photo: Matt Koperniak (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-0 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis LF Matt Koperniak, was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Other standouts include Thomas Saggese, Jeremy Rivas, Darlin Saladin, Miguel Villarroel, Jose Suarez and Gerardo Salas.
Results for games played Tuesday, July 2.
Memphis 13, Nashville 11 (10 innings)
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Sounds in an extra innings back-and-forth slugfest on Tuesday at AutoZone Park. Starter Michael McGreevy pitched five innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two.
Ryan Loutos relieved McGreevy and surrendered three runs in the sixth. Andre Granillo threw a scoreless seventh. Nick Robertson yielded two runs in the eighth and was tagged with a blown save. Chris Roycroft allowed one unearned run in the final two innings to receive his second win.
Memphis went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Matt Koperniak. Nashville scored two runs in the top of the third.
The Redbirds answered with two runs in the home third to regain the lead, 3-2. Jared Young drew a walk and Nick Raposo followed with a two-run home run.
Nashville plated three runs in the fourth to pull ahead, 5-3. Memphis responded with one in the fifth. Raposo doubled and advanced to third on a fielding error. Victor Scott plated Raposo on a sac fly.
The Sounds added to their lead with three runs in the sixth before the Redbirds rallied for five runs in the seventh to take a 9-8 lead. Nick Dunn reached on an error. Young doubled. Scott drove in Dunn and Young on a double. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Koperniak followed with a three-run home run.
MATT KOPERNIAK YOU ARE RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HIS @HueysRestaurant HOMER GIVES US THE LEAD!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/kZRMUatZko
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 3, 2024
Nashville scored two runs in the eighth to retake the lead 10-9. Memphis tied it up again in the ninth on a solo home run by Young.
Nashville scored the Manfred runner in the top of the 10th to go up 11-10. In the bottom of the 10thwith Walker on second base, Koperniak singled, sending Walker to third. Thomas Saggese blasted a three-run home run for the walk off win.
SAGGESE CALLED GAME
WALKOFF @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/uVrHxlvIfa
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 3, 2024
The Redbirds scored 13 runs on 14 hits. Saggese was 4-for-5 with three RBI. Koperniak was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored. Raposo was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Young was 2-for-3 with an RBI and three runs scored. César Prieto was 2-for-5. Scott had three RBI.
On the bases, Prieto and Dunn were both picked off first base.
Memphis is 42-40 on the season, 4-3 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Nashville, LH Connor Thomas (3-2, 3.31) (bullpen game as Zack Thompson replacement) vs. Chad Patrick RHP (7-1, 2.89) 6:00 CT
Springfield 7 at NW Arkansas 3
The Double-A Cardinals beat the Naturals by the score of 7-3 on Tuesday. Starter Cooper Hjerpe pitched two scoreless innings, allowed two hits, struck out three and walked one.
Cardinals No. 7 ranked prospect Cooper Hjerpe left tonight's game after just two innings and 39 pitches. He shook out his left arm after this foul ball in the 2nd inning.
He would finish the frame before leaving. Hjerpe had fired 10 straight no-hit innings before this start. pic.twitter.com/L7Hu0fgaRl
— Mark Spillane (@MarkSpillane_) July 3, 2024
Wilfredo Pereira relieved Hjerpe and threw three scoreless innings to earn his fourth win. Leonardo Taveras surrendered three runs in three innings pitched. Andrew Marrero tossed a scoreless ninth.
Springfield took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Bryan Torres singled. As Lars Nootbaar grounded into a force out, Torres was out at second. Jimmy Crooks singled. Mike Antico drove in Nootbaar on a single.
The Cardinals increased the lead to 5-0 in the fourth inning. Nathan Church doubled. Chandler Redmond plated Church on a single. Jeremy Rivas hit a two-run home run. Torres drew a walk. Nootbaar singled. Matt Lloyd walked. Torres came home on a walk by Jimmy Crooks.
