photo: Gordon Graceffo (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 1-3 on Friday as the four full season teams scored just 12 runs. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is 2021 draftee Gordon Graceffo, who earned his first professional win with 4 1/3 scoreless innings in Palm Beach’s win over Daytona.
Results for games played Friday, August 20.
The Redbirds lost to Nashville 5-3 in the Friday night contest at AutoZone Park. Starter Johan Oviedo pitched five innings and again did not dominate, giving up five runs on six hits, struck out five and walked four. Connor Jones tossed two scoreless innings of relief. Austin Warner threw the final two scoreless frames. Oviedo took the loss, his fourth of the Triple-A season.
Nashville went up 1-0 in the first inning. Memphis answered with two runs in the home half of the first. Kramer Robertson singled and Juan Yepez hit a ground rule double. Conner Capel followed with a double that plated Robertson and Yepez.
The Sounds regained the lead in the second inning to make it 4-2. In the fourth, the Redbirds made it tighter with one run on another double by Capel, a single by Alec Burleson, and a sac fly by Evan Mendoza that scored Capel.
David Dahl hit a solo home run in the fifth to give Nashville the 5-3 lead. Neither team scored in the final four innings.
Capel was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Mendoza drove in the other run.
Memphis is 44-50 and remain in fifth place in the Triple-A East Southeast Division, 16.5 games back of first place Durham.
Saturday’s game: vs. Nashville, Jake Woodford RHP (0-3, 5.57) vs. Colin Rea RHP (0-1, 6.00) 6:35 CT.
The Cardinals were outpaced by the Wichita Wind Surge in a 6-4 loss at Hammons Field on Friday night.
Springfield went up in the first inning on no. 3 hitter Ivan Herrera’s solo home run. It was the red-hot catcher’s ninth long ball in the last 18 games and 14th of the season.
IV💣N G💣NE!
The 14th for @herrera_ivan01 puts us in front. pic.twitter.com/T3vr9IR1BD
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 21, 2021
The Cardinals added on in the second to make it 2-0. Irving Lopez led off with a single and David Vinsky followed with a single. Matt Koperniak reached on a fielder’s choice that eliminated Lopez. A wild pitch advanced Vinsky and Koperniak. Nick Dunn then reached on a fielder’s choice and Vinsky scored.
Wichita tied it up 2-2 in the third, but Springfield answered with in the home half of the third to regain the lead 3-2. Nick Plummer, Chandler Redmond, and Nick Raposo all drew walks. Lopez singled and Plummer scored.
The Wind Surge knotted it up again in the fourth. Again, in the bottom of the inning the Cardinals added one run to retake the lead 4-3. Plummer reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on a single by Malcom Nunez.
The lead changed hands again when Wichita scored twice in the fifth. The Wind Surge added to their lead with a run in the seventh. These final three runs went unanswered by Springfield.
Herrera and Lopez were each 2-for-5 with an RBI.
Grant Black was the starter for the Cardinals and the right hander took the loss, his second of the season at Double-A. Black pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up three runs, five earned, on eight hits, fanned six and walked one. Cory Thompson surrendered one run in 3 2/3 innings of relief. Freddy Pacheco threw a scoreless ninth.
On the base paths, Plummer was very active. The outfielder stole two bags for his eighth and ninth of the season but was also caught stealing for the eighth time.
Lopez made a throwing error, and Nunez had a fielding miscue.
Springfield has a record of 35-59 and stands in last place in the Double-A Central North Division, 20 games back of first place Wichita.
Saturday’s game: vs. Wichita, TBA (SPR) vs. Jordan Balosovic RHP (4-2, 3.74) 6:05 CT.
The Chiefs were soundly defeated by the Beloit Snappers in an 8-2 contest at ABC Supply Stadium on Friday night. The Chiefs offense was meager against the pitching of Beloit.
The Snappers got on the board 1-0 in the first inning and added two more runs in the third.
Peoria finally put up one run in the fourth when Leandro Cedeno doubled and scored on a double by Todd Lott.
The Snappers answered with a crooked number in the home half of the fourth, scoring five runs to increase their lead to 8-1 and blow the game open.
The Chiefs tacked on a run in the ninth on a solo home run by Lott, but it was too little, too late. Cedeno and Lott were both 3-for-4 and Lott drove in both Peoria runs.
ANOTHER ONE INTO THE “PARKING LOTT!”@toddlott9 hits a late-inning blast into the night to cut into the Beloit lead!#SoundTheAlarm x @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/EZIlVrvtJj
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) August 21, 2021
Starter Mac Lardner pitched 3 1/3 innings and gave up six runs on six hits, struck out four and walked three. Lardner took the loss, his fourth of the season. Jack Ralston relieved and surrendered two runs in 1 2/3 innings. In mop up duty, Jacob Schlesener threw the final three scoreless innings.
Peoria has a record of 35-59 and sits in last place in the High-A Central West Division, 27.5 games back of first place Quad Cities.
Saturday’s game: at Beloit, Connor Lunn RHP (5-6, 4.05) vs. TBA 6:35 CT.
The Cardinals edged Daytona for a one run victory at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Friday. Starter John Beller pitched three innings and gave up two runs on two hits, struck out five and walked three. 2021 fifth-round pick Gordon Graceffo relieved and tossed 4 1/3 scoreless innings to earn his first win as a professional. Inohan Paniagua threw the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings and collected his second save.
The Beach Birds scored first in the third inning on an RBI triple by Elijah Cabell. The Tortugas quickly answered with two runs in the home half of the third to take a 2-1 lead.
In the fifth, Mack Chambers led off with a double, and L.J. Jones walked. Chambers scored on a double by Thomas Francisco. Jones came home on a sac fly by Carlos Soto as Palm Beach took the 3-2 lead that held the rest of the night.
Francisco and Noah Mendlinger were both 2-for-4. Francisco, Cabell, and Soto drove in the three runs.
On the base paths, Patrick Romeri was caught stealing for the third time.
Palm Beach is 29-61 and is in last place in the Low-A Southeast East Division, 19.5 games back of first place St. Lucie.
Saturday’s game: at Daytona, TBA (PB) vs. Jason Parker RHP (4-1, 3.88) 6:05 CT.
FCL Cardinals – Off
Saturday’s game: at FCL Mets, TBD vs. TBD 9:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals Blue, DSL Twins (suspended)
This game was suspended due to rain in the first inning with the score 0-0. The game will be resumed on September 14.
Saturday’s game: vs. DSL Cardinals Red, TBD vs. TBD 9:30 am CT.
DSL Cardinals Red at DSL Rangers2 (postponed)
This game was postponed due to rain. The game will be made up on September 13.
Saturday’s game: at DSL Cardinals Blue, TBD vs. TBD 9:30 am CT.
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