photo: Zack Thompson (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals minors went 3-2 on Thursday as surging Zack Thompson pitched Memphis to another road win and Jhon Torres helped fuel Peoria’s late surge. Springfield was shut out at home, with Jack Flaherty to start Friday evening.
Results from the games played Thursday, August 5th.
Left-hander Zack Thompson’s impressive start led the Redbirds over the Bulls, 3-1. Memphis (40-41) has a two-games-to-one series advantage with three games remaining at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.
The only damage against Thompson (W, 2-6), our Player of the Day, occurred in the first via a walk and an RBI double. The 23-year-old allowed just two more hits and one more base-on-balls over the balance of his six-inning stint, striking out five. Thompson has given up just two scores, both earned, over his last 17 innings covering three starts.
Jesus Cruz, Junior Fernandez and Grant Black finished the game, each yielding a hit with three batters retired. Fernandez struck out the side but issued a free pass and Black collected his first Triple-A save.
With Memphis trailing 1-0 through three, second baseman Nolan Gorman evened the score with one swing of his bat. His sixth Triple-A home run came with one out and the bases empty and was one of his two hits in four at bats.
We’d suggest not hanging breaking balls when Nolan Gorman is batting 😳
That’s ✌️ home runs this week in Durham! pic.twitter.com/MR08y6mus6
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 5, 2021
Juan Yepez followed Gorman’s fourth-inning bomb by working a free pass. The first baseman eventually scored an unearned run after catcher Ali Sanchez reached on a throwing error by Durhams’ third baseman.
The contest remained 2-1 until the visitors’ half of the ninth. Sanchez and left fielder Alec Burleson singled to kick off the frame, the only hit for each player in four at bats. Sanchez was driven in on a one-out single by third baseman Rayder Ascanio, who led his team’s nine-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with an RBI out of the nine hole.
Friday’s game: at Durham (52-28) (TB), 6:35 pm ET/5:35 pm CT, Johan Oviedo (1-1, 5.68)
Domingo Robles’ very abbreviated start created an insurmountable obstacle for the S-Cards who were pounded by the Drillers, 10-0. Springfield (31-50) has claimed one of the series initial three contests at Hammons Field with three games on tap.
Robles (L, 2-6) retired just one batter, while surrendering five runs, four earned, on four hits, including a lead-off long ball, three singles, a fielder’s choice retiring no one and throwing error by third baseman Irving Lopez.
Michael Brettell tossed four innings, stranding an inherited runner before giving up two tallies on two hits and two walks. Brettell fanned five.
Freddy Pacheco matched Brettell’s five K’s but did it in 2 2/3 scoreless innings. The righty left Brettell’s last two runners on base while walking two.
Ramon Santos and Johan Quezada both went an inning to close out the lopsided loss. Santos was tagged for two unearned runs on a hit and two walks with the runs unearned because of his own throwing error. Quezada served up a solo shot to his only baserunner allowed.
Down 5-0 before they came to bat, Springfield’s offense was stymied by a quartet of Tulsa hurlers, led by right-hander Landon Knack, the 60th pick in the 2020 First-Year Player Draft who was making his Double-A debut. Four S-Cards had one hit each with Brendan Donovan’s double the only one to go for extra bases. Right fielder Nick Plummer and designated hitter Ivan Herrera each reached base twice via a single in three at bats plus base-on-balls. The former extended his on-base streak to 31 games.
Friday’s game: vs. Tulsa (43-38) (LAD), 7:05 pm CT, Jack Flaherty (0-0, —)
A four-run eighth broke open a scoreless contest as the Chiefs topped the Cubs at Four Wind Field, 6-1. Peoria (32-49) leads the series, two games to one, with three games yet to play.
With both teams’ pitchers putting up zeroes through seven frames, the game came down to which side blinked first and that was South Bend. To open the eighth, second baseman Francisco Hernandez greeted the new Cubs’ reliever, their fourth of five pitchers used, with a single, then advancing a base each on a steal and wild pitch. Masyn Winn reached on a fielder’s choice/throwing error by South Bend’s shortstop, bringing Hernandez across home plate.
How about some more runs!@jhontorress22 notches his second and third RBI’s of the game!
M9 | Chiefs 6, Cubs 1#SoundTheAlarm x @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/R7jSwB98EK
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) August 6, 2021
Jhon Torres lined a double to left, driving in Winn, one of the left fielder’s two hits in five at bats to go with a run scored and three driven in. Torres is slashing .412/.474/.588/1.062, 7-for-17, in four August games. Next up, Pedro Pages launched his seventh home run for the inning’s third and fourth tallies.
Peoria added another layer of icing with two more runs in the ninth. Matt Chamberlain worked a two-out free pass, advancing to third on Winn’s first A-Advanced double. Torres lined a single to right, driving in Chamberlain and Winn.
Torres was the only Chief with more than one of the team’s six hits although three of his teammates reached base multiple times. Pages held first base three times, going 1-for-3 with a walk, two-run bomb and hit-by-pitch while Hernandez added a base-on-balls to his hit, stealing a base as did Winn. Chamberlain reached base twice via free passes.
