Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 25, 2019

photo: Trejyn Fletcher (Jhermy Brown/YouTube)

In a severely abbreviated Monday schedule, the St. Louis Cardinals farm system went 2-2 with high-scoring victories by Memphis and the DSL Blue. The DSL Red took it on the chin and the Gulf Coast League Cards lost their season debut in a squeaker. Player of the Day honors are shared by a pair of center fielders: newly-minted Cardinal Tre Fletcher, who singled three times and gunned a runner in his professional debut in the GCL, and Hansel Otamendi, who reached safely five times for DSL Blue. All other affiliates had a scheduled day off.

Results for games played Monday, June 24th.


Memphis 9 at Oklahoma City 6

Edmundo Sosa (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

Memphis improved to 33-44 on the year by out-slugging Oklahoma City by a 9-6 tally on the road Monday night. Leadoff man and second sacker Edmundo Sosa singled twice and tripled (his 5th). Sunday’s Player of the Day Lane Thomas continued his hot streak, scoring two and plating the same as he went 1-for-2 with a double, three free passes, and an outfield assist. Right fielder Tyler O’Neill returned to the lineup after ten days on the shelf and clobbered his 10th Memphis home run (in just 128 at-bats). Adolis Garcia walked, doubled, and stole two bases.

Mike Hauschild started and was touched for two scores on nine baserunners over 3 2/3 innings. The 29-year-old fanned just one batter before handing off to fellow righty Chris Ellis, who settled things down with 2 1/3 shutout innings highlighted by four strikeouts. Lefty Hunter Cervenka was shelled for four runs in two innings before Chasen Shreve finished up with a scoreless ninth.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Nashville, Anthony Shew (1-3, 5.17) 6:35 CT.


Dylan Carlson (Steve Mitchell/Imagn)

Springfield off

Springfield was off for the Texas League All-Star break, and will remain so both Tuesday and Wednesday. Austin Warner and Dylan Carlson will represent the Cards for the North in Tuesday night’s game in Tulsa. Carlson will also compete in the Home Run Derby, which begins at 6:05 p.m.

Tuesday’s game: Texas League North vs. South, RHP Darren McCaughan, Arkansas (6-4, 2.73) vs. RHP Emmanuel Ramirez, Amarillo (6-4, 3.72 ERA), 7:13 CT.


Palm Beach off

Palm Beach, 1-5 to start the second half, was off Monday as they head out on the road.

Tuesday’s game: at Florida, pitcher TBA, 5:00 CT.


Peoria off

Peoria, 2-2 since the break, also ended a homestand on Sunday and also had Monday off before a road trip.

Tuesday’s game: at Clinton, pitcher TBA, 6:30 CT.


State College off

State College, off to a 6-4 start to 2019, was off Monday. Their homestand opens with a visit by the Indians’ New York-Penn League affiliate.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Mahoning Valley, Jeremy Randolph (0-0, 0.00) 6:05 CT.


Johnson City off

Johnson City, with a 2-2 record to open the new Appalachian League season, was off Monday. They also head out on the road to begin their week two.

Tuesday’s game: at Greeneville, RHP Jose Moreno (0-1, 5.79), 5:30 CT.


GCL Nationals 3 at GCL Cardinals 2

Trejyn Fletcher/MLB Player Development Program

2019 second round draftee and co-Player of the Day Tre Fletcher had three hits (two of the infield variety) and gunned down a runner at second base, but the center fielder’s heroics weren’t enough as the GCL Cardinals fell behind the Nationals 3-0 and couldn’t quite catch up, losing their 2019 opener by a 3-2 score Monday afternoon on Field 1 at Roger Dean. Fletcher’s outfield mates, 17-year-old right fielder Patrick Romeri and 18-year-old left fielder Joerlin De Los Santos, each went 1-for-3 with a walk.

The hard luck losing pitcher was 18-year-old righty Luis Ortiz, who started and went five innings while yielding just one earned run, but two unearned as well. The 6-foot-3 Dominican was making his stateside debut after three excellent appearances in the DSL over the past few weeks (ERA and FIP both under 2.00 across 10 1/3 innings). Tossing the last four frames was 18-year-old southpaw Nathanael Heredia, profiting from a step down in class after a crushing NY-Penn League performance eight days earlier. The 6-foot-3 San Pedro de Macoris native whiffed five and walked one while conceding a solitary base knock.

Tuesday’s game: vs. GCL Mets, pitcher TBA, 11:00 a.m. CT.


DSL Cardinals Blue 14 at DSL Angels 1

Hansel Otamendi (Pelota Cubana)

The DSL Cardinals Blue team (12-5) continued their fast start to the season Monday morning, jumping out to a 7-0 lead after five innings and piling on late in a 14-1 road pasting of the Angels. Venezuelan righty Reinys Portillo was the starter and winner for the Blue, twirling six innings of one-run ball to lower his ERA to 1.80 over four starts. Fellow 18-year-old Eduar Pimentel was next to the bump with a shutout inning, and righty Luis Tena polished things off with a pair of shutout innings himself.

Center fielder and co-Player of the Day Hansel Otamendi went 3-for-4 with a pair of walks, scored four runs, and stole a base to lead the Blue juggernaut. Right fielder Gustavo A. Rodriguez singled, hit his first career longball, and drove in four runs, while other significant contributors were 17-year-old first baseman Fernando Diaz (single, double, walk) and left fielder Leudy Pena (the same, plus two outfield assists).

Tuesday’s game: at DSL Yankees, pitcher TBA, 9:30 a.m. CT.


DSL D-backs2 6 at DSL Cardinals Red 3

Albert Inoa (El Diario del Cibao)

The DSL Cardinals Red affiliate slid to 8-12 on the year, losing 6-3 at home on Monday to the D-backs2 squad. The game was not without hitting highlights however, as 17-year-old Albert Inoa and 16-year-old Roblin Heredia combined for four of the team’s five base hits on the day. Second baseman Inoa added a pair of free passes (his 15th and 16th already), while catcher Heredia’s two hits both went for extra bases (double, triple). Since returning from a weeklong time out, Heredia has lifted his slash line from .143/.217/.190 to a much less dismal .195/.283/.366.

Lefty Diorys Guerrero was the starter and loser for the Red, going four innings and allowing three runs, two earned. The 18-year-old did fan six against one base on balls. Hector De Los Santos and Jesus Jaquez combined to permit just one earned run (plus two unearned) over the final five stanzas. The 17-year-old Jaquez closed it out with two innings of one-hit baseball.

Tuesday’s game: vs. DSL Phillies White, pitcher TBA, 9:30 a.m. CT.


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