Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 18, 2022

photo: Jonathan Mejia (St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-4 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is DSL Cardinals shortstop Jonathan Mejia, who was 2-for-2 including a double with 2 RBI and four walks. Other standouts include Malcom Nunez and Mike Antico.

Results from games played Friday, June 17.



Memphis 1, Nashville 4

The Memphis Redbirds fell to the Sounds in a Friday night contest at AutoZone Park. Jake Woodford got the start for Memphis. The right hander pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on four hits, struck out three and walked five. Woodford took the loss, his first of the season at Triple-A.

Kyle Ryan

Kyle Ryan relieved and threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Redbirds in the game. Blake Parker hurled a scoreless seventh. Jacob Bosiokovic surrendered one run in the eighth. Junior Fernandez tossed a scoreless ninth.

Nashville went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning, but Memphis answered in the home half of the first to tie it. Ben DeLuzio walked, Lars Nootbaar singled, and Alec Burleson plated DeLuzio on a double play.

The Sounds took a 3-1 lead in the third, and added their fourth and final run in the eighth. Memphis was shut down offensively after the first inning.

No Redbird hitter had multiple hits and there were no RBI. All six Memphis hits were singles.

On the base paths, Paul DeJong was caught stealing for the first time.

Memphis has a record of 37-27 and is tied with Columbus for second place in the International League West, 1.5 games back of first place Nashville.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Nashville, TBA vs. RHP Brandon Woodruff, 6:35 CT.

Springfield 10, Corpus Christi 11

The Springfield Cardinals lost a squeaker to the Hooks in a slugfest at Hammons Field on Friday night. Edgar Escobar had a rough start on the mound for Springfield. The right hander pitched 1 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on six hits and struck out three.

Domingo Robles also struggled, surrendering six runs in 2 2/3 innings of relief. Dalton Roach threw 3 2/3 scoreless innings to hold the line. Grant Black tossed a scoreless ninth.

Dalton Roach

The Cardinals posted three runs in the first inning on three-run long ball by Malcom Nunez. Corpus Christi plated five runs in the second inning to take a 5-3 lead. Springfield responded with one run in the home half of the second on a solo home run by Jonah Davis.

Malcom Nuñez

The Cardinals tied the score at 5-5 in the third. Chandler Redmond singled and advanced on a wild pitch and a throwing error. Nunez plated Redmond on a single.

The Hooks regained the lead with one run in the fourth, then widened their tally with five more runs in the fifth to make it 11-5.

The Cardinals fought back with two runs in the seventh on Nick Dunn’s two-run home run. Springfield added two more to make it 11-9 in the eighth. Julio Rodriguez walked, and Delvin Perez reached on a fielder’s choice with errors on the shortstop. Perez stole second base. Davis walked and Rodriguez scored. Justin Toerner walked, and Nick Dunn walked to plate Perez.

The Cardinals rallied again in the ninth but were only able to score one. Redmond and Matt Koperniak walked, and pinch hitter Moises Gomez singled. Redmond scored on a force out by Masyn Winn.

Nunez went 3-for-5 with four RBI. No other Cardinal had multiple hits. Dunn drove in three.

On the base paths, Perez stole his 13th base of the season. Dunn was caught stealing. In the field, Redmond made a throwing error and Perez had a fielding miscue.

Springfield is 25-36 and is in last place in the Texas League North, 10 games back of first place Tulsa.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Corpus Christi, Michael McGreevy RHP (2-1, 4.03) vs. TBA, 6:35 CT.

Peoria 8, West Michigan 9

The Peoria Chiefs were topped by the Whitecaps in a one-run contest at Dozer Park on Friday night. Starter Wilfredo Pereira pitched five innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out four and walked three. Pereira took the loss, his third of the season.

Leonardo Taveras surrendered two runs in two innings of relief. Gianluca Dalatri allowed two runs in the final two innings.

West Michigan put up one run in the second inning, then added two more in the third to increase the lead to 3-0. The Whitecaps continued to widen the tally with two in the top of the fourth.

In the home half of the fourth, Peoria finally got on the board, via a two-run long ball by Francisco Hernandez. The Chiefs added a third run in the fifth. Tommy Jew doubled and scored on a double by Mike Antico.

Francisco Hernandez

West Michigan increased its lead to 7-3 in the seventh, then to 9-3 in the eighth. In the bottom of the eighth, Peoria scored five times to pull to within one run. Todd Lott was hit by a pitch. Aaron Antonini singled. Hernandez singled to plate Lott. Ramon Mendoza drew a walk. Antonini and Hernandez scored on a force out with a throwing error by Noah Mendlinger. Jew singled and Antico drove in Mendlinger and Jew on a double.

Mike Antico

Antico was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Hernandez was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Jew was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.

