photo: Luken Baker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
St. Louis’ 2-2 minors won and lost by the long ball on Tuesday. Red hot Luken Baker’s two-blast effort led Springfield to one of two wins, along with the DSL Cardinals Blue who were led by Maycol Justo. Home runs also played a role in Memphis’ and Peoria’s defeats while Palm Beach’s game was postponed and the Cardinals Red’s contest was suspended.
Results from the games played Tuesday, August 3rd.
Home runs proved the Redbirds’ undoing as Memphis (38-41) fell to Durham, 5-2, in the series opener at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
Starter Matthew Liberatore (L, 4-6) did not last five frames, being twice bitten by the long ball during his 4 1/3 innings on the mound. The Bulls went yard twice against the lefty, resulting in four runs, two earned. Liberatore yielded five hits and issued three free passes while throwing 92 pitches, 54 for strikes.
Tyler Webb and Connor Jones shared pitching duties the rest of the way. Webb surrendered a solo shot along with a base-on-balls with five outs recorded, leaving Liberatore’s final two runners on base while Jones maneuvered around a hit and three walks for two scoreless frames.
The Redbirds took a short-lived lead after Nolan Gorman launched his fifth Triple-A home run, the blast coming with Evan Mendoza (double) aboard in the third. The bomb was Gorman’s only hit in four at bats.
N💣LAN G💣RMAN! DEAD CENTER!
His @IntlPaperCo 💣 gives us the lead 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/zots7P2azt
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 3, 2021
Alec Burleson acted as the designated hitter in his Triple-A debut and acquitted himself well. Batting in the seven spot, Burleson singled once in three at bats. Juan Yepez was one of seven Redbirds with one hit, and the first baseman worked one of two free passes issued to his team.
Wednesday’s game: at Durham (52-26) (TB), 6:35 pm ET/5:35 pm CT, Angel Rondon (4-4, 5.28)
Luken Baker’s two bomb night led Springfield (31-48) over Tulsa at Hammons Field, 11-4. The slugger remains red-hot, having gone deep in four consecutive games.
Baker, The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, went 3-for-5 with a double, solo shot and two-run blast that were part of his three runs scored and five knocked in. The first baseman’s two-run bomb came with Brendan Donovan (double) aboard, capping a four-run eighth. Third baseman Donovan also went 3-for-5 with a double, crossing home twice with an RBI.
This is incredible. With 23 home runs in just 76 games played, Luken has tied Oscar Taveras for 4th on the @Sgf_Cardinals single season home runs list. Matt Adams (32, 2011), Colby Rasmus (29, 2007) & Xavier Scruggs (29, 2013) are the only ones ahead of him. https://t.co/gcclwPKXi5
— Andrew Buchbinder (@abuchbinder) August 4, 2021
Chase Pinder made a splash in his return to Double-A action after having been on the injured list since May 11th. The right fielder went yard in his first at bat, the start of a big third inning in which the home team scored six times. Pinder went 2-for-3 with a walk, home run, two runs scored and two knocked in. Springfield’s balanced offensive attack generated 12 hits in all with all nine starters getting either a hit or scoring a run.
Taking them to Pindergarten!
Chase Pinder just homered in his first at-bat back in Springfield in 84 days! pic.twitter.com/NXNBeGeJU2
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 4, 2021
Two rehabbing St. Louis hurlers combined to pitch the first six innings with differing results. Miles Mikolas got the ball first, throwing 67 pitches, 43 for strikes, over 4 2/3 frames with a run on four hits and a base-on-balls permitted.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (W, 1-0) followed Mikolas to the mound with the bases clean and two gone in the fifth. The righty permitted two hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings, the big blow being a three-run home run. Ponce de Leon threw 25 of his 39 pitches for strikes.
Three of the five batters retired by Johan Quezada struck out, with the tall right-hander giving up a hit and base-on-balls. Jacob Bosiokovic tossed a one-two-three ninth, fanning two.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Tulsa (41-38) (LAD), 6:35 pm CT, Andre Pallante (3-5, 3.63)
Peoria’s (30-49) late rally fell short as they were edged by South Bend, 5-4, in the first of six at Four Winds Field.
The Chiefs had one run in and the sacks jammed in the ninth but were unable to push across the tying score despite outhitting their hosts for the evening, 10 to seven. Right fielder Jhon Torres led the effort, going 3-for-4 with a base-on-balls and run scored.
