Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 10, 2021

Photo: Nolan Gorman (Springfield Cardinals FANatic Photos)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-3 on Wednesday. The Player of the Day is Springfield infielder Nolan Gorman, who went 2-for-5 with a three-run home run in Springfield’s victory over Arkansas.

Results for game played Wednesday, June 9.

Memphis 4, Gwinnett 5 (seven innings, game one)

The Redbirds (12-20) were edged by the Stripers in the first game of a twin bill on Wednesday night. Memphis took an early lead, but the Stripers made a comeback late and scored enough to pass the Redbirds.

The Redbirds got on the board with four runs in the bottom of the second inning.  Justin Toerner hit a triple to center field and scored on a single by Juan Yepez.  Zack Thompson singled, then Evan Mendoza singled to plate Yepez.  Kramer Robertson followed with a double that scored Thompson and Mendoza.  The Redbirds led 4-0.

Kramer Robertson

Starter Zack Thompson kept Gwinnett off the board for the first four innings. In the fifth, the Stripers scored two runs off Thompson to cut the lead to 4-2.  Thompson surrendered three additional runs in the sixth to give Gwinnett the 5-4 lead.

Memphis did not score at all after the four-run second inning.  The offense tallied seven hits, of which Kramer Robertson had two.  Robertson also had two RBI.

Thompson took the loss, his fourth of the season.  Roel Ramirez pitched the final two scoreless innings.

The Memphis infield showed off their skills by turning a triple play in the sixth inning, 3B Rayder Ascanio to 2B Irving Lopez, to 1B Evan Mendoza.

Memphis 1, Gwinnett 3 (eight innings, game two)

Memphis fell to Gwinnett in the second game of the twin bill which was the makeup of a previously rained out game.

The Redbirds took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.  Connor Capel drew a leadoff walk, Tyler Heinemann singled and advanced Capel to third, then Matt Szczur hit a sac fly to right field to plate Capel.

Memphis starter Austin Warner kept the Stripers off the board until the top of the fifth inning.  Warner yielded two singles and was replaced with one out and a runner on first and third with Connor Jones.  A double steal of both runners scored the tying run for Gwinnett.

Reliever Evan Kruczynski pitched a scoreless seventh and Memphis failed to score in the bottom of the seventh.  The tied game went into extra innings and the Stripers scored two runs in the top of the eighth off reliever Garrett Williams, who took the loss. The Redbirds were unable to score in the bottom of the eighth.

The Redbirds put up only one run on three hits.  All three hits were singles, two from Heinemann and the third by Juan Yepez.

Thursday’s game:  v. Gwinnett, Connor Thomas LHP (1-0, 4.63) 7:10 CT.

Springfield 8, Arkansas 7

The Cardinals (10-21) won a squeaker against the Arkansas Travelers on Wednesday night at Hammons Field. Springfield had a sizable lead until the final two innings of the game, when the Travelers rallied for six runs combined over both innings to cut the lead to one run.

The Travelers scored first with one run in the top of the first inning off Springfield starter Domingo Robles.  The score remained 1-0 until the Cardinals took the lead with three runs in the bottom of the third inning on a three-run home run by Nolan Gorman.

Nolan Gorman

Springfield increased its lead to 6-1 with three additional runs in the bottom of the fourth.  Luken Baker doubled and Nick Plummer drew a walk.  Brendan Donovan then singled, and Nick Dunn hit a sac fly to plate Baker.  Donovan stole second base, Aaron Antonini drew a walk and Delvin Perez singled to score Plummer and Donovan.

The Cardinals piled on two more runs in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run long ball off the bat of Alec Burleson.  Springfield led 8-1.

Robles pitched five innings and allowed only the one run.  Reliever Evan Sisk held Arkansas scoreless for an additional two innings.  In the eighth, with Patrick Dayton on the mound, the Travelers scored one run.  Dayton returned to pitch the ninth and gave up five more runs to Arkansas before finally getting the final out.

Gorman went 2-for-5 in the contest with three RBI. Donovan was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.  Perez and Burleson each had two RBI.