In the field, Antonini picked a runner off second base.

Peoria is 26-35 and sits in fifth place in the Midwest League West, 13 games back of first place Cedar Rapids.

Saturday’s game:  vs. West Michigan, LHP John Beller (2-0, 2.66) vs. Carlos Guzman RHP (3-4, 5.24) 6:35 CT.

Palm Beach 0 at Clearwater 4

The Palm Beach Cardinals were shut out by the Threshers by a 4-0 margin in Clearwater on Friday night. Inohan Paniagua got the start for Palm Beach. The right hander pitched seven innings, gave up two runs on five hits and fanned five. Paniagua took the loss, his fourth of the season.

Inohan Paniagua

Nelfri Contreras relieved Paniagua and surrendered two runs in the eighth.

Clearwater got on the board 1-0 in the second inning, then added a run in the sixth and two runs in the eighth. The Threshers pitching kept the Cardinals off the board for the entire game. They were held to six total hits that included doubles by Matt Chamberlain and Jhon Torres. The offense was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.

On the base paths, Leonardo Bernal stole his first bag of the season. Sander Mora swiped his fourth.

In the field, Contreras made a throwing error.

Palm Beach is 27-32 and is in third place in the FSL East, 11.5 games back of first place St. Lucie.

Saturday’s game:  at Clearwater, Bryan Pope RHP (0-0, 3.80) vs. Jean Cabrera RHP (1-2, 4.35), 6:30 ET

FCL Cardinals 4 at FCL Nationals 3 (10 innings)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals (6-3) edged the Nationals in a 10-inning contest in which the Cardinals scored their four runs without benefit of a hit. The Cardinals sent eight different pitchers to the mound. The starter was Angel Cuenca, who was pitching on a rehab assignment from Palm Beach. The right hander pitched one scoreless no-hit inning, struck out two and walked one.

Following Cuenca was one scoreless inning from rehabbing Peoria pitcher Jack Ralston. Chris Holba threw a scoreless inning, followed by Springfield rehabber Griffin Roberts for one scoreless inning. Edwin Nunez surrendered one run in the fifth and was charged with a blown save. Hancel Rincon pitched the next 3 2/3 innings and gave up two runs, one earned. Victor Villanueva secured the last out of the ninth and received the win, his second of the season. Wilmer Ortega tossed a scoreless 10th to earn his first save.

The Cardinals scored the first of their four runs in the third inning. Diego Velasquez was hit by a pitch. Javier Bolivar walked. Velasquez advanced to third on a wild pitch. Lizandro Espinosa plated Velasquez on a ground out.

The Nationals tied it at 1-1 in the fifth before the Cardinals posted two runs in the sixth. Jake Burns and Luis Pino reached on errors. Romtres Cabrera reached on the third error of the frame as Burns scored. Pino stole home for the second run of the inning.

Luis Piño

The Nats tied the game for the second time in the ninth. The game went into the 10th and the Cardinals tallied the winning run when the ghost runner scored on yet another throwing error on a ground out to third.

The Nats no-hit the Cardinals with four pitchers yet lost the game thanks to five errors, all from the left side of the infield. Two Cardinals received RBI, Espinoza and Cabrera. The offense was 0-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left six runners stranded.

On the base paths, Bolivar, Cabrera and Pino each stole a base. Burns and Cabrera were caught stealing.

In the field, Espinoza made a fielding error. Catcher Edgardo Rodriguez was a defensive replacement for Burns and picked a runner off third base.

Saturday’s game:  vs. Nationals, TBA vs. TBA 9:00 am CT.

DSL Cardinals 6 at DSL Boston Blue 2

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals (4-6) defeated the Boston Blue in a Friday morning contest. Alexander Beltre started for the Cardinals. The left hander pitched three innings, gave up two runs on five hits, struck out two and walked two.

Nelfy Ynfante relieved Beltre and threw four scoreless innings to earn his first win as a professional. Omar Yanez tossed the final two scoreless innings.

Nelfy Ynfante

Boston scored first with two runs in the third inning. The Cardinals quickly tied it with two runs in the fourth. Miguel Vargas doubled and Keshawn Rombley rapped and RBI single. Rombley then scored on a single by Anyelo Encarnacion.

In the fifth, a run came home on a wild pitch. In the sixth, the Cardinals scored their fourth run on an RBI double by Jonathan Mejia.

The final two runs for the Cardinals were recorded in the seventh on a bases loaded walk and an RBI single by Mejia.

Leadoff man Mejia was the only Cardinal with multiple hits, as he was 2-for-2 including a double with two RBI and four walks. The only other extra base hit was a double by Vargas.

On the base paths, Mejia was caught stealing for the first time.

Saturday’s game:  vs. DSL Diamondbacks, TBA vs. TBA 10:00 am CT.


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