Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 5, 2019

photo: Jhon Torres (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

St. Louis’ minors went 3-6 in a tough holiday schedule featuring only one contest at home. Player of the Day Jhon Torres’ two-home run night powered Johnson City’s win and pitcher Hancel Rincon had a noteworthy effort for the Cardinals Red.  But Memphis fell despite Justin Williams’ two-bomb performance and Alex Fagalde’s strong start could not keep Springfield from losing.

Results from games played Thursday, July 4th.


Memphis 4 at Iowa 5

Justin Williams (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

Memphis (35-52) snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on Thursday with a 5-4 walk-off road loss at Iowa in the series opener.

Chris Beck (L, 0-6) (BS, 1) began the ninth charged with finishing off a 4-3 lead but could not work around throwing errors by second baseman Irving Lopez and catcher Andrew Knizner.  The tying run scored via a fielder’s choice with the final tally crossing on an RBI single after a steal of second.

Mike Hauschild went the initial five frames, allowing three runs on six hits and three walks.  Hunter Cervenka worked around two hits in two innings before Jesus Cruz tossed a one-two-three eighth.

Justin Williams provided all of his team’s run production, going yard twice with a runner aboard, in a 2-for-3 performance.  John Nogowski was aboard for one of those home runs, as the first baseman singled twice in four at bats.  Two Redbirds had one hit each.

Friday’s game:  at Iowa (50-37) (CHC), 7:08 pm CT, Austin Warner (0-0, 7.50)


Springfield 0 at Arkansas 2

Alex Fagalde (Palm Beach Cardinals)

With a chance to pull to .500 in the second half, instead Springfield’s (6-8) offense managed just two hits in their 2-0 road loss to the Travelers.

Alex Fagalde took the tough loss, his first against one Double-A win, despite a strong mound effort.  The right-hander gave up single tallies in the first two of his six-inning stint, only one of which was earned due to a fielding error by first baseman Zach Kirtley.  Fagalde permitted just three hits and a free pass while fanning four.  Connor Jones worked around a hit and walk for two scoreless frames.

Johan Mieses and Rayder Ascanio both singled in three at bats, with Mieses also working one of the team’s three walks.

Friday’s game:  at Arkansas (10-4) (SEA), 7:10 pm CT, Angel Rondon (3-0, 3.18)


Palm Beach at Fort Myers – postponed   

Game 1 of four between Palm Beach (4-10) and Fort Myers was rained out.  The contest has been rescheduled as part of a July 5th double-header at CenturyLink Sports Complex, home of the Miracle.

Friday’s games:  at Fort Myers (6-10) (MIN).  Game 1 – 5:30 pm ET, Griffin Roberts (0-3, 6.91)/TBA


Peoria 2 at Clinton 6

Peoria (3-11) fell to the LumberKings, 6-2, in the first of a brief two-game road series.  The Chiefs’ losing skid is now five.

Michael Baird took the loss in his first start since being promoted from short-season-A State College.  The right-hander yielded two tallies on five hits with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings.

Also up from the Spikes, Rodard Avelino stranded Baird’s final runner before giving up four runs on a hit and three walks with four outs recorded.  Thomas St. Clair permitted a hit and base-on-balls over the last three frames.

The offense was held totally in check until pushing across two in the ninth, preventing a shutout.  Ivan Herrera and Brandon Riley both went 2-for-4, with Herrera scoring and Riley doubling and tripling with two RBIs.

Friday’s game:  at Clinton (9-5) (MIA), 6:30 pm CT, Kyle Leahy (4-5, 2.64)


State College 7 at Mahoning Valley 1

Donivan Williams (St. Louis Cardinals)

State College (12-8) kicked off a three-game road series at Mahoning Valley with a 7-1 victory, giving the Spikes sole possession of second place over the Scrappers.

Donivan Williams generated a big four-hit night in five at bats with a run scored and two driven in.  Jonatan Machado and Moises Castillo contributed three hits apiece to the team’s 14-hit effort while scoring two runs each.  One of Matt Duce’s two hits was a solo shot.

Andre Pallante limited Mahoning Valley two hits in three innings before exiting after walking the lead-off batter in the home fourth.  That runner came around to score with Connor Thomas on the mound.  Thomas (W, 2-0) struck out six in 3 2/3 frames before giving way to Junior Gonzalez, who tossed 2 /3 innings of shutout ball.

Friday’s game:  at Mahoning Valley (11-9) (CLE), 7:05 pm ET, Scott Politz (0-1, 6.52)


Johnson City 14 at Bluefield 3

Jhon Torres (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

13 runs against the Blue Jays’ bullpen powered the JC-Cardinals (10-5) to a 14-3 thumping of Bluefield in the road series opener.

The Appy Birds mustered just one tally on five hits through the first 5 2/3 frames but exploded for another 11 hits subsequently.  Eight of nine starters either had a hit or scored at least once, beginning with Jhon Torres and Victor Garcia, who had three hits apiece.  All of Torres’ hits went for extra bases, including a double and two home runs accounting for two of his four runs scored and all three of his RBIs.  Garcia crossed home once on three singles in five at bats.

