photo: Austin Gomber (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 5-2 on Tuesday. Four of the wins were by one run, including a Gulf Coast Cardinals walk-off. Player of the Day Austin Gomber tossed five shutout innings in Memphis’ home victory.
Results from the games played Tuesday, July 17th.
The Redbirds overcame the Cubs’ late push for a 3-2 home victory. Memphis (61-35) has won the first two of four games between the two teams.
The home team built a 3-0 advantage, behind the stellar pitching performance by Player of the Day Austin Gomber (W, 7-3). The southpaw blanked Iowa through five, permitting just one hit and two walks while striking out six.
Conner Greene interspersed two walks among two outs, with both of his runners left on base by Tommy Layne. But Layne could overcome his own throwing error that allowed an unearned seventh-inning tally. John Brebbia yielded three hits, resulting in another run and thus closing the gap to 3-2. But Andrew Morales negotiated around two hits for his fourth save.
The Redbirds garnered seven hits, three by Luke Voit, who touched home once. Carson Kelly went 1-for-3 with a double, run scored and RBI to raise his batting average to .359 over his last 10 games.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Iowa (34-61) (CHC), 7:05 pm CT, Dakota Hudson (12-2, 2.42)
Springfield 3 vs. Northwest Arkansas 2
A late unearned tally handed the S-Cards a 3-2 win over the hapless Naturals. Springfield (8-17) has clinched the four-game series with three straight wins, and a chance for the sweep is just ahead.
Evan Mendoza kicked off the eighth with a base-on-balls, moving to just 90 feet away from home via a passed ball and ground out. A fielding error by Northwest Arkansas’ third baseman allowed Mendoza to score, breaking a 2-2 tie.
Springfield generated six hits, led by Tommy Edman who doubled twice in four at bats while driving in one. Blake Drake swung a productive bat, going 1-for-2 with a run scored and sac fly.
Anthony Shew was impressive over the first seven frames, striking out seven and limiting the Naturals to a run on five hits and two free passes. He left with his team up 2-1, but a tally against Elniery Garcia (BS, 1) (W, 1-1) knotted the game at two all at the eighth’s midpoint. Will Latcham worked around a two-out single for his second Double-A save.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Northwest Arkansas (4-19) (KC), 6:30 pm CT, Sam Tewes (0-2, 4.82)
Lakeland 15 at Palm Beach 7 (10 innings)
The Beach Birds rallied late only to get pounded by the Flying Tigers, 15-7, in 10 innings. The loss evens the three-game home series at one game apiece with one on tap.
Palm Beach (11-15) trailed 6-2 until a four-spot in the seventh sent the game into extra innings. But Lakeland then unloaded on a combination of Jason Zgardowski (L, 1-1) and Jacob Patterson for nine runs, blowing the game wide open.
While Zgardowski was charged with the loss after giving up two runs, one earned, it was Patterson who put the contest out of reach. Patterson did not retire any of his eight batters faced, surrendering seven tallies on eight hits. Middle infielder Taylor Bryant recorded the final two outs, stranding an inherited runner.
Jesus Cruz began the parade of six PB-Card pitchers and the position player who saw mound action. Cruz held the opposition scoreless through four but got the hook after serving up a two-run bomb with two gone the next inning. The home run was one of four hits and three walks allowed.
Relievers Thomas St. Clair and John Kilichowski were both scored upon. St. Clair yielded three runs on four hits and three free passes in 1 1/3 and Kilichowski allowed a solo shot during his 1 2/3-inning stint. Estarlin Arias retired his only batter, this joining Bryant as the only pitchers not scored upon. The Palm Beach staff gave up an eye-popping 20 hits in total.
Chase Pinder had an excellent game at the plate, going 4-for-5 with a walk, run scored and RBI while batting at the top of the order. Number six batter Shane Billings was right behind Pinder with a double plus two singled in five at bats, touching home once and knocking in two. Billings added his seventh stolen base to his stat sheet. The final player with more than one of the team’s 12 hits was Andy Young, who went 2-for-4 with a base-on-balls and solo bomb.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Lakeland (15-9) (DET), 6:30 pm ET, Evan Guillory (1-2, 6.14)
Peoria – off
After splitting a six-game home stand, Peoria (13-10) heads north to Michigan for six road contests versus Eastern Division clubs Lansing (TOR) and Great Lakes (LAD).
