Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 17, 2019

photo: Leandro Cedeño (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

St. Louis’ minors went 3-1 on Tuesday behind stand-out pitching performances by Alex Fagalde (Palm Beach) and Tommy Parsons (Peoria).  Andrew Knizner and Johan Mieses (Memphis), Chase Pinder (Palm Beach) and Leandro Cedeño (Peoria) were hitting leaders, with the latter our Player of the Day.


Results from games played Tuesday, April 16th.

Memphis 8 vs. San Antonio 7    

Johan Mieses (Memphis Redbirds)

The Redbirds withstood a four-run ninth to edge the Missions, 8-7 in the first of Memphis’ seven-game home stand.  The Redbirds (6-7) sit in third in the tight American Northern Division, two games in back of Iowa (CHC).

Offense was the story with the two squads combining for 15 tallies on 20 hits.  The home team’s 11-hit effort was paced by Andrew Knizner, who was a perfect 3-for-3 with walk and run scored.  The only other Redbird with more than one hit was second baseman Max Schrock, who singled twice in two at bats, worked two free passes and touched home once.  But Schrock committed two throwing miscues leading to an unearned tally.

But the key blow was Johan Mieses’ eighth-inning grand slam providing what the much needed margin of victory.  In his first game back at Triple-A, it was the right fielder’s first home run at the level.  Earlier, Adolis Garcia launched a three-run bomb capping Memphis’ four-run sixth, his third long ball of the season, which put his team up 4-3.

Starter Genesis Cabrera’s effort included five strikeouts but was marred by three solo home runs over 3 2/3.  Tommy Layne (W, 1-0) went 2 1/3 scoreless frames and stranded two inherited runners.

Hunter Cervenka and Jesus Cruz each tossed a clean inning but the same cannot be said of Chasen Shreve.  Shreve was unable to record an out, allowing four runs, three earned, on three hits and two walks.  John Fasola picked up his first save after permitting one of Shreve’s final two runners to score.

Wednesday’s game:  vs. San Antonio (7-6) (MIL), 6:35 pm CT, Daniel Ponce de Leon (1-0, 1.69)


Tulsa 11 at Springfield 0      

The S-Cards were drubbed by the Drillers, 11-0, at Hammons Field on Tuesday, snapping a five-game winning streak and evening the three-game series at one game each.  Third-place Springfield (5-8) trails Arkansas (SEA) by 5 ½ games in the Texas League’s North Division.

The pasting began with starter Evan Kruczynski (L, 0-1), who tossed just 3 2/3 innings, permitting seven runs on seven hits and three walks.  It is the third straight poor showing in as many starts for the prospect left-hander.

Kruczynski’s final two runners scored with Will Latcham on the bump after the righty surrendered a two-run double followed by a two-run long ball.  Rehabbing Luke Gregerson faced the minimum on eight pitches in the fifth before Connor Jones worked around two hits and two walks for two clean frames.  But Jacob Patterson served up two solo shots during his two-inning stint.

Springfield’s offense was held to five singles and a double with no one garnering more than one hit.

Wednesday’s game:  vs. second-place Tulsa (6-6) (LAD), 11:10 am CT, Casey Meisner (0-0, 8.59)


Palm Beach 5 at Lakeland 1   

Alex Fagalde (State College Spikes)

Alex Fagalde fanned eight in six scoreless frames as the Beach Birds downed the Flying Tigers, 5-1, tying the series at one game each with one on tap.  Palm Beach (10-3) sits atop the South Division, 1 ½ games ahead of both Bradenton (PIT) and Fort Myers (MIN).

Fagalde (W, 2-0) faced just three batters over the minimum, yielding two hits and one free pass.  The 24-year-old tossed 64 of his 88 pitches for strikes and recorded four ground- to five fly-ball outs.

After stranding eight base runners through the first six frames, the Beach Birds put up a four-run seventh, leaving Fagalde in line for the victory.  Center fielder Chase Pinder spearheaded his team’s 10-hit attack, going 3-for-5 with a double, run scored and three knocked in.

The only other PB-Card with a multi-hit performance was reigning Florida State League Player of the Week Justin Toerner, who singled twice in four at bats with a free pass and touched home once.  The right fielder was unsuccessful in his only stolen base attempt.  Nick Dunn’s only hit in four at bats was a solo shot although the second baseman did record a sac fly.

Ronnie Williams relieved Fagalde and battled control problems during his brief two-out stint, issuing three free passes that left the sacks jammed for Patrick Dayton.  Dayton retired his first batter to end the threat but allowed a run on two hits the next inning.  Junior Fernandez walked one in his inning of work.

Wednesday’s game:  at Lakeland (6-6) (DET), 6:30 pm ET, Perry DellaValle (1-0, 4.82)


Peoria 2 vs. Clinton 1       

Tommy Parsons (Peoria Chiefs)

Player of the Day Leandro Cedeño’s bases-loaded single delivered a 2-1 walk-off victory for the Chiefs over the LumberKings, knotting the series at one game apiece with one to go.  Peoria (5-7) is tied for sixth with Beloit (OAK), 3 ½ behind Burlington (LAA).

Cedeño’s liner up the middle scored Lars Nootbaar and Brandon Riley, who opened the inning with back-to-back singles.  (Though the latter did not count since the moment Nootbaar scored, the game was officially over. ) Earlier, Cedeño got Peoria on the board with his first home run of 2019, which tied the score in the fifth at one run apiece.  Riley had a multi-hit performance as well, singling and doubling in four at bats.  A double by Nolan Gorman accounted for the Chiefs’ other hit.

Tommy Parsons painted yet another impressive effort, fanning eight in eight scoreless innings with four hits allowed.  A second-inning long ball is the only run the right-hander has yielded in 21 innings over three starts.  Parsons has allowed just nine hits and two walks in that span.  Sebastian Tabata (W, 1-0) pitched a one-two-three ninth for the win.

Wednesday’s game:  vs. fifth-place Clinton (5-6) (MIA), 12:05 pm CT, Alvaro Seijas (1-1, 3.24)


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