photo: Jose Alvarez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 0-4 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield RF Jose Alvarez, went 4-for-5 including a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Other standouts include Pedro Pagés, Nick Dunn, Edgar Manzo and Lizandro Espinoza.
Results from games played Thursday, April 27th.
The Memphis Redbirds (17-7) were defeated by the Durham Bulls (TB, 14-9) on Thursday night at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Coming back from injury, starter Tommy Parsons pitched two scoreless innings. James Naile, who had filled in as a starter, was charged with two runs in 3 1/3 innings on five hits and a walk. The right-hander struck out three and took his first loss of the season.
The Redbirds scored in the fifth inning after Luken Baker blasted a solo homer, his ninth of 2023. TCN’s no. 34 prospect is tied for second in the International League in home runs. Durham answered in the sixth against Naile to take the lead 2-1.
ANOTHER BAKER BLAST pic.twitter.com/GJHJVHYUj2
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) April 28, 2023
In 1 1/3 scoreless innings, Kodi Whitley walked two and struck out two. Andrew Suárez fanned three in a scoreless 1 1/3 innings.
Baker had two of the Redbirds’ three hits in the contest. Juniel Querecuto recorded a triple.
In his Memphis debut, Jordan Walker played in right field and batted cleanup. The 20-year-old went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts. Overall, the lineup struck out 10 times and went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.
Friday’s game: at Durham, RHP Gordon Graceffo (1-1, 3.18) vs. RHP Evan McKendry (1-0, 6.61) 5:35 CT
Unable to hold a three-run lead, the Springfield Cardinals (6-12) were edged by the Wichita Wind Surge (MIN, 9-9) in a high-scoring contest at Riverfront Stadium.
Starter Wilfredo Pereira gave up four runs in four innings on six hits and two walks. In 1 1/3 innings of relief, Dalton Roach was charged with three runs. Ryan Shreve recorded a scoreless 2/3 of an inning.
Pedro Pagés doubled to bring in a run and L.J. Jones singled in another in the first inning. The Wind Surge responded with four in the home half. In the fourth, Arquímedes Gamboa contributed a sacrifice fly and Pages drove in two more. Jose Alvarez and Mike Antico both recorded an RBI in the fifth to make the score 7-4. Wichita tied the game in the fifth with a three-run home run against Roach.
Andre Granillo tossed a scoreless seventh inning with two strikeouts. Jacob Buchberger recaptured the lead for the Cardinals with an RBI single in the eighth but Wichita took charge with five in the bottom half.
Edgar Escobar took the loss after he yielded three runs in 1/3 of the eighth. Logan Sawyer surrendered two more runs while getting the last two outs of the inning.
Springfield tried to rally in the ninth. Nick Dunn tripled to bring Alvarez across. Antico had a sacrifice fly and Gamboa blasted a solo home run to make the score 12-11. With the tying run at the plate, Matt Koperniak struck out on three pitches.
The Cardinals had 14 hits and six walks in the contest. Alvarez had a four-hit night with an RBI and three runs. Pagés went 3-for-5 with two doubles, three RBI and two runs scored. Dunn also had three hits.
Koperniak recorded an outfield assist from left field.
Friday’s game: at Wichita, LHP Kenny Hernandez (1-0, 6.55) vs. RHP Chad Donato (0-1, 11.12) 7:05 CT
The Peoria Chiefs (8-10) fell to the South Bend Cubs (CHC, 11-7) at Four Winds Field on Thursday.
Starter Cooper Hjerpe yielded two runs in four innings on two hits and five walks. TCN’s no. 10 prospect fanned seven and took his second loss of the year.
The only Chiefs run came in the ninth inning off the bat of Jeremy Rivas. The shortstop doubled to bring Nathan Church home. With the tying run at the plate and two out, Jimmy Crooks could not keep the rally alive.
Edgar Manzo recorded three scoreless innings and surrendered only one hit. Leonardo Taveras was charged with a run in the eighth inning.
Church had two of the four Chiefs hits. The lineup went 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position with only two strikeouts.
Friday’s game: at South Bend, RHP Trent Baker (0-1, 4.97) vs. RHP Connor Noland (0-0, 2.31) 6:05 CT
Palm Beach 8 at Lakeland 10 (8 innings)
The Palm Beach Cardinals (9-9) lost to the Lakeland Flying Tigers (DET, 10-8) on Thursday night at Publix Field. The game was called in the eighth inning after inclement weather in the Lakeland area.
Lefty starter Pete Hansen threw 4 1/3 innings and gave up four runs on seven hits. TCN’s no. 16 prospect struck out eight. Tanner Jacobson was touched for two runs in 2/3 of an inning.
After the Flying Tigers scored in the first, R.J. Yeager responded with a solo shot in the second, his third of the season. Won-Bin Cho blasted his second home run for Palm Beach to make the score 2-2.
Angel Cuenca yielded three runs, two earned, in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander fanned four and took his first 2023 loss. Edwin Nunez surrendered an unearned run in 1/3 of the eighth inning.
With Palm Beach down 7-2 in the seventh, they mounted a comeback. Lizandro Espinoza blasted a three-run shot, his first of the year. Leonardo Bernal brought in another run to make it a one-run game. Chris Rotondo gave the Beach Birds a brief 8-7 lead in the eighth, singling to score two. Lakeland came back in the home half to take the lead against Cuenca and Nunez.
Espinoza, Michael Curialle and Alex Iadisernia had two hits apiece. Espinoza went 2-for-3 with two walks and the three-run homer. The lineup left eight runners on base but the pitching yielded 11 hits, five walks and struck out 14.
Tre Fletcher took his second bag of the season.
Friday’s game: at Lakeland, RHP Hancel Rincon (2-1, 4.02) vs. TBA 5:30 CT
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