Wednesday’s game: at second-place (Eastern Division) Lansing (13-12), 7:05 pm ET, Alex Fagalde (4-3, 2.12)
State College 4 at West Virginia 3
Diego Cordero tossed six plus solid frames as the Spikes edged the Black Bears, 4-3, in the series opener. The victory halted a four-game losing streak by fifth-place State College (12-19) and extended West Virginia’s downward spiral to six games. It also lifted the Spikes a game ahead of their last-place hosts in the Pinckney Division standings.
Cordero, who finished an out shy of seven innings, permitted three runs, two earned, on six hits and two walks. One of the six hits was a long ball with the bases clear. The righty hit a batter and committed a throwing error as well. His effort gave Cordero his first New York-Penn League win in as many decisions.
Cordero’s final runner scored under Gabe Gentner’s watch after he walked all three batters faced. Hector Villalobos struck out three during his two innings on the bump, leaving all three of Gentner’s runners aboard. Cory Malcom recorded the final out for his fourth save.
State College scored in each of the first three innings to go up 4-0. Stanley Espinal and Lars Nootbar led the way. Espinal doubled twice in five at bats with a run scored and Nootbar went 2-for-4 with a walk, a double plus two RBI. Five Spikes had one hit each.
Wednesday’s game: at West Virginia (11-20) (PIT), 7:05 pm ET, Chris Holba (1-1, 2.60)
Johnson City – off
The fourth-place Cardinals are 10-15, six games back of first place and one game out of the cellar in the Appalachian League West.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Bluefield (19-8) (TOR), 7:00 pm ET, TBA
GCL Cardinals 1 vs. GCL Mets 0
Brandon Purcell’s pinch-hit single with the sacks jammed gave the GCL Cardinals (18-7) a walk-off 1-0 victory over the GCL Mets (14-11).
With Cards having been held to just four hits through eight innings, Luken Baker opened the ninth with a single to left. Victor Garcia’s second single of the day advanced pinch runner Mateo Gil to third with Garcia taking second on the throw. That put two runners in scoring position for Zack Gahagan, who was issued an intentional free pass. Pinch-hitter Purcell drilled a pitch into center, bringing Gil home and the walk-off celebration ensued.
That made a winner out of Edgar Escobar, his first in two decisions. Escobar faced the minimum in the ninth, striking out two.
The Gulf Birds’ noteworthy pitching performance was began by starter Perry DellaValle, who fanned seven over the initial five innings. DellaValle gave up three hits and did not walk a batter. Francisco Justo bridged the gap between DellaValle and Escobar, striking out three while yielding two hits and a base-on-balls.
Wednesday’s game: Off
DSL Cardinals Blue 4 vs. DSL Mets1 2
Francis Ventura tossed six strong frames as the DSL Cardinals Blue (25-12) downed the Mets1, 4-2.
Ventura (W, 2-2) limited the Mets1 (21-16) to a run on six hits and three walks while striking out five. Angel Ortega was touched for a run on two hits during his inning of relief. Leonardo Taveras tossed two clean frames for his fifth save. The 19-year-old has only been charged with a run twice in 13 appearances covering 21 2/3 innings to date.
Right fielder Diowill Burgos compiled the best C-Blue stat line, going 2-for-4 with a double and solo shot. Defensively, he was credited with an outfield assist at second base. Five C-Blue players had one hit each, including third baseman Malcom Nunez who tripled once in three at bats with a walk, run scored and RBI.
Wednesday’s game: at DSL Yankees (16-22), 10:30 am ET, Inohan Paniagua (1-3, 5.01)
DSL Cardinals Red 3 at DSL Tigers1 10
The C-Red (21-17) could not recover from Allinson Benitez’ poor start, falling to the DSL Tigers1, 10-3.
Benitez did not record an out, surrendering five runs on four hits and two walks. Jhon Victorino held the DSL Tigers1 (15-23) to a run over four innings, giving up five hits and plunking a batter.
Rodard Avelino tossed two scoreless frames but Gabriel Contreras was charged with four tallies on three hits and two free passes in just 2/3 of an inning. Nelson Prada finished the game by fanning three of his four outs recorded.
The Cardinals’ offense depended mightily on the bat of Luis Montano, who went yard twice, accounting for half of his team’s hits and all three of their runs scored. The left fielder’s first home run occurred with Cristhian Longa (hit-by-pitch) aboard in the sixth and ended the Tigers1’s bid for a shutout. Montano blasted a solo shot in the ninth as well.
Wednesday’s game: vs. DSL Rangers2 (22-14), 10:30 am ET, TBA
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