Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 21, 2022

photo: Joshua Baez home run celebration with Victor Scott (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals system went 4-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is Joshua Baez, who hit two home runs, a double and plated five for Palm Beach. Other standouts: Juan Yepez, Matt Koperniak, Nick Raposo and Nick Trogrlic-Iverson.

Results from games played Saturday, August 20th.

Memphis 5 at Gwinnett 4

The Memphis Redbirds (59-56) edged the Gwinnett Stripers (ATL, 57-59) on Saturday night at Coolray Field.

Thomas Parsons surrendered three runs, two earned, on four hits and two walks in six innings. The right-hander struck out four and earned his ninth win of the year.

Tommy Parsons

After the Stripers scored a run in the first inning, the Redbirds tied the game in the second. Moisés Gómez hit a solo home run, his 33rd between Springfield and Memphis. Juan Yepez added three more runs in the third inning with a three-run shot. Yepez hit another homer in the sixth to make the score 5-3.

Juan Yepez

James Naile yielded a run in two innings on two hits and one strikeout. In the ninth, Junior Fernández fanned two batters and saved his fifth game of the season.

Yepez had two home runs and four RBI. Ben DeLuzio had two hits. Austin Allen doubled and walked twice. The lineup had eight hits and three walks.

In the International League West, the Redbirds are 10.5 games behind first place Nashville.

Sunday’s game: at Gwinnett, LHP Garrett Williams (0-3, 4.78) vs. RHP Mike Soroka (0-0, 0.00) 12:05 CT

Springfield 8, Arkansas 5 (5 innings)

The Springfield Cardinals (23-21) topped the Arkansas Travelers (SEA, 20-24) at Hammons Field on Saturday. Due to inclement weather, the game was called in the fifth inning.

Starter Kyle Leahy gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings on four hits, five walks and four strikeouts.

In the first, Mike Antico singled, stole a bag and scored on a passed ball. Nick Raposo blasted a two-run homer, his fifth of the season. Antico doubled in the second to score Aaron Antonini. Matt Koperniak hit a two-run shot in the third, his 13th of the season.

Nick Raposo

Tyler Pike earned his fourth win of the season after one run yielded in 1 1/3 innings. The left-hander fanned four batters.

After a nine pitch at-bat, Jordan Walker hit a solo home run in the fifth, his 16th of 2022. Raposo recorded an RBI double to make the score 8-5. After Brady Whalen was hit by a pitch, the contest was delayed and later called due to field conditions.

Matt Koperniak

had two hits, two RBI and two runs scored. Raposo had two hits, three RBI and a run. Walker homered and Antico had two hits. The lineup had nine hits and eight runs after the game was called in the fifth.

Antico and Winn both took a base. Walker had an impressive outfield assist in right field.

The Cardinals are six games behind the Wichita Wind Surge in the Texas League North.

Sunday’s game: vs. Arkansas, RHP Jack Flaherty (MLB rehab) / RHP Edgar Escobar (7-8, 6.61) vs. RHP Stephen Kolek (4-12, 5.43) 1:35 CT

Peoria 2, Quad Cities 6

After an almost two-hour rain delay, the Peoria Chiefs (20-27) fell to the Quad Cities River Bandits (KC, 19-28) at Dozer Park on Saturday night.

TCN’s no. 19 prospect, Inohan Paniagua, threw four innings and was charged with six runs on seven hits and four walks. The right-hander fanned two and took his second loss for Peoria. Nick Trogrilc-Iverson tossed four shutout innings with five strikeouts.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson

Down 6-0, the Chiefs tried to mount a comeback. In the eighth, Osvaldo Tovalin grounded into a double play and Francisco Hernandez came across. Todd Lott singled to score Tommy Jew to finalize the score at 6-2.

Jack Ralston recorded a scoreless ninth and struck out all three batters.

Jacob Buchberger had two of the five hits for the Chiefs. Hernandez had a hit, two walks and a run scored. The lineup went 2-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left seven runners on. The defense turned three double plays.

