Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 31, 2018

photo: Evan Kruczynski (Palm Beach Cardinals)

Player of the Day Evan Kruczynski’s Double-A debut effort shone brightest on a Monday night of stellar pitching performances as the St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-4.  Chris Holba and Hector Villalobos were key in State College’s win as was Brian Pirela for the GCL club.  Peoria lost despite Angel Rondon’s strong effort.

Results from the games played Monday, July 30th.


Memphis 8 at Las Vegas 10

Edmundo Sosa (Steve Mitchell/USA TODAY Sports)

The Redbirds’ bullpen could not hold a late lead as they were clipped by the 51s, 10-8, in the rubber game of the series.  Memphis (68-40) remains 15 ½ games ahead of second-place Nashville (OAK) in the American Southern Division.

Shoddy defense played a large role in the defeat, too, with the visitors committing an eye-popping five bobbles, resulting in eight unearned tallies.  Matt Bowman (L, 0-1) could not hold a 7-5 seventh-inning lead, surrendering three runs, two earned, while giving up two hits and a walk in 1 1/3.

Connor Jones had mixed results in his Triple-A debut, striking out six but lasting just four plus innings with three unearned scores allowed on five hits and three free passes issued.  Hector Mendoza was not effective, permitting two runners to reach via an error and hit batsman in just a third of an inning.  Tommy Layne served up a bases-clearing double that brought Jones’ final plus both of Mendoza’s runners across home.

Usually steady Edward Mujica (BS, 3) was not able to bail out Bowman, letting both inherited runners score plus two of his own (unearned) while retiring just one batter.  Landon Beck worked around two hits for a scoreless eighth.

The Redbirds outhit Las Vegas (52-56) 13 to 12, but fell prey to their own defensive ineptitude.  Four players had two hits each:  Lane Thomas, Oscar Mercado, Wilfredo Tovar and Steven Baron.  One of Thomas’ hits was a solo bomb, his first at Triple-A, while Edmundo Sosa went yard with two aboard.  Defensively, Mercado, Tovar and Adolis Garcia each committed a bobble and Max Schrock committed two.

As the MLB trade deadline nears, Carson Kelly sat out Monday and Tyler O’Neill did not play for a second consecutive game. Patrick Wisdom has only appeared twice in the last week, both times as a pinch-hitter – for what that is all worth.

Tuesday’s game:  Off


Springfield 6 vs. Tulsa 3

Evan Kruczynski (Andrew Miller/Palm Beach Cardinals)

Evan Kruczynski tossed seven scoreless in his Double-A debut as the S-Cards defeated the Drillers, 6-3, in the first of their three-game series.  Third-place Springfield (17-21) has gone 8-2 over their last 10 games, including four straight over Tulsa, to climb to within 5 ½ of the Drillers.

Kruczynski, our Player of the Day, baffled his opponents on two hits and two walks while striking out eight.  The southpaw plunked one batter and threw 60 of his 92 pitches for strikes.

The home team lost their bid for a shutout in the eighth when Eric Carter served up a three-run long ball.  Derian Gonzalez tossed a one-two-three ninth for his first Triple-A save.

Kruczynski’s impressive display was supported by Springfield’s offense to the tune of nine hits and three walks.  Randy Arozarena and Andy Young both went 2-for-4, the former scoring once and each player garnering an RBI.

Tommy Edman had a productive night despite going just 1-for-4.  The shortstop scored three times and swiped two bases.  A two-run home run by Victor Roache was the only S-Card hit to go for extra bases.  Jose Martinez went hitless in four at bats while manning third in his Double-A debut after jumping directly from class A Peoria.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. first-place Tulsa (22-15) (LAD), 6:30 pm CT, Mike O’Reilly (3-5, 4.65)


Palm Beach – off

Third-place Palm Beach (16-20) will look to bounce back from a tough road series against Tampa (NYY) in which they won only one of the four games with a three-game set versus Daytona (CIN) at Roger Dean Stadium.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. Daytona (18-19), 6:30 pm ET, TBA


Peoria 3 at Clinton 4 (11)

Yariel Gonzalez (Peoria Chiefs)

The Chiefs could not hold a ninth-inning lead, leading to a 4-3 walk-off defeat at Clinton in 11 innings.  Peoria (22-13) leads the series, two games to one, and remains in second, three games behind Cedar Rapids (MIN).

Fabian Blanco began the ninth seeking his seventh save but instead was saddled with his fourth blown save.  The righty yielded a run on two hits that sent the game into extras.  C.J. Saylor (L, 0-2) navigated around a hit for a scoreless 10th but could not duplicate that feat the next inning.

Angel Rondon tossed six strong frames, giving up two runs, one earned, on four hits, two walks and two wild pitches.  The 20-year-old struck out seven with seven ground- and three fly- ball outs.  Robbie Gordon fanned three over two frames, allowing two hits, before handing the ball off to Blanco.

The Chiefs matched the LumberKings’ 10 hits with four players gathering two apiece:  Wood Myers, Elehuris Montero, Dennis Ortega and Zach Kirtley.  Montero and Ortega each doubled once in four at bats with Montero scoring one time.  Midwest League Player of the Week Yariel Gonzalez’ only hit in five at bats was a two-run bomb, his 10th of the season and third in three games.