The second and last Peoria player with a multi-hit effort was left fielder Matt Koperniak, who singled twice in four at bats. The intentional free pass issued to him loaded the bases in the ninth, but he was stranded when light-hitting Tyler Reichenborn popped out to second.
All five of the Cubs’ runs occurred in the fifth, an inning in which starter Mac Lardner did not record an out. Lardner had struck out six in his first four innings, shutting down his opponents on a hit and three walks. But the lefty was yanked after allowing a leadoff double and single in the fifth, giving way to Fabian Blanco.
Blanco (L, 2-5) was not effective, although it appeared that way in the beginning. The righty coaxed a 3-4 double play scoring Lardner’s runner from third, only to give up a double, two-run long ball, two free passes and another single. The final line on Blanco was four runs allowed, two earned, on three hits and two walks in 2/3 of an inning. Two of the four scores were unearned due to a fielding error by shortstop Masyn Winn.
Sean Kealey quieted South Bend during his 2 1/3-inning stint, permitting a hit and base-on-balls. Leonardo Taveras issued two free passes in the eighth.
Wednesday’s game: at South Bend (34-44) (CHC), 7:05 pm ET/6:05 pm CT, Connor Lunn (4-5, 4.31)
Palm Beach at St. Lucie – postponed
The first of six games between the Palm Beach Cardinals (25-51) and the St. Lucie Mets at Clover Park was postponed due to rain. The contest has been rescheduled as part of a double header on Thursday, August 5th with Game 1 beginning at 4:00 pm ET/3:00 pm CT.
Wednesday’s game: at St. Lucie (41-37) (NYM), 12:10 pm ET/11:10 am CT, LHP Nathanael Heredia (1-3, 7.11)
FCL Cardinals – off
The second-place FCL Cardinals (13-9), winners of eight their last 10 games, look to continue their winning ways against the third-place FCL Mets.
Wednesday’s game: vs. FCL Mets (12-11), 10:00 am ET/9:00 am CT, TBA
DSL Cardinals Blue 7 at DSL Yankees1 4
Shortstop Maycol Justo’s three-hit game helped the DSL Cardinals Blue (8-8) fly past the DSL Yankees1, 7-4.
Justo, an 18-year-old out of San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, singled three times in five at bats with one run scored and another driven in, batting in the two hole. It is the switch hitter’s fifth straight game with at least one hit and eighth in his last nine contests.
The only other C-Blue with more than one of seven team hits was catcher Leonardo Bernal, who went 2-for-4 with a triple, crossing home once. Anyelo Encarnacion touched home once with an RBI despite going hitless in four at bats. The second baseman scored his team’s first run after drawing a one-out walk in the third. Encarnacion twice a base each on a balk and wild pitch, putting him in position to race home on one of Justo’s singles.
As is often the case in the Dominican Summer League, defense played a role in the scoring. The visitors committed five errors which translated to three unearned tallies versus the home squad’s one miscue – a throwing error by right fielder Keshawn Rombley – that brought about one unearned score. Center fielder Luis Pino was credited with an outfield assist at third.
A six pack was on tap on the pitching side of the game, beginning with Randel Clemente who blanked his opponents on three hits and four walks in 3 1/3 frames. The righty struck out five. Frankely Guzman induced his first batter to hit into a 5-4-3 double play, leaving Clemente’s last to base runners aboard.
Alexander Beltre (W, 3-1) was touched for an unearned tally during his two-inning stint. The lefty yielded two hits and two walks with four K’s.
Righty Uriel Curvelo did not retire any of the three batters faced in seventh, giving up a hit and two free passes, resulting in two runs. Esteban Contreras inherited a bases-loaded with none out jam and managed to strand one of three inherited runners.
But Contreras allowed his first three eighth-inning batters to reach with one scoring before departing in favor of Alejandro Cervantes. Cervantes coaxed a 5-4-3 double play and ground out, stranding two inherited runners then tossed a one-two-three ninth for his first professional save.
Wednesday’s game: off
DSL Cardinals Red at DSL Brewers1 – suspended
Tuesday’s road contest for the DSL Cardinals Red (8-7) at the DSL Brewers1 (8-8) was suspended with the C-Red batting in the fourth. At the time of stoppage, the visitors had halved their hosts’ lead to 2-1 with a runner at second and one out. While the rescheduling details have not been advised, the two teams meet next for a home-and-away on August 26th and 27th.
Wednesday’s game: off
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