Photo: Matthew Liberatore (St. Louis Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-5 on Wednesday. Memphis, Springfield, and Palm Beach each played doubleheaders. The Player of the Day is Memphis starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who pitched an eight-inning quality start with three runs allowed on five hits, six punchouts and only one walk.
Results for games played Wednesday, June 30.
Memphis 4, Jacksonville 6 (10 innings, completion of suspended game)
The Redbirds lost to the Jumbo Shrimp in a 10-inning game that began on Tuesday and was suspended due to field conditions not related to the weather. The game was picked up on Wednesday in the sixth inning. The game was tied 1-1 at the time of the suspension in the home half of the sixth.
The game began with Connor Thomas on the mound for Memphis. Thomas retired the first two batters, then faced Lewin Diaz, who hit a solo home run to right center field to give Jacksonville a 1-0 lead. Thomas got out of the inning without further damage and tossed four additional scoreless innings.
The Redbirds tied the game in the fifth. Harrison Bader led off with a walk and Nolan Gorman followed with a single. Bader advanced to third on a double-play ball by Lane Thomas. Juan Yepez then singled, and Bader scored.
In the sixth, with Memphis up to bat, Rayder Ascanio singled, Dennis Ortega walked, and Scott Hurst singled. Bader was next to bat with the bases loaded, but the game was delayed because attempts were being made to fix the mound. Earlier in the game Thomas had slipped on the mound. When the pitcher for the Jumbo Shrimp later also slipped, the umpires delayed the game to smooth out the mound. After a time, the game was suspended.
The game resumed on Wednesday with the bases loaded in the sixth for the Redbirds. Bader, who was rehabbing a rib injury, had returned to St. Louis and was not available. He was replaced by Justin Williams who took the at bat. Williams, followed by Gorman and L. Thomas all struck out.
The game continued and Jacksonville took the lead in the top of the seventh with a run off of Austin Warner. Warner had relieved Garrett Williams, who pitched the sixth. Memphis answered in the bottom of the seventh on a two-run home run by Ascanio. The Jumbo Shrimp added a run in the eighth to tie the game for the second time.
The game went into the 10th inning tied 3-3 with Connor Jones on the mound for Memphis. Jones surrendered three runs to Jacksonville. The Redbirds rallied in the bottom of the 10th but fell short with only one run scored on a single by Connor Capel.
Warner and Jones yielded five combined runs in the final four innings of the game. Jones took the loss, his third of the season.
Ali Sanchez was 3-for-5 in the game. Ascanio, Yepez, L. Thomas and Hurst each had two hits. Ascanio drove in two. In addition to the Ascanio home run, the only other extra base hit was a double by Bader.
The Redbirds defeated the Jumbo Shrimp in the second game of a twin bill at Auto Zone Park on Wednesday night. Matthew Liberatore, fresh off being named as participant in the Futures Game, tossed a quality start of eight innings pitched with three runs allowed. The left hander yielded five hits, fanned six and walked one. Reliever Seth Elledge closed out the win with a scoreless ninth.
Jacksonville put up the three runs on Liberatore in the third and fourth innings, the first on a double in the third and then a two-run home run in the fourth. Liberatore held the Jumbo Shrimp scoreless for the next four frames.
Memphis got on the board with two runs in the fifth. Justin Williams led off with a single, then stole second base. Kramer Robertson singled, and Irving Lopez followed with a single to plate Williams. Robertson then scored on a ground out by Liberatore.
The Redbirds took the lead and the win in the eighth inning with four runs scored. Scott Hurst drew a walk. Lane Thomas singled, and Nolan Gorman followed with a single to score Hurst. Juan Yepez then smacked a double to left that brought Thomas and Gorman home. Justin Williams singled, and Kramer Robertson reached on a throwing error that scored Yepez.
The six runs for Memphis scored on nine hits, without the home run. Thomas, Williams, and Robertson each had two hits. Yepez drove in two.
On the base paths, Williams snatched his first base of the season. Thomas was caught stealing for the first time. In the field, Gorman made a fielding error and Thomas had an outfield assist at second base.
The Redbirds are 19-31 and stand in last place in the Triple-A East Southeast Division, 13.5 games back of the first place Durham Bulls.
