Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 1, 2018

photos: Nolan Gorman (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-3 on Saturday, with Memphis’ game suspended and Palm Beach postponed, both due to rain. Our Player of the Day is Johnson City third baseman Nolan Gorman. The first-round draft pick hit a pair of two-run home runs in the rookie-level Birds’ win.

Results for games played Saturday, June 30.


Memphis at Iowa – suspended

The Redbirds game in Des Moines was suspended in the fourth inning due to rain with Memphis leading 3-1.  The game will be completed on Sunday prior to the regularly scheduled game set for 1:08 CT.

Sunday’s games:  at Iowa, TBD (completion of suspended game), Daniel Poncedeleon (6-3, 2.75) 1:08 CT.


Springfield 1 at Frisco 5

Chris Chinea (Peoria Chiefs)

A lackluster offensive performance by the Cardinals led to another defeat in Frisco on Saturday.  The offense managed only one run on five hits.  The lone run came in the seventh when Chris Chinea singled, Johan Mieses doubled, and Ramon Urias plated Chinea on a sac fly.  Chinea was 3-for-4.

Springfield starter Anthony Shew pitched 6 2/3 innings, giving up five runs on 10 hits.  Jason Zgardowski followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief.  Shew took the loss.

The Cardinals are 34-45 overall, 1-8 in the second half, and are in last place in the Texas League North.

Sunday’s game:  at Midland, Austin Warner (0-1, 9.00) 4:00 CT.


Palm Beach at Jupiter – postponed

Palm Beach’s Saturday night contest at Roger Dean Stadium was postponed due to rain and will be played on Sunday as part of a doubleheader.

Sunday’s games:  at Jupiter, TBA 11:00 am CT (Game 1), TBA (Game 2)


Peoria 4 at Beloit 6

Yariel Gonzalez (Peoria Chiefs)

The Chiefs could not hold onto a lead against the Snappers on Saturday.  The offense pulled ahead with three runs in the third inning on a two-run RBI single by Yariel Gonzalez and Bryce Denton’s RBI ground out.  Gonzalez added a sac fly in the fifth.  Denton and Rayder Ascanio were both 3-for-5.  Gonzalez and Elehuris Montero were each 2-for-4.

Starter Alvaro Seijas pitched five innings and gave up two runs on eight hits.  Zach Prendergast surrendered two runs in two innings pitched and was charged with the blown save.  Bryan Dobzanski also allowed two runs in the eighth and took the loss.

The Chiefs are 46-34 overall, 7-2 in the second half, and are tied for second place in the Midwest League Western Division.

Sunday’s game:  at Beloit, Jesus Cruz (1-1, 1.64) 2:00 CT.


State College 9 at Williamsport 7

Stanley Espinal (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The Spikes came back to edge the Crosscutters in Williamsport on Saturday.  The turn came in the eighth when the Spikes put up five runs to take the lead.  The first three State College runs came in the third, when Edwin Figuera singled, followed by walks by Brady Whalen and Wood Myers.  Figuera scored on a wild pitch.  Stanley Espinal singled to plate Whalen and Myers.  Espinal drove Myers in again in the fifth on a single.

The eighth inning burst started with Nick Dunn’s walk and Lars Nootbaar’s single. Figuera was hit by a pitch to load the bases.  Wadye Ynfante walked to score Dunn, Whalen singled to plate Nootbaar and Figuera.  Espinal was intentionally walked, then Delvin Perez reached on a force attempt, and a missed catch error resulted in Ynfante and Whalen scoring.  Nootbaar went 2-for-6.  Espinal was 3-for-4 with three RBI and Perez was 2-for-4.

Jake Dahlberg pitched 5 1/3 innings, giving up four runs on nine hits.  Troy Montemayor surrendered three runs and was charged with a blown save.  Edgar Gonzalez tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win, and Kevin Hamann finished two scoreless innings to earn his first save.

Figuera stole his fourth base in five attempts for the Spikes.  Myers swiped his second bag in two tries.  Figuera committed a throwing error, and Dahlberg picked a runner off first base.

The Spikes are 5-10 on the season and are in last place in the New York-Penn League Pinckney Division.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Mahoning Valley, Eli Kraus (0-0, 0.00) 5:05 CT.


Johnson City 12 at Kingsport 6

Nolan Gorman (MLB.com)

The Cardinals beat the Mets in a lopsided road contest on Saturday.  Johnson City scored three in the first inning on a fielder’s choice ground ball out off the bat of Leandro Cedeno.  First round draft pick Nolan Gorman hit a two-run home run to cap off the inning.   The long ball was again the catalyst in the fourth, as Jonatan Machado blasted a three-run shot and Kevin Woodall hit a solo home run.

