 at GCL Astros 3 (7) – Game 2
The Gulf Birds claimed a twin bill from the GCL Astros (22-19), 5-0 and 6-3, advancing their winning streak to six. The sweep moves the Cardinals (23-18) into second place ahead of the Astros and a game behind the Nationals.
Winston Nicacio (W, 4-1) was outstanding, limiting the Astros to four hits over six innings while striking out five. It was the third straight quality start for the 20-year-old righty. Memphis’ Sean Gilmartin continued his rehab with a one-two-three first, fanning one.
Four players in the opening contest garnered two hits each: Rehabbing Jordan Schafer, Elehuris Montero, Taylor Bryant and Luis Flores. A double by Schaefer was one of two extra-base hits, the designated hitter adding a single in three at bats with a walk and three runs scored. Montero did some damage with his 2-for-3 effort, driving in three, one of his RBI via a sac fly.
Montero did damage in the finale as well, going 2-for-4 with a two-run long ball. Second baseman Michael Brdar also had two hits, singling twice in three at bats and scoring twice.
Catcher Cameron Knight led the 10-hit attack, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double that drove in one and led to pinch runner Brian Sanchez in the seventh. Sanchez subsequently scored.
A third rehabber, Springfield shortstop Edmundo Sosa, made his first game appearance in two months and went 1-for-3 with a strikeout as the designated hitter.
Junior Gonzalez looked in control, yielding a run on three hits and a base-on-balls over four, but ran into trouble in the fifth. The 20-year-old jammed the sacks full on a single and back-to-back free passes before forcing across a tally when he plunked a batter.
Kevin Hamann (W, 1-1) stranded the bases full by recording the fifth’s final out. Hamann tossed a clean sixth but allowed a run on consecutive doubles in the seventh.
Wednesday’s game: Off
DSL Cardinals – off
Wednesday’s game: DSL Cardinals (27-34) at DSL Mets1 (37-22), 10:30 am ET, TBA
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