The Chiefs sit in fifth place and are nine games behind South Bend in the Midwest League West.

Sunday’s game: vs. Quad Cities, RHP Wilfredo Pereira (6-5, 4.39) vs. RHP Chandler Champlain (1-1, 6.60) 1:35 CT

Palm Beach 14, Fort Myers 2

The Palm Beach Cardinals (25-22) destroyed the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels (MIN, 20-25) on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium.

Starter Trent Baker tossed 6 1/3 innings and yielded a run on seven hits and one walk. The right-hander struck out one batter and earned his eighth win of the season.

Trent Baker

The Beach Birds scored five of their 14 runs in the first two innings. TCN’s no. 12 prospect, Joshua Baez, recorded his first Single-A home run, a two-run shot. Chris Rotondo singled to plate Thomas Francisco. Baez homered again in the second inning, this time a two-run homer.

Joshua Baez

After R.J. Yeager singled in the fourth, the opposing pitcher committed a throwing error and three runs came across. In the fifth, Leonardo Bernal recorded an RBI double and Darlin Moquete drove in a run via sacrifice fly. Baez doubled to score Bernal and came across on an error to make the score 12-0 at the end of the fifth.

Angel Cuenca surrendered an unearned run in 1 2/3 innings on two hits and one strikeout. Matt Hickey pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

In the sixth, Jose Zapata had an RBI single and Yeager singled to score one more in the eighth inning.

Baez had three hits, three runs scored and five RBI. Nathan Church, Brody Moore, Yeager, Rotondo and Bernal each had two hits. Victor Scott II walked and came across three times. The Cardinals had 16 hits and walked four times.

The Cardinals are tied for first place with the Mets in the Florida State League East.

Sunday’s game: vs. Fort Myers, RHP Hancel Rincon (0-4, 8.10) vs. RHP Regi Grace (3-3, 4.63) 11:00 CT

FCL Cardinals 1, FCL Astros Orange 10

The rookie-level Florida Complex League Cardinals (24-28) were defeated by the Astros Orange (25-27) on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium.

Starter Benjamin Arias surrendered seven runs, four earned, on six hits and two walks in only 1 2/3 innings. Brayan Ramirez yielded a run in three innings.

The only Cardinal run came in the ninth inning. Felix Taveras doubled and scored Adari Grant to make the score 10-1.

Yordy Richard was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings on two hits and one walk. Americo Lugo gave up one run in three innings but struck out four batters.

Americo Lugo

Tre Fletcher and Taveras had the only hits for the Cardinals. The lineup went 1-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

Jeremy Ramos and Jose Cordoba both recorded outfield assists.

The Cardinals are 8.5 games behind the Mets in the FCL East.

Monday’s game: at FCL Astros Orange, TBA vs. TBA 11:00 CT (The Cardinals are off Sunday)

DSL Cardinals 2 at DSL Giants Orange 0 (7 innings)

The rookie-level Dominican Summer League Cardinals (33-24) blanked the Giants Orange (24-32) in a seven-inning contest on Saturday morning.

Starter Leonel Sequera pitched three scoreless frames on two hits and one strikeout. Ronny Oliver earned his third win of the season after three shutout innings with two strikeouts.

Ronny Oliver

The Cardinals scored a run in both the first and seventh innings. Yordalin Pena singled in the first and after a fielding error, Elias Reynoso came across. Yancel Guerrero added an insurance run in the seventh after an RBI single to plate Alejandro Loaiza.

Henry Gomez saved his first professional game after a perfect seventh inning with two strikeouts.

Marcelo Perez had the only multi-hit game with two. Reynoso had three walks and a run scored. The Cardinals had seven hits and five walks in the contest.

Pena and Yaisel Ramos each stole a bag. They both have eight this season.

The Cardinals are 5.5 games behind the Rockies in the DSL South.

Monday’s game: at DSL Rockies, TBA vs. TBA 10:00 CT (The Cardinals are off Sunday)


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