Goodbye baseball! Jeremy Rivas launches a two-run shot to increase the Springfield lead to four. pic.twitter.com/qr48Q95iqU
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 3, 2024
Springfield added two runs in the fifth to lead 7-0. Redmond singled. Rivas singled, advancing Redmond to third. Rivas stole second base and Redmond stole home. Rivas scored on a double by Torres.
NW Arkansas came back with two runs in the sixth and one in the eighth to bring the final score to 7-3.
The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Rivas was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Redmond was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Torres was 2-for-4 with an RBI. St. Louis rehabber Nootbaar was 2-for-5.
On the bases, Rivas stole his 20th base of the season. Redmond swiped his fifth bag. On defense, Hjerpe picked a runner off first base.
Springfield is 41-36 on the season, 4-4 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at NW Arkansas, Alex Cornwell LHP (4-2, 6.54) vs. William Fleming RHP (2-3, 8.54) 7:05 CT.
The High-A Chiefs blanked the Cubs in a 7-0 blowout on Tuesday. Starter Darlin Saladin pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings, allowed seven hits and struck out eight to earn his second win in the Midwest League.
Nathanael Heredia relieved Saladin and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Dionys Rodriguez tossed a scoreless ninth.
Peoria went up 1-0 in the first inning. Alex Iadisernia singled and stole second base. Leonardo Bernal drove in Iadisernia on a single.
The Chiefs added two runs in the third. Chris Rotondo and Won-Bin Cho singled. Miguel Villarroel plated both runners with a double.
Peoria scored a fourth run in the fifth. Brody Moore singled, stole second base, and advanced to third on a throwing error. Moore came home on a sac fly by Bernal.
The Chiefs ran up the score with a three-run seventh to make it 7-0. Iadisernia drew a walk. Moore singled. Bernal singled and Iadisernia scored. Moore stole third base. Zach Levenson drew a walk. Villaroel reached on a fielder’s choice and Moore crossed the plate. Bernal scored on a hit by pitch of William Sullivan.
The offense scored seven runs on nine hits. Bernal was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Moore was 2-for-4 with two runs scored. Villarroel had three RBI.
On the bases, Iadisernia stole his ninth base of the season. Moore swiped two bags.
On defense, Moore made a throwing error. Levenson had an outfield assist at second base.
Peoria is 31-45 on the season, 5-6 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at South Bend, Hancel Rincon RHP (4-5, 4.44) vs. Tyler Schlaffer RHP (0-1, 6.75) 4:45 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals blanked the Hammerheads by a 2-0 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched six scoreless innings, allowed four hits, struck out eight and walked one to earn his fifth win of the season.
Luis Gastelum relieved Salas and threw two scoreless innings. Zack Showalter tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his seventh save.
The Beach Birds scored their first run in the fifth inning. Jose Suarez doubled and later came home on a wild pitch.
Palm Beach added a second run in the eighth to lead 2-0. Johnfrank Salazar was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a balk. Suarez plated Salazar on a single.
The Cardinals scored two runs on five hits. Suarez was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Ross Friedrick was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Suarez stole his first base of the season. On defense, Chase Adkison picked a runner off first base.
Palm Beach is 43-33 on the season, 5-4 in the second half.
Wednesday’s game: at Jupiter, LH Ixan Henderson (4-2, 2.60) vs. TBD 5:00 CT.
FCL Cardinals at FCL Astros (suspended, game one)
This postponed contest from Monday, July 1 was suspended in the bottom of the third with the Cardinals down 1-0 due to rain in the area. No date for completing the game has been listed.
FCL Cardinals, FCL Astros (postponed, game two)
The regularly scheduled second game of the doubleheader was postponed due to rain in the area. It will be made up as part of a twin bill on July 15.
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Marlins, LH Leonel Sequera (0-4, 3.55) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals at DSL Blue Jays (postponed)
Tuesday’s Dominican Summer League Cardinals game was postponed due to rain and is scheduled to be made up on July 17.
Wednesday’s game: Off day.
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