Newly named organization July Pitcher of the Month Wilfredo Pereira headed up a team of four Peoria pitchers who combined for 11 strikeouts, six hits and one run allowed. Pereira followed up a strong July 30th six-inning outing versus Beloit with five frames of shutout ball. The righty struck out seven, permitting three hits and two base-on-balls.
Enmanuel Solano recorded five outs, issuing three free passes before giving way to Gianluca Dalatri, who stranded an inherited runner. Dalatri (W, 1-0) retired two batters and was tagged with South Bend’s sole score which was surrendered on two hits and a base-on-balls.
Dalatri was bailed out of further damage by former starter Jack Ralston who fanned three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings for his first career save of 2021.
Friday’s game: at South Bend (34-46) (CHC), 7:05 pm ET/6:05 pm CT, Michael YaSenka (0-8, 6.71)
Palm Beach at St. Lucie – cancelled (Game 1)
Palm Beach at St. Lucie – postponed (Game 2)
For the third straight day, Palm Beach (25-51) and St. Lucie were unable to play. Thursday’s scheduled double header at Clover Park was not held due to wet grounds. The first game, the regularly scheduled contest, was cancelled. Game 2, the postponement of Tuesday’s series opener, has been rescheduled as part of a twin bill on Friday, August 6th with the opener to start at 4:00 pm ET/3:00 pm CT.
Friday’s games: at St Lucie (41-37) (NYM). Game 1 – 4:00 pm ET/3:00 pm CT, TBA/TBA
FCL Cardinals 2 at FCL Astros 9
Shaky pitching and quiet bats led to the FCL Cardinals’ 9-2 defeat by the FCL Astros (16-9) at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
The Florida Birds’ hurlers allowed at least one run in six of eight frames. Starter Renys Portillo (L, 1-2) tossed a clean first but that was the highlight of his four plus innings on the mound. The righty permitted four scores on five hits and three walks while fanning five.
His final runner touched home under William Miranda’s watch before Miranda was tagged for another four tallies on four hits and two base-on-balls in 1 2/3 frames. Two of the four runs resulted from a home run.
Roy Garcia pitched better than his two predecessors during his 2 1/3-inning stint, retiring his first four batters, thus stranding two inherited runners, before giving up a run via a lead-off single, stolen base, ground out and wild pitch.
The FCL Cardinals (13-11) had more errors (three) than tallies and the miscue and hit totals matched. First baseman Jesus Orecchio singled and doubled in four at bats, driving in one but he committed a throwing bobble as did catcher Jake Burns. Shortstop Sander Mora could not field one play cleanly for his second error.
Friday’s games: vs/at FCL Marlins (8-14). Game one – 10:00 am ET/9:00 am CT, TBA/TBA
DSL Cardinals Blue 6 vs. DSL Nationals 5
The DSL Cardinals Blue (9-8) rallied for a 6-5 Thursday home win over the DSL Nationals.
The see-saw contest began with both teams pushed across first-inning tallies. The 2-1 C-Blue lead held up until the visitor half of the third when the Nationals went up 4-2. The home team answered in the bottom of the frame, cutting the deficit to 4-3. A sixth-inning Nationals’ score pushed the gap back to two but the Cardinals Blue had the final answer with a three-run seventh.
For all the back-and-forth on the scoreboard, the game was decided by defense once again. The Nationals’ three miscues translated into four unearned runs while the C-Blue bobbled only once for one unearned tally.
Four DSL Cardinals Blue pitchers split the nine innings fairly evenly, beginning with 17-year-old Ronny Oliver. Making his first start after four relief appearances, the right-hander went 2 1/3 innings, permitting three runs on a hit, two walks, a hit batsman and a wild pitch. His initial tally scored on a steal of home in the first.
Victor Herrera retired eight batters, yielding three hits and two walks plus a plunked batter and two wild pitches, resulting in one run charged to him plus two tallies charged to Oliver.
Righty Marlyn Almonte recorded six outs, giving up an unearned score on two hits. The 18-year-old picked up his first professional win against no losses. In another professional first, Miguel Martinez issued one free pass over two scoreless innings for his first save.
The C-Blue generated seven hits, led by two players who went 2-for-4: second baseman Bryan Encarnacion and designated hitter Luis Pino. Both touched home once, Pino scoring via his solo shot which was one of his two RBI and Encarnacion swiping his first base.
Shortstop Maycol Justo and third baseman Yancel Guerrero each singled once in three at bats, crossing home once. Justo added a base-on-balls but was charged with his second error, this one for fielding.
Friday’s game: at DSL Nationals (9-8), 10:30 am ET/9:30 am CT, TBA
DSL Cardinals Red at DSL Giants Black – cancelled
Thursday’s contest between the DSL Cardinals Red (8-7) and DSL Giants Black (6-7) was cancelled as has Friday’s contest between the two squads scheduled at the Cardinals complex.
Friday’s game: cancelled
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