Tuesday’s game:  at fifth-place Clinton (18-18) (SEA), 6:30 pm CT, Paul Balestrieri (7-4, 3.93)


State College 3 vs. Batavia 0

Chris Holba (East Carolina)

Chris Holba and Hector Villalobos combined on a five-hitter as the Spikes blanked the Muckdogs, 3-0, in the home series opener.  State College (19-23) is riding a five-game winning streak during which they have risen to third place in the Pinckney Division, but are still 7 ½ in back of Mahoning Valley (CLE).

In Holba’s noteworthy effort, the East Carolina product limited Batavia to four hits over six innings, and earned his second win in three decisions.  The right-hander fanned six and was a groundball machine, garnering nine groundball outs to no flyball outs.  Villalobos struck out five over the last three frames for his first professional save.

The Spikes generated eight hits. Nick Dunn singled twice in five at bats at the top of the order, touched home one time and drove in one while Brady Whalen went 2-for-4 out of the seven hole.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. fourth-place Batavia (17-25) (MIA), 7:05 pm ET, Jacob Schlesener (1-3, 4.58)


Johnson City – off

Johnson City (17-20), tied for third in the Appalachian League West Division with Bristol (PIT), enjoyed a day off before facing first-place Elizabethton (MIN) for a three-game home series.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. Elizabethton (22-13), 7:00 pm ET, TBA


GCL Cardinals 4 vs. GCL Marlins 3 (5)

Ivan Herrera (St. Louis Cardinals)

Ivan Herrera was perfect at the plate as the Gulf Birds topped the fifth-place Gulf Marlins (12-23), 4-3, in a rain-shortened five-inning affair.  The first-place GCL Cardinals (23-10) lead the East Division by five games over the GCL Mets.

Number three hitter Herrera singled three times in three at bats, scored a run and swiped his first bag of 2018.  The 18-year-old catcher now has a line of .343/.396/.444/.840 in 81 at bats over 20 games.

Clean-up batter Andrew Warner’s only hit in two at bats was a bomb with Herrera aboard in the home half of the fifth that flipped a 3-2 loss into a 4-3 victory.  The designated hitter worked a free pass and struck out once.  Peoria outfielder Scott Hurst’s rehab continued with a 1-for-3 and one run scored effort.

Brian Pirela (W, 6-0) went the abbreviated distance for the GCL Cardinals, yielding three tallies on eight hits while striking out six.  The native Venezuelan did not issue a free pass.

Tuesday’s game: at fourth-place GCL Nationals (14-20), 12:00 pm ET, TBA


DSL Nationals 8 at DSL Cardinals Blue 6

Three unearned tallies were the difference between victory and defeat as the C-Blue fell to the DSL Nationals, 8-6.  The Cardinals Blue (33-15) dropped a game behind first-place Twins with the loss.

All three unearned scores resulted from passed balls charged to catcher Luis Rodriguez, who had four in total.  Inohan Paniagua tossed the initial three plus frames, allowing four runs, three earned, on six hits and two walks.  Paniagua fanned five.

Angel Ortega pitched the middle third, giving up two tallies, one earned, on four hits and stranded one of two inherited runners.  Josue Ramirez hurled two scoreless frames, permitting a hit before Saniel Santana (L, 0-2) surrendered two runs, one earned, in the ninth.

The C-Blue’s 12-hit attack was led by Carlos Soler, who went 4-for-5 with two doubles and crossed home twice.  Jean Selmo reached base four times, singling three times in four at bats with a base-on-balls, run scored and RBI.

The final C-Blue with a multi-hit performance was hit-hitting newcomer Malcom Nunez, who went 2-for-3 with a free pass, double, run and RBI.  Defensively, centerfielder Soler was credited with an outfield assist at second.

Tuesday’s game:   at fourth-place DSL Nationals (25-24), 10:30 am ET, Enmanuel Solano (4-0, 5.00)


DSL Cardinals Red 1 at DSL D-backs2 6

The C-Red suffered a lopsided defeat for the second consecutive day, this one a 6-1 loss to the DSL D-backs2.  The fourth-place Cardinals Red (26-22) trail the Rangers2 by six games in the San Pedro Division.

The pitching was solid through the first three frames, with Miguel Maiz holding the opposition to a run on four hits with five K’s.  But the downward slide commenced the next inning, a frame Gustavo L. Rodriguez (L, 0-1) could not finish.  Rodriguez struggled in just his second pro appearance, yielding three runs, two earned, on two hits and two free passes while retiring two.

Jhon Victorino was next pitcher up, and he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in 3 1/3.  Victorino did damage control by leaving Rodriguez’ last two runners aboard.  Augusto Calderon worked around a hit batsman and two-out single for a scoreless eighth.

The C-Red managed just four hits, with two in the first when they scored their only run.  Joerlin De Los Santos singled to open the game, stole his 20th base and took third on an errant throw.  Franklin Soto singled up the middle, driving in De Los Santos and that was pretty much all of the offense.

Tuesday’s game:  vs. seventh-place DSL D-backs2 (17-32), 10:30 am ET, TBA


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