Robles earned the win, his first of the season.  All three Cardinal pitchers combined for 11 punch outs.

Donovan’s stolen base was his second of the season.  Perez made a fielding error and Robles made an error on a pickoff.

Thursday’s game:  vs. Arkansas, Kyle Leahy RHP (0-4, 13.29) v. Ian McKinney LHP (2-0, 2.77) 7:05 CT.

Peoria 4, Quad Cities 3

The Chiefs (13-19) edged the River Bandits 4-3 in a Wednesday night contest at Dozer Park.  The game was a tight one all the way, but Peoria prevailed in the end.

The game was scoreless for the first three innings. In the top of the fourth, Quad Cities tagged Peoria starter Nick Trogrlic-Iverson with their first run to make it 1-0.  The Chiefs responded immediately by scoring two runs in the bottom half of the frame.

It began with a single by Pedro Pages.  Two batters later Zade Richardson smacked a double to left field that advanced Pages to third base.  Francisco Hernandez followed with a double to left that plated Pages and Richardson.

The Chiefs increased their lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth on an Imeldo Diaz single followed by a double from Jhon Torres.

Trogrlic-Iverson pitched into the sixth with a 3-1 lead.  The right hander gave up a walk and a double that scored the second run for the River Bandits.  Cole Aker replaced Trogrlic-Iverson in the sixth and retired the final three hitters.  Aker then returned for the seventh and surrendered a leadoff solo home run to tie the game 3-3.

Nick Trogrlic-Iverson

The Chiefs regained the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth.  Moises Castillo drew a leadoff walk and later scored on a bases loaded hit by pitch that was the winning run.

The Peoria offense scored their four runs on nine hits.  Richardson, Torres, and Hernandez had the extra base hits, all doubles.  Hernandez drove in two runs.  Pages was 2-for-4 and Diaz was 2-for-3.

Trogrlic-Iverson got a no decision and Aker, though he blew the save, was awarded the win. Leonardo Taveras tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his second save.

Castillo made a throwing error.

Thursday’s game:  vs. Quad Cities, Jack Ralston RHP (1-2 2.59) v. Angel Zerpa LHP (3-0, 2.43) 6:35 CT.

Palm Beach 3, at St. Lucie 5

The Cardinals (8-24) took on the Mets at Clover Park on Wednesday and the St. Lucie squad built up a lead the Beach Birds were unable to shrink.  Though Palm Beach scored first, the Mets quickly tied and passed the Cardinals.

In the top of the first the Cardinal left fielder L.J. Jones thumped a solo home run to give Palm Beach the 1-0 advantage.  The Mets answered in the bottom of the inning with a run off of starter Levi Prater to knot it up 1-1.

LJ Jones IV

Prater surrendered a two run home run in the bottom of the third to give St. Lucie a 3-1 edge.  The Mets continued to add on to their lead with one run in the fifth off Beach Bird reliever Yordy Richard.

The Cardinals rallied for two runs in the top of the seventh.  Tommy Jew led off with a double and then advanced to third on a single by Donivan Williams. Williams stole second base and Masyn Winn hit a sac fly that plated Jew and moved Williams to third base.  A wild pitch sent Williams home for the second of two runs in the inning.

With the score now 4-3, St. Lucie added an insurance run in the bottom frame of the seventh off reliever Luis Ortiz.  The Beach Birds were unable to rally over the final two innings.

The Palm Beach offense tallied three runs on seven hits, with no Cardinal having multiple hits.  Winn and Jones had the only RBI.

Prater took the loss, his second of the season.  Hector Soto tossed the final scoreless inning and was the only pitcher to not allow runs.  The four Cardinal pitchers punched out 14 and walked five.

Williams’ stolen base was his third of the season.  Patrick Romeri had an outfield assist at third base.

Thursday’s game:  at St. Lucie, Gustavo J. Rodriguez RHP (0-1, 2.31) v. Austin Faith RHP (2-1, 3.26) 5:10 CT.


Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Peoria Chiefs Notebook – 2021 Week 5


Now Available – 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide

Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.

TCN’s 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide – Now Available!


Not yet a member?

Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.

© 2021 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.