Thursday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, Tommy Parsons RHP (1-4, 6.27) vs. Braxton Garrett LHP (3-3, 5.35) 7:10 CT.
Springfield 4, NW Arkansas 5 (seven innings, game one)
The Cardinals lost a one run game to the Naturals in the first game of a doubleheader at Hammons Field on Wednesday night.
Springfield took a 2-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Ivan Herrera and an RBI ground out by Alec Burleson. NW Arkansas cut the lead to 2-1 in the second. The Naturals continued to add on with one run in the third, a tying run in the fourth and one run each in the sixth and the seventh to lead 5-2 going into the bottom half of the seventh.
The Cardinals rallied in the bottom of the seventh, adding two runs on a second RBI ground out by Burleson and a single by Malcom Nunez. The rally ended when Nick Plummer grounded into a force out for the final out of the game.
Starter Andre Pallante pitched four innings and gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits. The right hander struck out two and walked two to suffer his second loss of the season. Evan Sisk relieved Pallante and yielded two runs in 2 2/3 innings. Salvador Justo got the final out of the seventh.
Delvin Perez was 3-for-4 in the game. Justin Toerner was 2-for-4. Herrera’s double was the only extra base hit of the game.
Brendan Donovan made a throwing error. Sisk picked a runner off first base.
Springfield 2, NW Arkansas 5 (seven innings, game two)
The Cardinals fell to the Naturals in the second game of the twin bill at Hammons Field on Wednesday night. This game was a makeup of a previously rained out game from May 20.
Starter Kyle Leahy suffered his seventh loss of the season, tossing five innings and yielding five runs, three earned, on six hits. The right-hander struck out five and walked three. Ramon Santos finished the game with two scoreless innings of relief.
The Naturals took the lead early and built to a 5-0 lead through five innings off Leahy. Springfield finally broke through the wall of NW Arkansas’ pitching in the sixth with two runs without the benefit of a hit. Nick Plummer and Malcom Nunez each drew a walk to start the inning and both advanced on a wild pitch. A passed ball scored Plummer. David Vinsky walked, and Nunez scored on ground out by Nick Dunn.
The Cardinal offense managed six hits, though none produced runs. Plummer was 2-for-3 with a double and a single. Plummer’s double was the only extra base hit.
On the base paths, Plummer stole his fourth base of the season. In the field, Nunez made a throwing error for his third error of the season.
The Cardinals are 16-34 and sit in last place in the Double-A Central North Division, 13 games back of the first place Wichita Wind Surge.
Thursday’s game: vs. NW Arkansas, Dalton Roach RHP (3-4, 5.56) vs. Yefri Del Rosario RHP (1-0, 4.63) 7:05 CT.
The Chiefs lost to the West Michigan White Caps 9-4 in a nearly four-hour regulation game at Dozer Park on Wednesday night. Most of the scoring took place at the beginning and at the end of the nine-inning game.
The White Caps racked up four runs in the first inning on Peoria starter Connor Lunn, who pitched four innings with four hits allowed, two strikeouts and three walks. Lunn was tagged with his third loss of the season. Cole Aker, Jack Ralston, Freddy Pacheco, and Cory Thompson combined to hold West Michigan scoreless for the next four innings. The scoreless streak ended in the ninth when Fabian Blanco yielded five runs to the White Caps. Jacob Schlesener stopped the bleeding in the ninth and got the final two outs.
As for the Chiefs, the offense scored three of its four runs in the fourth inning. Pedro Pages led off the inning with a walk. Brady Whalen followed with a double to right and Leandro Cedeno then singled to left to plate Pages and Whalen. Cedeno later scored on a single by Zade Richardson.
The Chiefs put up their final score in the home half of the ninth on a solo home run by Francisco Hernandez to lead off the inning. After Jhon Torres reached on an error, Pages grounded into a double play to end the rally.
Peoria’s four runs scored on nine hits. Torres and Richardson each had two hits. The extra base hits were Hernandez’ home run and Whalen’s double.
In the field, Pages made a throwing error, it was his eighth error of the season.