Four JC-Cards had two hits each:  Todd Loft, Chandler Redmond, Liam Sabino and Diomedes Del Rio.  All four scored at least once with Del Rio touching home three times.  Redmond, Sabino and Del Rio all knocked in two.

In his first start after coming out of the bullpen twice, Jake Sommers held the opposition to a run on five hits over four frames.  The 10th-round selection in the June 2019 First-Year Player Draft handed over a 1-1 tie to Will Guay but the latter permitted two runs on four hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings, putting his team at a 3-1 disadvantage after six.

John Witkowski picked up the win in his professional debut, issuing one free pass against three retired and leaving Guay’s last two runners aboard.  Walker Robbins shut down Bluefield on two hits and a base-on-balls over 2 1/3 for his second save.

Friday’s game:  at Bluefield (8-8) (TOR), 6:30 pm ET, Jose Moreno (1-1, 9.28)


GCL Nationals 10 at GCL Cardinals 6 (7) – Game 1
GCL Cardinals 8 at GCL Nationals 9 (9) – Game 2

Luis Montano (Palm Beach Cardinals)

The Gulf Birds (1-8) came out on the wrong end of a double-header sweep by the GCL Nationals, losing the opener 10-6 and the finale 9-8.

In the opener, Inohan Paniagua took the complete game loss, his first in two decisions.  The 19-year-old surrendered 14 hits and two walks with six hit batters, resulting in 10 tallies, nine earned.

The home team banged out 11 hits, paced by first baseman Freddy De Jesus, who went 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI.  Three Gulf Cardinals had two hits each:  catcher Cristhian Longa, designated hitter Zade Richardson and left fielder Joerlin De Los Santos.  Longa doubled twice with three RBIs and De Los Santos touched home once.

Game 2, which made up the contest originally scheduled on June 29th at the GCL Nationals (5-2), ended in a walk-off loss for the Gulf Birds.  Francis Ventura went the first six frames, giving up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits and two walks.  This was the right-hander’s first start since being re-assigned from short-season A State College.

Ventura turned over a 6-6 tie to Roy Garcia (L, 0-1), who pitched a scoreless seventh before the extra-innings’ rules regarding baserunners took effect.  The GCL Cardinals went up 7-6 the next inning but the righty allowed an unearned run of his own, sending the game into the ninth.  Again, the Cardinals scored a run for an 8-7 lead with three outs to go.  But Garcia issued a free pass and ground-rule double, scoring the base runner who began the frame at second.  A wild pitch brought in the winning run.

Right fielder Luis Montano accumulated three of his team’s 10 hits, going 3-for-5 with two doubles, a run scored and two driven in.  Center fielder William Jimenez and second baseman Ramon Mendoza had two hits apiece, with one of Jimenez’ hits a three-run bomb, his second of 2019.  Mendoza contributed as well, walking once, touching home twice and knocking in one.

Friday’s game:  vs. GCL Mets (5-3) (NYM), 12:00 pm ET, TBA


DSL Angels 8 at DSL Cardinals Blue 2

Four tallies in the last two frames broke open a competitive game as the Cardinals Blue (17-8) dropped an 8-2 decision to the Angels (10-16).

Starter Engels Martinez took the loss, his second against one win, permitting four runs, three earned, on six hits and a walk over a career-high 5 1/3 frames.  Ronald Suarez recorded five outs, walking one and stranding two of three inherited runners.

Juan Peralta retired one batter in the eighth, allowing two runs, one earned, on a triple and single.  Peralta’s final run scored with Benjamin Arias on the mound.  Arias gave up two runs of his own on five hits over 1 2/3 innings.

The offense generated six hits with two each by catcher Jose Zapata and third baseman Erik Pena.  Zapata singled and doubled in four at bats with an RBI and Pena went 2-for-3 with a walk and run scored.  Defensively, the visitors matched their hosts’ four errors.

Friday’s game:  at DSL Yankees (13-13) (NYY), 10:30 am ET, Yordy Richard (0-0, 9.22)


DSL Cardinals Red 7 at DSL Brewers 3

The C-Red (12-17) scored in six different innings to back Hancel Rincon’s impressive effort in their 7-3 victory over the Brewers.

Second baseman Albert Inoa led the 11-hit attack, going 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs scored and an RBI out of the lead-off slot.  Shortstop Sander Mora singled twice in four at bats with a base-on-balls, touched home twice and drove in one.  Six Cardinals Red players garnered one hit with designated hitter Diowill Burgos’ double the only one to go for extra bases.

The majority of the mound duties were shared by tandem starters Yonael Dominguez and Rincon.  Dominguez struck out six in three frames and yielded three runs on four hits and three free passes.

Rincon (W, 1-1) tossed the next five innings and gave up a single to his first batter then turned back the next fifteen straight.  The 17-year-old induced eight ground- to one fly- ball outs with two strikeouts.  Hector De Los Santos allowed a hit in the ninth.

Friday’s game:  vs. DSL Brewers (15-13) (MIL), 10:30 am ET, Angel Cuenca (2-0, 0.67)


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