photo: Ramon Mendoza (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 4-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, 2B Ramon Mendoza, hit a three-run go-ahead home run in Springfield’s win. Other standouts include Pete Hansen, Leonardo Bernal, Nathanael Heredia, Hunter Kublick, Augusto Calderon, Oliver Gonzalez, Bracewell Taveras and Gabriel Chinchilla.
Results from games played on Saturday, July 6.
The Memphis Redbirds (7-5) were defeated by the Nashville Sounds (6-6, MIL) 4-1 on Saturday at First Horizon Park. Starter Connor Thomas took his third loss this season, throwing three innings, and allowing two runs on three hits while walking one and striking out five.
The Sounds struck first in the first with a two-run longball.
The Redbirds cut the deficit in half in the third with St. Louis rehabber Iván Herrera’s RBI single.
Ivan gets us on the board!
📻:https://t.co/vIp0RkmtDc pic.twitter.com/1CzpPgiIq6
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) July 7, 2024
Victor Santos replaced Thomas in the fourth, and in the fifth, he loaded the bases. Ryan Shreve came in and gave up a two-RBI double for a 4-1 Nashville lead.
Santos threw 2 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on two hits while walking four and striking out one. Shreve threw 2/3 of an inning, giving up one hit and one walk. Just back from St. Louis, Jacob Bosiokovic threw two scoreless innings, yielding two hits while striking out four. Memphis allowed four runs on eight hits while walking six and striking out 10.
Herrera went 1-for-3 with an RBI. Moisés Gómez was 1-for-2 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. Arquímedes Gamboa was 1-for-2 with a walk. The Redbirds totaled one run on six hits with four walks and six strikeouts.
The Redbirds are off Sunday and Monday.
The Memphis Redbirds split their six-game series at the Nashville Sounds. The Redbirds will begin a homestand on Tuesday against the Norfolk Tides (4-7, BAL).
Tuesday’s game: vs. Norfolk, TBD vs. TBD 7:05 CT.
The Springfield Cardinals (7-5) completed a late comeback to defeat the NW Arkansas Naturals (5-7, KC) 6-3 on Saturday at Hammons Field. Starter Quinn Mathews threw 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out seven.
The Cardinals took an early lead in the third with Jimmy Crooks‘ RBI single.
Jimmy Crooks drives in another run and extends his hit streak to six straight games. pic.twitter.com/478ONpA3xn
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 7, 2024
The Naturals came back strong in the sixth with an RBI single and a two-RBI double to take a 3-1 lead.
Springfield responded in the seventh with pinch-hitter Mike Antico’s two-out two-RBI single.
Mike Antico CLUTCHES UP! With two strikes and two outs, the pinch-hitter ties the ballgame with a single to right. pic.twitter.com/mLFssFsLLQ
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 7, 2024
Springfield carried this momentum into the eighth when number nine hitter Ramon Mendoza’s three-run go-ahead home run gave the Cardinals their 6-3 final edge.
NO WAY! Ramon Mendoza with a huge three-run shot to give the Cards the lead in the eighth! pic.twitter.com/Yd2uYNcqfo
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) July 7, 2024
In what may be his final rehab appearance, designated hitter Lars Nootbaar went 0-for-1 with three walks. In four at-bats, Mendoza had a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. Antico hit 1-for-1 with two RBI. The Cardinals totaled six runs on six hits with eight walks and nine strikeouts.
Andrew Marrero earned his first win this season, pitching 2 2/3 shutout innings, and yielding one hit while striking out three. Matt Svanson earned his 12th save this season, closing out the ninth, and striking out one. Springfield allowed three runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out 11.
Springfield is off Sunday and Monday.
The Springfield Cardinals won five of six in their home series with the NW Arkansas Naturals. They will continue their homestand on Tuesday against the last-place Wichita Wind Surge (4-8, MIN).
Tuesday’s game: vs. Wichita, TBD vs. TBD 7:05 CT.
The Peoria Chiefs (8-7) beat the South Bend Cubs (5-10, CHC) 5-2 on Saturday at Dozer Park. Starter Pete Hansen earned his third win this season, throwing six innings, and allowing two runs on six hits while walking one and striking out eight.
The Chiefs struck first in the first with a three-run blast by Leonardo Bernal.
DID SOMEONE SAY LEONARDO BERNAL HOME RUN VIDEO?
Chiefs never trailed tonight 😜 https://t.co/tnZt6g1Nq7 pic.twitter.com/SeeAOmLhMP
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) July 7, 2024
The Cubs hit a solo shot in the top of the third to cut the lead to 3-1.
Chris Rotondo’s RBI single in the bottom of the third reversed that run and restored Peoria’s three-run lead. The Chiefs extended their lead with Graysen Tarlow’s sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Another solo homer in the sixth from South Bend made the score 5-2.
