photo: Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 5-2 on Thursday as Palm Beach won its first half title. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Cooper Hjerpe, tossed the first five innings of Springfield’s first-ever no-hitter. Other standouts include Jordan Walker, Jacob Buchberger, Ixan Henderson, Kade Kretzschmar, Jose Suarez and Bracewell Taveras.
Results from games played on Thursday, June 20.
On Thursday, the Memphis Redbirds (38-34) defeated the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp (32-40, MIA) 5-2 at AutoZone Park. Starter Zach Thompson threw five-plus innings, allowing two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out five.
The Redbirds struck first with Jordan Walker’s two-run bomb in the second.
JORDAN WALKER @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN
JORDAN WALKER @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN
JORDAN WALKER @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN
JORDAN WALKER @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN pic.twitter.com/oWTz3lYA8X— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) June 21, 2024
The Jumbo Shrimp tied the game in the top of the sixth with a two-RBI single.
Memphis regained and extended the lead in the home sixth with RBI singles from Jared Young, Moisés Gómez and Gavin Collins.
Welcome back, Moises! pic.twitter.com/FuwjgsniKq
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) June 21, 2024
Walker went 3-for-4 with a homer, two RBI, and two runs scored. Rehabbing Willson Contreras was 1-for-3 with a walk. Young hit 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. The Redbirds totaled five runs on 11 hits with three walks and six strikeouts.
Four relievers tossed one scoreless frame each to close out the win. Connor Thomas earned his third win this season, despite giving up three hits. Jacob Bosiokovic threw one hitless inning. Andre Granillo threw one hitless inning, yielding one walk while striking out one. Ryan Loutos earned his sixth save this season while striking out one in the ninth. Memphis allowed two runs on six hits while walking four and striking out seven.
Friday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, RHP Michael McGreevy (3-7, 5.11) vs. TBD 7:05 CT.
Springfield 5 at Corpus Christi 0 (Game 1, 7 innings)
The Springfield Cardinals (34-31) no-hit the Corpus Christi Hooks (25-40, HOU) to win 5-0 on Thursday at Whataburger Field. Starter Cooper Hjerpe earned his first Double-A win, throwing five innings, allowing one walk while striking out six.
Cooper Hjerpe and Andrew Marrero have combined for the first no-hitter in Springfield Cardinals history! pic.twitter.com/MMJAZOIgcI
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 21, 2024
The Cardinals took the lead in the second with Chandler Redmond’s sacrifice fly and a wild pitch that allowed Nathan Church to come home.
Church was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded in the third and R.J. Yeager’s sacrifice fly extended Springfield’s lead to 4-0. Jeremy Rivas reached on an error in the sixth that scored Yeager for one more insurance run.
Church went 2-for-2 with a hit-by-pitch, an RBI, and a run scored. Matt Lloyd was 1-for-2 with a double, two walks, and a run scored. Mike Antico was 1-for-4 with a run scored. The Cardinals totaled five runs on four hits with seven walks and four strikeouts.
Andrew Marrero completed the no-hitter with two perfect innings while striking out three. Springfield allowed no runs, no hits, and one walk while striking out nine in their first no-hitter in team history.
Springfield 4 at Corpus Christi 2 (Game 2, 7 innings)
On Thursday at Whataburger Field, the Springfield Cardinals (35-31) swept the doubleheader against the Corpus Christi Hooks (25-41, HOU) with a 4-2 win in Game 2. Starter Trent Baker threw 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking three and striking out four.
Mike Antico’s sacrifice fly in the top of the first gave the Cardinals an early lead.
The Hooks responded with an RBI single and an RBI double to take a one-run lead.
Ramon Mendoza’s sacrifice fly in the fourth tied the game at two apiece. Jacob Buchberger’s RBI single in the fifth gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead.
Kid's got wheels! Jacob Buchberger speeds his way to an infield single, ensuring the go-ahead run can score in game two. pic.twitter.com/C5Of4n0Ezo
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 21, 2024
Aaron McKeithan added an insurance run with his RBI single in the sixth.
Aaron McKeithan lays down a beauty to give us a little insurance. pic.twitter.com/o9KQf5DuPc
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 21, 2024
Buchberger went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Mendoza was 1-for-2 with an RBI. McKeithan was 1-for-3 with an RBI. The Cardinals totaled four runs on six hits with four walks and three strikeouts.
Ryan Shreve earned his fifth win this season, throwing 1 1/3 scoreless innings while striking out two. Matt Svanson picked up save no. 10, pitching a scoreless inning, while giving up a walk while striking out one. Springfield allowed two runs on five hits while walking four and striking out seven.
With the twin-bill sweep, the S-Cards broke their eight-game losing streak. Springfield is 1 ½ games behind Arkansas (SEA) in the final week of the first half division race.
Friday’s game: at Corpus Christi, RHP Max Rajcic (6-5, 4.91) vs. Miguel Ullola RHP (3-3, 4.67) 7:05 CT.
