photo: Moises Castillo (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Strong performances by starter Cole Aker and shortstop Moises Castillo led Johnson City to a split of their Thursday twin bill as the system went 6-3. Other top performers include Alvaro Seijas, Inohan Paniagua and Joerlin De Los Santos.
Results from the games played Thursday, August 16th.
The Redbirds salvaged the fourth and final game of their series versus New Orleans, 3-2, to prevent a four-game sweep by the visiting third-place Baby Cakes (60-62) (MIA). This win by Memphis (75-48) combined with second-place Nashville’s loss, gives the Redbirds a nine-game lead in the American Southern Division.
All of the home team’s runs were generated by Lane Thomas’ third-inning home run. The center fielder went yard with Randy Arozarena (double) and Tommy Edman (walk) aboard. The Redbirds were held to just four hits overall.
Tyler Lyons went 3 1/3 innings in his second start since being outrighted from St Louis. The lefty was touched for two runs on two hits and three walks.
Chris Ellis was credited with the win, his fifth against four losses, striking out five over 3 2/3 with two hits permitted. Tyler Webb tossed a one-two-three eighth in his return to Memphis before Andrew Morales duplicated Webb’s success for his sixth save.
Friday’s game: vs. last-place Round Rock (55-68) (TEX), 7:05 pm CT, Jake Woodford (3-3, 4.17)
Springfield vs. San Antonio – cancelled
Springfield (21-31) and San Antonio (25-25) (SD) were unable to get in their series finale due to rain. Since this is the last time the two teams are scheduled to meet during the regular season, the contest will not be made up. The last-place S-Cards did not win either of the first two games.
Friday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi (32-20) (HOU), 7:10 pm CT, Genesis Cabrera (7-7, 4.22)
A six-run ninth against the leaky PB-Cards’ bullpen turned a 6-4 victory into a 10-6 home loss to Tampa (24-29) (NYY), and halted the Beach Birds’ five-game winning streak. Palm Beach (27-26) claimed the series, three games to one, and is in third place, five games behind Fort Myers (MIN).
Yeison Medina (L, 3-4) and John Kilichowski (BS, 1) both wore the ninth-inning horns, with each pitcher giving up three runs. Medina recorded the eighth’s final two outs but did not retire any of the three faced the next inning. All three came around to score under Kilichowski.
Adam Wainwright made his second rehab start for Palm Beach and faced the minimum during his two-inning stint. The veteran struck out three and threw 31 pitches, 19 for strikes.
Regular starter Evan Guillory took over for Wainwright in the fourth and proceeded to hold the Yankees to two runs on three hits and two walks over the next five innings. Jacob Patterson was charged with two runs on two hits in 1/3 of an inning, as both runners scored with Medina on the mound.
Palm Beach banged out 12 hits, paced by Dylan Carlson who went 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and an RBI. Elehuris Montero and Jose Godoy had two hits apiece. Montero went 2-for-4 with a walk, double and run scored while Godoy singled and doubled in three at bats with a base-on-balls and two knocked in.
Friday’s game: at second-place Charlotte (31-21) (TB), 6:35 pm ET, TBA
Peoria 4 at Cedar Rapids 2 – Game 1
Peoria 0 at Cedar Rapids 4 (7) – Game 2
The Chiefs split a road double header versus the Kernels, claiming the nine-inning opener, 4-2, but dropping the finale, 4-0, in seven. Peoria (31-20) and Cedar Rapids remain tied atop the Western Division, two games in front of both Beloit (OAK) and Quad Cities (HOU).
The opener completed Wednesday’s contest that was suspended due to rain with one gone in the home half of the first. Zach Prendergast had retired one batter with runners at first and second on back-to-back singles.
Alvaro Seijas (W, 5-7) took the mound when play resumed on Thursday and proceeded to blank the opposition on six hits and three walks over 6 2/3. Seijas yielded a first-inning double that brought one of Prendergast’s two runners across. He also hit a batter.
Robbie Gordon recorded one out, giving up an unearned run on a hit and base-on-balls. Patrick Dayton retired all five batters faced, permitting an RBI ground out that allowed one of Gordon’s two runners to score.
Held scoreless through seven innings, the visitors broke through in the eighth, pushing across four tallies. Julio Rodriguez’ RBI single drove in Nick Plummer (single) before Brandon Benson’s fourth double knocked in Luken Baker (walk). Rayder Ascanio’s two-run single capped the scoring as both Rodriguez and Benson scampered home. Center fielder Brandon Riley was hitless in three at bats in his full-season debut after leaping from Rookie League Johnson City.
Game 2 was designated as a bullpen game, and the reliever-turned-starter scuffled. The Kernels jumped all over Thomas St. Clair in his first start in 39 appearances this season. St Clair (L, 2-4) was charged with all four scores, yielding four hits and three free passes in one plus innings.
Ben Yokley tossed three clean frames, stranding an inherited runner. C.J. Saylor and Kodi Whitley each pitched a one-two-three inning.
At the plate, Peoria matched their hosts’ five hits but all of theirs were singles and they could not break through on the scoreboard. Riley went 1-for-2 with a walk for his first Class-A hit.
Friday’s game: at Cedar Rapids (32-21) (MIN), 6:35 pm CT, Angel Rondon (3-0, 2.29)
State College vs. Williamsport – suspended
The second game of a brief two-game set between the Spikes and Crosscutters (24-32) was suspended due to lightning with the Spikes up 3-0 through four. The contest is scheduled to be completed as part of a double-header on Monday, August 20th. State College (26-31) sits in third place in the Pinckney Division and trail first-place Auburn (WSH) by seven games in the standings.
