Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 13, 2021

photo: Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore (St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-1 on Saturday.  Our Player of the Day is Springfield infielder Nolan Gorman, who was 3-for-4 with three home runs, four RBI and three runs scored in Springfield’s win over Arkansas. Close friend Matthew Liberatore starred on the mound for Memphis.

Results for games played Saturday, June 12.

Memphis 6, Gwinnett 1

The Redbirds (14-21) defeated the Stripers 6-1 at AutoZone Park on Saturday night.  Memphis grabbed the lead early and the Redbirds pitchers held Gwinnett to only one run.

In the first inning Memphis took a 1-0 lead. Conner Capel singled and John Nogowski walked.  Justin Williams, in Memphis on a rehab assignment, singled to plate Capel.

In the fourth, the Redbirds added to their small lead and made it bigger by plating three more runs.  Evan Mendoza walked and Tyler Heinemann singled.  Justin Toerner’s ground rule double scored Mendoza.  Kramer Robertson drove in Heinemann and Toerner on a single.

A 4-0 lead became a 5-0 lead in the fifth on a solo home run by Capel.

Starter Matthew Liberatore yielded the only Gwinnett run in the sixth to make it 5-1.  In the bottom half of the inning, Irving Lopez doubled and scored on a ground rule double by Dennis Ortega.

Matthew Liberatore

Robertson, Capel, and Lopez each had two hits.  Robertson drove in two.  Liberatore tossed 5 1/3 innings and surrendered one run on four hits to earn his first Triple-A win. Jesus Cruz, Grant Black and Tyler Webb combined for the final 3 2/3 scoreless innings.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Gwinnett, Bernardo Flores Jr LHP (2-2, 5.48) v. TBD 2:05 CT.

Springfield 9, Arkansas 2

The Cardinals (11-23) blew past the Travelers on Saturday night at Hammons Field.  Springfield’s pitchers limited Arkansas to just two runs while the offense scored nine runs on 14 hits.

Springfield took the early lead in the bottom of the first on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.  The Cardinal infielder was a one man wrecking crew with the bat, but had help from teammates Delvin Perez and Brendan Donovan, who also contributed with the long ball.

Arkansas tied the game briefly by scoring one run in the top of the second off starter Andre Pallante.  Springfield regained the lead in the bottom of that inning with three runs to take a 4-1 lead.  The Cardinals kept a lead for the rest of the game.  Gorman hit his second home run of the night, a two-run shot, in the second.  The other run scored on a wild pitch.

The Cardinals added to their lead in the fourth with three solo home runs.  Gorman hit his third, and Perez and Donovan each had a solo shot.  In the fifth, the final two runs for Springfield were scored.  Aaron Antonini singled and scored on a ground out Nick Raposo. Rasposo came home on a sac fly by Donovan.

The Travelers scored their second and final run in the seventh off reliever Patrick Dayton.  Edgar Escobar tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.  Pallante earned his third win of 2021 after yielding just one run on five hits in six innings.

Andre Pallante

Gorman was 3-for-4 with four RBI and three runs scored. The Cardinal Nation’s no. 2 prospect has seven home runs in his last five games. Perez was 3-for-5 and Donovan was 2-for-3.   Nick Dunn was 2-for-5.

Nolan Gorman

Gorman, Dunn, and Alec Burleson each made fielding errors.  Burleson had an outfield assist at home plate.

Sunday’s game:  v. Arkansas, Dalton Roach RHP (1-3, 6.08) v. Tyler Herb RHP (2-2, 1.04) 6:05 CT.

Peoria 5, Quad Cities 9

The Chiefs (15-20) fell to the River Bandits 9-5 at Dozer Park on Saturday night.  A bullpen meltdown in the final two innings spelled disaster for Peoria.

The River Bandits took a lead early with single runs off Chiefs starter Logan Gragg in the first and second innings.  Peoria answered in the bottom of the third with back-to-back home runs by Brady Whalen, a two-run shot, and Chandler Redmond with a solo home run.  Peoria took the lead 3-2.

The Chiefs added a run in the bottom of the fourth on a solo home run by Leandro Cedeno to increase the lead to 4-2.  Tyler Reichenborn thumped a solo shot in the sixth and the Chiefs led 5-2.

Gragg pitched 5 1/3 innings and yielded the two runs.  He was relieved by Enmanuel Solano, who tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Cole Aker started the eighth and surrendered three runs while recording only one out.  Leonardo Taveras replaced Aker and got the final two outs.  Taveras returned to pitch the ninth and gave up four runs before being replaced by Jacob Schlesener, who got the final out.  The damage was done, as Quad Cities led 9-5.   Peoria was unable to rally in the bottom of the ninth.

All five Chiefs runs came via the long ball.  Whalen was 2-for-4 and Cedeno was 2-for-3.  Chiefs pitchers gave up nine runs on 15 hits.

Brady Whalen

Matt Chamberlain stole his third base of the season.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Quad Cities, Michael YaSenka (0-2, 6.49) vs. Anthony Veneziano LHP (0-2, 4.91) 1:35 CT

Palm Beach 8 at St. Lucie 6

The Cardinals (10-25) defeated the Mets in the fifth game of the six game series at Clover Park on Saturday night.  It was the second win for the Beach Birds in the set.

Palm Beach got on the board first with one run in the second inning.  Matt Koperniak singled and Roblin Heredia plated him on a double.  The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning when Masyn Winn tripled and scored on a sac fly by Jordan Walker.

The Mets cut into the lead in the bottom of the fourth, scoring one run off starter Inohan Paniagua.  Two innings later St. Lucie took the lead 3-2 with two runs.  One was charged to Paniagua and the other was the responsibility of reliever Jose Davila, who was tagged with a blown save.

The Cardinals regained the lead in the top of the eighth. Patrick Romeri led off with a solo home run.  Koperniak reached on an error and later scored on a single by Franklin Soto.  The Beach Birds were ahead 4-3.

Patrick Romeri

The lead did not last as Cardinals reliever Edwin Nunez surrendered three runs in the eighth.  Palm Beach battled back in the top of the ninth, scoring four runs to take an 8-6 lead. Jacob Buchberger and Romeri walked, Koperniak singled, and Tommy Jew hit a grand slam to left field.

Hector Soto kept the Mets off the board in the ninth and the Cardinals took home the victory.  Nunez was awarded the win and was also tagged with a blown save.

Koperniak and Jew each were 3-for-5.  Jew drove in four.  Winn was 2-for-5 and Walker was 2-for-4.

Jew was caught stealing for the second time in 2021. Buchberger had a fielding miscue and Winn committed a throwing error.  Heredia had a passed ball. Jew had an outfield assist at third base.

Sunday’s game:  at St. Lucie, Jose Moreno RHP (0-3, 9.28) vs. Franklin Parra LHP (1-0, 6.33) 11:10 am CT


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