Nathanael Heredia pitched three hitless scoreless innings, earning his third save this season, and yielding a walk while striking out four. Peoria allowed two runs on six hits while walking two and striking out 12.
Bernal went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. Brody Moore was 1-for-2 with two walks and two runs scored. Rotondo went 2-for-4 with an RBI. The Chiefs totaled five runs on seven hits with five walks and 10 strikeouts.
The Chiefs are off Sunday and Monday.
The Peoria Chiefs won five in their six-game home series against the South Bend Cubs to move into third place in the Midwest League West Division. The Chiefs will begin a road stretch on Tuesday at the Quad Cities River Bandits (7-8, KC).
Tuesday’s game: at Quad Cities, TBD vs. TBD 6:30 CT.
The Palm Beach Cardinals (9-5) defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads (6-9, MIA) 5-1 on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Starter Hunter Kublick earned his second win this season, throwing five innings, and allowing one run on five hits while striking out two.
The Hammerheads struck first with an RBI single in the third.
The Cardinals responded in the fourth with Kade Kretzschmar’s RBI single and Sammy Hernandez’s single that scored Jose Suarez after Jupiter committed a fielding error. Then Brayden Jobert reached on a fielding error that allowed Kretzschmar to cross home, and Lizandro Espinoza added a sacrifice fly. Palm Beach added an insurance run in the eighth with Jobert’s RBI single.
Kretzschmar was 1-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Hernandez was 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Jobert went 1-for-4 with two RBI. The Cardinals totaled five runs on nine hits with two walks and four strikeouts.
Augusto Calderon threw four scoreless innings, earning his first save, and yielding one hit while striking out three. Palm Beach allowed one run on six hits while striking out five.
The Cardinals are off Sunday and Monday.
The Palm Beach Cardinals won five of six games in their home series against the Jupiter Hammerheads to move into first place in the Florida State League East Division. The Beach Birds will continue their home stretch on Tuesday against the Clearwater Threshers (5-10, PHI).
Tuesday’s game: vs. Clearwater, TBD vs. TBD 4:00 CT.
FCL Cardinals 1, FCL Marlins 6 (7 innings)
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (16-27) were defeated by the FCL Marlins (32-11, MIA) 6-1 on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium Complex. Starter Juan Severino took his second loss this season, throwing 2 1/3 innings, and yielding two runs on one hit while walking four and striking out three.
The Marlins struck first with a double steal of second and third with a throwing error from Severino that allowed the runner on third to score, ending his day on the mound. Reliever Wilmer Ortega allowed an RBI single, and later balked in a run to give the Marlins a 3-0 lead.
The Cardinals put a run on the board with Luis Piño’s solo bomb to left field in the fourth.
Yordy Herrera replaced Ortega and an RBI double in the fifth gave the Marlins that run right back. Jovi Galvez replaced Herrera in the seventh and allowed two RBI doubles.
Ortega threw 2/3 of an inning, allowing one run on one hit while walking one. Herrera pitched three innings, yielding one run on three hits while walking one and striking out four. Galvez threw 2/3 of an inning, giving up two runs on two hits while walking one. The Cardinals allowed six runs on seven hits while walking and striking out seven.
Catcher Heriberto Caraballo struggled to contain the Marlins’ running game, allowing seven stolen bases.
Piño went 2-for-3 with a homer, an RBI, and a run scored. Yordalin Pena was 1-for-1 with a walk and a hit by pitch. Romtes Cabrera walked once. The Cardinals totaled one run on three hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts.
The FCL Cardinals are off Sunday and Monday.
Tuesday’s game: at FCL Marlins, TBD vs. TBD 11:00 CT.
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals (12-12) shut out the DSL Angels (15-9, LAA) 4-0 on Saturday at the St. Louis Cardinals DR Complex. Starter Oliver Gonzalez threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks while striking out six.
Bracewell Taveras struck first with an RBI single in the third to give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. Daniel Rojas and Juan Pablo Cabrera’s RBI singles in the sixth extended the lead to 3-0. The Cardinals added a final insurance run in the seventh on Christian Saez’s RBI single.
Taveras went 4-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Cabrera was 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Fernando Roquez was 1-for-3 with a double and a walk. The Cardinals totaled four runs on nine hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts.
Facundo Velasquez swiped one bag while Yoerny Junco was caught stealing on the basepaths.
Catcher Cabrera made an error while trying to throw out an Angel stealing second.
Gabriel Chinchilla threw five innings without letting anyone reach base safely, striking out four in the process to earn his first win this season. The Cardinals allowed no runs on three hits while walking three and striking out 10.
The DSL Cardinals are off Sunday and Monday.
Tuesday’s game: vs. DSL Twins (14-10, MIN), TBD vs. TBD 10:00 CT.
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