Friday’s game: at second-place Mahoning Valley (32-25) (CLE), 7:05 pm ET, Franyel Casadilla (2-1, 1.95)
Johnson City 3 at Princeton 2 (7) – Game 1
Johnson City 3 at Princeton 8 (7) – Game 2
The JC-Cards split the first of consecutive twin bills at Princeton, claiming Game, 3-2, but falling 8-3 in the second contest. Johnson City (24-28) languishes in fourth place in the West Division standings, 5 1/2 games behind Elizabethton (MIN).
Offense was hard to come by in the opener as the two teams combined for just nine hits. Moises Castillo and Luis Flores each had two of their squad’s five hits. Castillo – our co-Player of the Day – blasted a solo bomb comprising one of his two runs scored. Flores was caught stealing both times he reached base, one time just before Castillo’s bomb.
Co-Player of the Day Cole Aker (W, 2-1) was impressive over the first six frames, limiting the opposition to a single score on two hits and three walks. Parker Kelly picked up his third save despite allowing a run on two hits.
Both the offense and pitching was a tad more lopsided in Game 2 with Johnson City coming out on the wrong end in both categories. Two of their three scores came off the bat of shortstop Castillo who went yard for the second straight game but just the third time this season. The long ball came with Flores (single) on base, as the center fielder garnered one of just four Appy Bird hits. Defensively, Castillo was one of three JC-Cards committing a miscue.
In a bullpen game, two relievers split the six innings pitched: David Oca and Junior Gonzalez. Oca (L, 1-5) fanned five in three frames, yielding two runs, one earned, on three hits and a walk. But Gonzalez was banged around for six tallies, four earned, on 10 hits including a two-run home run.
Friday’s games: at first-place (East Division) Princeton (38-18) (TB). Game 1 – 5:00 pm ET, Kyle Leahy (2-2, 5.23)/TBA
GCL Cardinals 5 vs. GCL Mets 2
The Gulf Birds edged closer to claiming the East Division title with a 5-2 victory over the Mets (22-27). The Cardinals (33-16) lead the Astros by seven games in the standings with a magic number of one to clinch.
The home team generated seven hits and capitalized on two Mets miscues to score three unearned tallies. Seven Gulf Cardinals had one hit apiece, with the biggest hit by Jhon Torres, who launched a two-run bomb with Terry Fuller (walk) aboard to give his squad a 2-0 lead after one.
In the fourth, Diomedes Del Rio smashed a triple that plated Carlos Soto (fielding error) and Josh Shaw (hit-by-pitch). Del Rio scored on the play due to a throwing error by the Mets’ second baseman.
Making his first start after eight relief appearances, Freddy Pacheco struck out six during his three scoreless frames on the bump, giving up a hit and walk. Regular starter Wilfredo Pereira (W, 3-4) tossed the next four innings, yielding two hits.
But the GCL Cardinals’ shutout bid ended in the eighth when Chris Rivera was charged with two tallies on three hits. Edgar Escobar tossed a one-two-three ninth for his eighth save.
Friday’s game: Off
DSL Cardinals Blue 10 at DSL Nationals 3
The C-Blue donned their hitting shoes and trounced the Nationals (31-33), 10-3. The Cardinals (45-19) lead the South Division by one game over the Twins with eight games remaining in the regular season.
The visitors’ 13-hit attack was led by Malcom Nunez, who went 3-for-4 with a base-on-balls, double, run scored and two RBI. Three C-Blue had two hits each: Diowill Burgos, Darlin Moquete and Jose Zapata, Burgos in four and the latter two in five at bats. Burgos had one of the team’s three doubles, touched home twice and worked a free pass while Moquete and Zapata both crossed home once. Moquete swiped his 18th base and Zapata drove in two.
Inohan Paniagua tossed six strong innings of shutout ball, evening his record to three wins and three losses. The 18-year-old retired 18 of 20 batters faced, giving up a hit and walk while striking out five.
In his first game action in just over three weeks, Angel Cuenca pitched the seventh, permitting a hit, walk and unearned tally. Victor Villanueva tossed a clean eighth but Anthony Trompiz was charged with two runs on three hits and a free pass while retiring two. Ramon Fernandez fanned his only batter to strand two inherited runners.
Friday’s game: at third-place DSL Mets1 (41-23), 10:30 am ET, Enmanuel Solano (6-1, 3.18)
DSL Cardinals Red 8 vs. DSL D-backs2 3
The C-Red used a four-run third to send them past the D-backs2, 8-3. The fourth-place Cardinals Red (35-28) are 9 ½ games in back of the Rangers2 and have been eliminated from contention for the San Pedro Division title.
Although the home team manufactured seven hits, walks were the key to victory as they worked five of the 10 free passes issued to them for the game in the third. Those bases-on-balls were sandwiched between a hit batsman and the second of Joerlin De Los Santos’ three hits in five at bats, which drove in the frame’s final tally.
De Los Santos was the only C-Red with a multi-hit performance, doubling and scoring in the first before adding RBI singles in both the third and fifth. Yowelfy Rosario accounted for four tallies, going 1-for-2 with a solo blast, two walks, three runs scored and two driven in. Infielder Luis Andujar reached base all four times he came to the plate, singling once with three walks and an RBI.
Allinson Benitez struck out five over the initial four frames, permitting a run on five hits and a walk. Hector De Los Santos (W, 2-0) kept the D-backs2 (21-43) off the board for three innings, yielding two hits and two walks with three K’s.
Ronald Suarez worked around two hits for a scoreless eighth but it took two relievers to negotiate the visitor’s two-run ninth. Gabriel Contreras was charged with both scores after issuing four free passes and uncorking two wild pitches. Gustavo J. Rodriguez retired his only batter, leaving Contreras’ last two runners aboard.
Friday’s game: vs. DSL Tigers1 (28-36), 10:30 am ET, Luis Ortiz (2-4, 6.54)
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