Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 20, 2021

photo: Cardinals Dominican Academy (St. Louis Cardinals)

On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ rookie-level squads went 2-1, with the Florida Complex League and DSL Red clubs securing victories. The latter club’s Romtres Cabrera launched a grand slam for Player of the Day honors.

Results from games played Monday, July 19th.

Memphis – off

Memphis (29-36) hopes to extend its current eight-game winning streak as the Redbirds head out on a one-week road trip to Louisville. Seven games in six days begin with a single contest on Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game:  at Louisville (27-37) (CIN), 10:00 am CT, Connor Thomas (4-0, 2.40)

Springfield – off

Springfield (26-40) continues their two-week Texas road trip by visiting San Antonio.  Last week, the S-Cards took four of six contests at the Double-A Central South Division-leading Frisco RoughRiders (TEX).

Tuesday’s game:  at San Antonio (31-34) (SD), 7:05 pm CT, Kevin McGovern (1-1, 4.40)

Peoria – off

Peoria (25-41) stays within their own High-A Central West Division as they head to Quad Cities, the division leader.  Last week, the Chiefs split their six-game home series versus third-place Wisconsin (MIL).

Tuesday’s game:  at Quad Cities (43-21) (KC), 6:30 pm CT, TBA

Palm Beach – off

Palm Beach (25-50) looks to bounce back after dropping their entire six-game home set versus division-leading St. Lucie (NYM).  This week the Beach Birds will act as the visitors against Jupiter, their Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium companion representing the Marlins.

Tuesday’s game: ‘at’ Jupiter (30-35) (MIA), 6:30 pm ET, Ludwin Jimenez (0-4, 5.12)

FCL Cardinals 5 vs. FCL Astros 3

The FCL Cardinals (6-8) rallied for a 5-3 victory over the FCL Astros (9-7) at the Cardinals Jupiter complex Monday afternoon.

In the balanced offensive attack, the Cards garnered 11 hits with seven different players either scoring or driving in a run.  Four Florida Birds had two hits each in four at bats:  left fielder Darlin Moquette, right fielder Hansel Otamendi, second baseman Albert Inoa and first baseman Luis Rodriguez.  Moquette and Rodriguez both touched home once with Otamendi tripling once with an RBI.

For all the batting prowess on display, the game turned on a wild pitch and a hit batsman.  The sixth began with the score knotted at 3-3.  Designated hitter Jake Burns doubled with one gone, preceding third baseman Sander Mora’s base-on-balls.  Inoa’s single jammed the sacks full and Burns scored the tie-breaking tally on a subsequent wild pitch.  Moquette worked a free pass with two away, leaving nowhere to put shortstop Jeremy Rivas after he was plunked.  Sander Mora strolled home for the squad’s fifth and final score.

Jose Davila

Starter Jose Davila fanned six Astros over the first four innings, yielding two first-inning runs, one earned, on four hits and two walks.  The 18-year-old hit one batter.

Tyler Statler (W, 1-1) recorded nine outs, permitting a run on five hits but did not issue a free pass.  It was the first professional win for the right-hander who was drafted in the 14th round of the 2019 First-Year Player Draft.

Righty Ettore Giulianelli and lefty Omar Sanchez retired three batters each.  Giulianelli faced the minimum, striking out two, before Sanchez negotiated around a hit and walk for his second save.

Defensively, rehabbing Springfield catcher Julio Rodriguez was charged with an error on an attempted pickoff play and Otamendi was credited with two outfield assists:  one at third and the other at home plate.   On the basepaths, Inoa swiped his first bag.

Tuesday’s game: ‘at’ FCL Marlins (7-7), 12:00 pm ET, Enrique Saldana (0-1, 1.13)

DSL Cardinals Blue 4 vs. DSL Mets1 6 (7)

The DSL Cardinals Blue (2-4) had a Blue Monday, never leading in their 6-4 home loss to the DSL Mets1.

Benjamin Arias took the loss in his first decision, yielding two runs on three hits and a base-on-balls.  One of the three hits was a solo bomb.  The 19-year-old fanned seven.

Southpaw Alexander Beltre was touched for four scores on three hits and two free passes issued with three batters retired.  Frankely Guzman walked one over the last two innings.

The Cardinals Blue matched the Mets1’s six hits with half of their four runs generated by two home runs.  Left fielder Jose Cordoba and designated hitter Keshawn Rombley each went yard for the first time in their nascent careers.  Cordoba went 1-for-3 while Rombley worked a base-on-balls in addition to his 1-for-2 effort, touching home twice.

Keshawn Rombley

Third baseman Yancel Guerrero and shortstop Maycol Justo both reached base twice. Guerrero scored a run despite going hitless in one at bat.  Justo went 1-for-3 with a walk and RBI.

Tuesday’s game:  at DSL Mets1 (4-2), 10:30 am ET, TBA

DSL Cardinals Red 13 at DSL Cubs Red 6 (7)

The DSL Cardinals Red (4-2) roared ahead, scoring 11 times in the final three frames to down the DSL Cubs Red, 13-6.

The contest featured combined totals of 14 hits, 11 errors, four wild pitches and three hit batsmen.  The errors-to-earned runs translation somehow equated to four Cardinals Red bobbles resulting in only one of six Cubs tallies yielded being earned while seven Cubs Red miscues resulted in 12 of 13 Cards runs permitted as earned.

The visitors led 2-0 through two but the home Cubs took a 3-2 lead after four.  The C-Red’s fifth-inning tally tied the game at three all, before the squad added four more scores the next frame.  The Cubs responded with three sixth-inning runs of their own, closing the gap to 7-6.  The C-Red broke the game open with a six-run seventh which began and ended with home runs.

Seven Cardinals Red players split the team’s eight hits, with right fielder Jeremy Ramos representing the sole player with more than one hit.  Ramos reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a double and two runs scored.

Jeremy Rivas

Designated hitter Felix Taveras kicked off the seventh with his first home run, one of two times he crossed home plate.  It was his only hit in four at bats to go with a walk.  Ramos’ double followed, before the right fielder stole third and scored when the throw went awry.

Five batters later, left fielder Romtres Cabrera strode to the plate with the bases loaded and unloaded his second long ball.  The bomb brought catcher Justin Guerrero (walk), second baseman Lizandro Espinoza and center fielder Carlos Carmona (walk) across home plate ahead of him.

Romtres Cabrera

Starter Wilmer Ortega went three plus innings, giving up three runs, one earned, on three hits, two base-on-balls, a wild pitch and a plunked batter.

In righty Omar Yanez’ second professional contest, he inherited a bases-loaded and none away jam in the fourth.  The 18-year-old did well all things considered, striking out his first batter.  The next Cub reached on a throwing error by shortstop Elias Reynoso which brought two runners across home plate.  Yanez induced a 5-6-3 double play, limiting further damage.

Darlin Saladin was charged with two unearned scores in 1 2/3 innings.  One baserunner reached via a Reynosa fielding error and the other on a double, putting two in scoring position with two outs for Samuel Fabian, who replaced Saladin.

Fabian’s professional debut did not go swimmingly.  The 18-year-old right-hander wild-pitched one run across home plate before yielding an RBI single.  Another wild pitch plus two free passes issued led to Fabian’s departure without a batter retired.

Augusto Calderon walked his initial batter, forcing across Fabian’s lead runner before Calderon recorded the sixth’s last out.  The 20-year-old tossed a clean seventh for his second save in his third pro appearance.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. DSL Cubs Red (3-3), 10:30 am ET, TBA


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