The Chiefs are 19-30 and sit in last place in the High-A Central West Division, 13.5 games back of the first place Quad Cities River Bandits.
Thursday’s games: vs. West Michigan, Wilfredo Pereira RHP (1-4, 5.67) vs. TBD 5:05 CT (Game One)
vs. West Michigan, Michael YaSenka RHP (0-4, 6.28) vs. TBD (Game Two)
Palm Beach 5, Dunedin 3 (seven innings, game one)
The Cardinals defeated the Blue Jays in the first game of twin bill at Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday. The Beach Birds came back from an early deficit in the final three innings of the seven-inning contest.
Palm Beach starter Ludwin Jimenez pitched 1 2/3 innings and yielded two runs on three hits. The right hander struck out three and walked one. Luis Ortiz and Dionys Rodriguez combined for 3 1/3 scoreless relief innings and Rodriguez was awarded the win. Gianluca Dalatri gave up one unearned run in his two innings pitched but earned his first save.
Dunedin maintained a 2-0 lead until the fourth inning when the Cardinals tied the game. Franklin Soto doubled, and Terry Fuller brought him home on a single. Fuller then stole second base and scored on a throwing error on a ground ball by Donivan Williams.
The Beach Birds took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on an RBI double by Todd Lott and a single by Edgardo Rodriguez. The Blue Jays got one run back in the sixth, but the Cardinals widened their lead to 5-3 in the home half of the sixth on a single by L.J. Jones.
Soto and Jones were each 2-for-4 in the game. Fuller stole his first base of the season. Jimenez and Dalatri both made errors on a pickoff attempt. Masyn Winn made a throwing and a fielding error.
Palm Beach 7, Dunedin 6 (seven innings, game two)
The Cardinals edged the Blue Jays in a one run victory in the second game of a twin bill on Wednesday night at Roger Dean Stadium.
Starter Jose Moreno pitched five innings and gave up three runs on five hits. The right-hander punched out seven and issued no free passes. Edgar Manzo relieved Moreno and yielded three runs, two earned, on four hits in two innings pitched. Manzo was charged with a blown save but was also awarded the win, his second.
The Beach Birds got on the board first with three runs scored in the second inning. Patrick Romeri was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Franklin Soto followed with a double and a wild pitch scored Romeri. Terry Fuller drew a walk but was eliminated on force out by Jose Zapata. Darlyn Del Villar plated Soto on a double and Zapata scored on a single by Masyn Winn.
Dunedin tied the game with three runs in the third, but the Cardinals answered in the bottom frame with two runs on a Fuller ground out and a double by Zapata.
The Blue Jays scored three in the sixth to regain the lead 6-5. The Beach Birds responded in the home half of the sixth with two runs on a single by L.J. Jones. Jones was 3-for-4 in the game. Winn and Zapata each had two hits. Zapata also made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 19-31 and sit in last place in the Low-A Southeast East Division, 8.5 games back of he first place St. Lucie Mets.
Thursday’s game: vs. Dunedin, TBD vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals 2, FCL Mets 8 (seven innings)
The Cardinals (0-2) fell to the Mets on Wednesday by the score of 8-2 in the second game of the Cardinals FCL season. Right-hander Reinys Portillo got the start for the Cardinals and pitched 1 1/3 innings, surrendering five runs, four earned, on three hits. He struck out two and walked three.
Ben Baird followed Portillo with two scoreless innings of relief. Roy Garcia yielded two runs in 2 1/3 innings of work, and Juan Peralta gave up one unearned run in 2/3 innings. Portillo took the loss.
The Cardinals were behind 5-0 when the offense came to bat in the home half of the second inning. Jake Cruz led off the inning with a single and came home on a triple by Adanson Cruz. Cruz then scored on a wild pitch to cut the lead to 5-2.
The two runs were the only scores for the Cardinals. Jake Burns went 3-for-3 and Adanson Cruz was 2-for-2. Tre Fletcher had the other extra base hit, a double, in addition to Cruz’ triple.
Cruz had an outfield assist at second base. The defense made two errors, one by Ramon Mendoza (missed catch, and one from Jeremy Riven (fielding). Baird picked a runner off third base.
Thursday’s game: at Astros, TBD vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
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