Peoria at Cedar Rapids – Canceled
Thursday’s matchup between the Peoria Chiefs (26-39) and the Cedar Rapids Kernels (37-27, MIN) was canceled due to wet grounds. It was the final game of the first half with the Chiefs finishing in sixth/last place, 15 ½ games behind division winner Wisconsin (MIL).
The Chiefs will continue their series on Friday in Cedar Rapids with a reset 0-0 record to open the second half.
Friday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-7, 5.72) vs. Jordan Carr LHP (2-1, 4.81) 6:35 CT.
In the final game of the first half, the Palm Beach Cardinals (37-29) clinched the divisional playoff spot by defeating the Tampa Tarpons (24-42, NYY) by a 5-2 score on Thursday at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Starter Ixan Henderson threw 6 2/3 innings, earning his fourth win this season, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits while walking two and striking out four.
Tampa struck first with a two-RBI single in the first, but the Cardinals cut the deficit in half with Anyelo Encarnacion’s RBI single in the second.
Kade Kretzschmar’s RBI single and Johnfrank Salazar’s bases-loaded walk gave Palm Beach the lead in the fifth. In the ninth, the Beach Birds added two insurance runs with Kretzschmar’s bases-loaded walk and Miguel Villarroel’s RBI forceout.
Travis Honeyman went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored. Kretzschmar was 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. Salazar was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. The Cardinals totaled five runs on six hits with four walks and seven strikeouts.
Henry Gomez earned his second save this season, pitching 2 1/3 innings while yielding one hit. Palm Beach allowed two runs, one earned, on six hits while walking two and striking out four.
Friday’s game: at Tampa, TBD vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals 8, FCL Astros 2 (Game 1, 7 innings)
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (13-19) came back to beat the FCL Astros (15-15, HOU) 8-2 in the first game of their doubleheader on Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium Complex. Starter Nelfy Ynfante earned his fourth win this season, throwing five innings, and yielding two runs on four hits while striking out seven.
The Astros took an early lead in the first with an RBI groundout and extended their lead in the top of the second when a runner stole home.
Raul Guzman’s two-RBI double in the bottom of the second tied the game at two apiece.
The Cardinals broke the game open in the fifth with Jose Suarez’s two-RBI double, Luis Pino’s RBI double, Yancel Guerrero’s sacrifice fly, a wild pitch that allowed Felix Taveras to come home, and Jonathan Mejia’s RBI double.
Pino was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. Mejia went 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Suarez was 1-for-4 with a double, two RBI, and a run scored. The Cardinals totaled eight runs on eight hits with five walks and 11 strikeouts.
Miguel Martinez threw two scoreless innings, striking out one. The Cardinals allowed two runs on four hits while walking none and striking out eight.
FCL Cardinals 0, FCL Astros 1 (Game 2, 7 innings)
The FCL Cardinals (13-20) were shut out 1-0 by the FCL Astros (16-15, HOU) on Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium Complex. Starter Juan Severino took his first loss this season, throwing two innings, and allowing one run on two hits while walking one and striking out two.
A solo shot to right field that led off the second inning for the Astros gave them the lead.
Yordy Herrera threw two scoreless innings, allowing one hit while striking out four. Victor Villanueva pitched a scoreless inning without giving up a hit. Antoni Cuello threw 1 2/3 innings, yielding two hits and two walks while striking out one. The Cardinals allowed one run on five hits while walking three and striking out eight.
Luis Pino doubled and walked. Arfeni Batista, Jonathan Mejia, and Justin Guerrero each tallied one hit in the second game. The Cardinals totaled four hits with four walks and eight strikeouts, hitting 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranding eight men on base.
FCL Cardinals – Off Friday
Saturday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins (22-9, MIA), TBD vs. TBD 9:00 CT.
DSL Cardinals 5 at DSL Nationals 6
The Dominican Cardinals (5-7) fell to the Nationals (5-7, WSH) 6-5 on Thursday at the Washington Nationals DR Complex. Starter Andrew Bolivar threw three innings, allowing four runs on five hits while striking out five.
The Nationals struck first in the second with an RBI double, an RBI single, and a two-run homer to left field.
The Cardinals came back in the third with Andru Arthur’s RBI single and Bracewell Taveras’s two-RBI single.
Yaxson Lucena’s RBI double and Arthur’s bases-loaded walk gave the Cardinals the lead.
Reliever Guanchi Martinez took over the mound in the eighth and allowed an RBI triple and an RBI single to put the Nationals up, 6-5.
Alan Reyes threw three scoreless innings, allowing a walk while striking out two. Justin Hernandez pitched a scoreless inning, yielding two walks while striking out three. Martinez took his first loss this season, throwing an inning, and giving up two runs on three hits. The Cardinals allowed six runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out 10.
Taveras was 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Arthur went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and two RBI. Facundo Velasquez doubled, drew two walks, and scored.
On Thursday, the final active DSL Cards position player finally appeared in game action. In his professional debut. As the DH, 17-year-old Cuban Christian Saez went 0-for-1 with three walks. As a team, the Cardinals totaled five runs on 11 hits with 10 walks and six strikeouts.
Friday’s game: at DSL Giants Black (12-1, SFG), TBD vs. TBD 10:00 CT.
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