Player of the Day Gorman hit another two-run blast in the seventh, and two more runs came home on Sanel Rosendo’s sac fly and Michael Perri’s single.  Machado, Woodall, and Soto were each 3-for-5.  Gorman and Moises Castillo were both 2-for-5.  Perri was 2-for-4.

Starter Javier Villalobos pitched three innings and gave up three runs on four hits.  Kyle Leahy was also charged with three runs allowed, all unearned, in four innings of relief.  Enrique Perez, Juan Alvarez, and Colin Schmid combined for two scoreless innings.  Leahy was the winning pitcher.

Castillo and Gorman both committed throwing errors.  Woodall made a missed catch error.

The Cardinals are 5-5 on the season and are in fourth place in the Appalachian League West.

Sunday’s game:  at Greeneville, Oneiver Diaz (0-0, 9.00) 4:00 CT.


GCL Cardinals 8, GCL Marlins 1

Brandon Purcell (Georgia College and State University)

The Cardinals handled the Marlins in a seven-run victory on Saturday.   Derian Gonzalez, on a rehab assignment from Memphis, pitched a clean first inning, striking out the side.  Cole Aker tossed the next three innings and gave up one run on two hits to earn the win.  Connor Coward and Edgar Escobar combined for the final five scoreless frames.

The offense scored four times in the first inning on Ivan Herrera’s two-run single, William Jimenez’ single, and a hit by pitch.  The offense again had a four-run burst in the fifth.  Liam Sabino plated one on a single, and Brandon Purcell’s bases-loaded double scored all three.  Sabino went 2-for-3 and Purcell was 2-for-4.

Purcell stole his first base on one attempt.  Jimenez and Mateo Gil made fielding errors.

The Cardinals are 7-3 on the season and are in first place in the GCL East.

Sunday’s game:  vs. GCL Nationals, TBA 9:00 am CT


DSL Cardinals Blue 10 at DSL Yankees 4

The Cardinals Blue pummeled the Yankees on Saturday.  The offense put up 10 runs on 11 hits without the benefit of a long ball.  Jose Zapata’s single and Erik Pena’s sac fly plated the first two runs in the second inning.  A fielding error in the fourth led to a third run.  Pena singled in the sixth to drive in one and Diomedes Del Rio added a sac fly.  Ramon Mendoza doubled in a run in the seventh.  In the eighth, a sac fly by Darlyn Del Villar scored run number seven.  Three runs were put on the board in the ninth, two on a Mendoza triple and the other on a Del Rio single.  Mendoza went 3-for-3, Del Rio was 2-for-5

Angel Cuenca started on the mound for Blue and went two innings, giving up three runs, two earned, on three hits.  Anthony Trompiz and Freddy Pacheco pitched two scoreless innings each.  Pacheco got the win.  Larimel Soriano surrendered one run in the seventh. Leonardo Taveras tossed the final two scoreless innings to earn his second save.

Darlin Moquete stole his fifth base in five attempts.  Yowelfy Rosario committed a fielding error and Jose Zapata made a throwing error. Diowill Burgos had an outfield assist.

The Cardinals Blue are 18-7 on the season and are in first place in the DSL South.

Sunday’s game:  No game scheduled


DSL Cardinals Red 5, DSL Rangers2 14

The Cardinals Red dropped a laugher against the Rangers on Saturday. Jose Moreno suffered his second loss of the season after pitching two innings and giving up 10 runs, seven earned, on seven hits.   Hector De Los Santos tossed three innings and surrendered one run.  Rodard Avelino allowed two runs in the sixth and Dionys Rodriguez relinquished two more in his two innings pitched.  Gabriel Contreras finished with a scoreless ninth.

A hit by pitch, a stolen base, a throwing error, and a groundout led to the first Red run in the first inning.  In the fifth inning, Joerlin De Los Santos doubled and was driven in by a Sander Mora single.  In the sixth, a single by Luis Montano, followed by a wild pitch, an error, a walk, and another wild pitch brought him in.  The final Red runs came in the ninth on De Los Santos’ double and Mora’s single.  De Los Santos went 2-for-5 and Mora was 2-for-3.  Luis Andujar and Joyser Garcia were both 2-for-4.

Mora stole his sixth base in eight attempts.  Andujar and Claudio Ramirez each made fielding errors.

The Cardinals Red are 13-12 on the season and are tied for third place in the DSL San Pedro Division.

Sunday’s game:  No game scheduled


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