Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 25, 2021

photo: Jacob Buchberger (Palm Beach Cardinals)

Palm Beach walked off with the Cardinals system’s only win in three tries on Thursday. Jacob Buchberger and Tommy Jew were key to the victory but Memphis and Springfield both went down to defeat. Peoria’s road contest was suspended.

Results from games played Thursday, June 24th.

Memphis 2 at Toledo 7

Home runs proved the Redbirds’ undoing in their 7-2 loss at Toledo.  Memphis (17-28) has dropped two of the first three games in their six-game set at Fifth Third Field and remain in seventh in the seven-team Southeast Division, trailing first-place Durham (TB) by 12 ½ games.

All seven tallies yielded by Memphis hurlers were generated by long balls, beginning with starter Matthew Liberatore.  Liberatore (L, 2-4) served up two in his initial frame of work, accounting for all four runs charged to him.  The lefty allowed just four hits and two walks over 5 1/3 frames, fanning nine, but the damage was done.

Austin Warner recorded two sixth-inning outs, leaving Liberatore’s final runner aboard, but surrendered two seventh-inning bombs.  Those bombs were the only hits permitted by Warner, along with a base-on-balls, accounting for three scores.

Evan Kruczynski walked his first batter then was removed due to an undisclosed injury.  Garrett Williams replaced Kruczynski, walking one, and stranding his inherited runner.

The offense’s story can best be described as missed opportunities as the visitors left 10 baserunners aboard, six of them in scoring position.  The only Redbird with more than one of the team’s seven hits was Evan Mendoza who singled twice in three at bats with a base-on-balls.

One of Mendoza’s singles occurred in the fifth, advancing Conner Capel who led off with a walk.  Capel moved to third after Juan Yepez worked a free pass, jamming the sacks full with none out.  But the only one run ensued via Kramer Robertson’s ground out to second.  A Justin Williams home run accounted for Memphis’ other tally.

Friday’s game: at Toledo (23-21) (DET), 6:05 pm CT, TBA

Springfield 4 at Tulsa 5 (10)

The S-Cards took a lead in the ninth only to fall at Tulsa, 5-4 in 10.  It is the third straight one-run loss of the series for fifth-place Springfield (15-29), which is 10 ½ games behind Wichita (MIN) in the North Division standings.

Pitching in his third inning, Edgar Escobar (L, 0-2) was tagged for the second tally of his stint, permitting single scores in the ninth and 10th.  The former run sent the contest into extra innings while the latter sent the team back to the hotel with another loss.  Escobar allowed three hits and a walk over 2 2/3 frames and hit a batter.

Andre Pallante tossed the first 4 2/3 innings, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks.  Two of the hits were solo shots sandwiched around two outs, the latter driving the right-hander from the game.  Pallante plunked a batter as well.

The 2 1/3-inning gap between Pallante and Escobar was filled by relievers Michael Brettell and Evan Sisk.  Brettell retired three batters, yielding two hits and a walk while three of the four outs recorded by Sisk were strikeouts.  The southpaw allowed a hit, base-on-balls and plunked batter and stranded Brettell’s last two batters.

Springfield generated seven hits with two apiece by Delvin Perez and Alec Burleson.  Both players went 2-for-4 with a base-on-balls, Perez driving in one.

Brendan Donovan

Half of Springfield’s runs were produced by Justin Toerner whose third blast, with Brendan Donovan (double) aboard, gave his team a brief 2-1 lead at the fifth’s midpoint.  It was the center fielder’s only hit in five at bats.  Donovan reached base three times, doubling once in three at bats with two walks, scoring one run and knocking in another.

Friday’s game:   at second-place Tulsa (25-19) (LAD), 7:05 pm CT, Dalton Roach (2-4, 5.82)

Peoria at Wisconsin – suspended

The Chiefs’ contest at Wisconsin was suspended in the home half of the second due to rain.  The game has been rescheduled as part of a twin bill on Friday, June 25th.  When play resumes there will be a runner at third, none out and the Timber Rattlers up 1-0.

Peoria (18-26) has won one of the series’ two completed contests and is currently tied with South Bend (CHC) for fifth in the six-team West Division standings.  Both squads are 11 ½ games in back of Quad Cities (KC).

Friday’s games:  at fourth-place Wisconsin (19-24) (MIL).  Previously Scheduled Contest – 7:05 pm CT, Michael YaSenka (0-4, 6.42)

Palm Beach 5, Fort Myers 4

Jacob Buchberger’s ninth-inning RBI single drove in Tommy Jew, giving the Beach Birds a 5-4 walk-off win over Fort Myers, their first victory in three games of the six planned.  Fourth-place Palm Beach (15-30) gained a game on St. Lucie (NYM) with the win but still trail the division leaders by 9 ½ games in the East Division standings.

Jacob Buchberger

The hit was the second in five at bats for first baseman Buchberger, who crossed home once with two RBI.  Jew led the team’s 11-hit attack, going 4-for-5 with two runs scored and three stolen bases.  These performances earned the pair our co-Player of the Day nod.

Tommy Jew

The final Palm Beach player with a multi-hit effort was Jordan Walker, who doubled twice in five at bats, driving in two.  The third baseman’s 1.158 OPS puts him fourth in the league, Walker being a full four years younger than the league leader, Alex McGarry (CIN).

Edwin Nunez picked up second win in three decisions, tossing a clean ninth with one base-on-balls and two strikeouts.  Ludwin Jimenez compiled one of his better starts of the season, striking out eight over five innings and scattering five hits and four walks resulting in one run allowed.

Jimenez exited with his team holding a slim 2-1 advantage, a lead Luis Ortiz (BS, 1) was not able to maintain.  Ortiz gave up three tallies during his three innings on the mound, yielding five hits and a base-on-balls, before giving way to Nunez.

In the see-saw game, the home team went up 1-0 after three but Fort Myers tied it by midway through the fifth.  Palm Beach went back up 2-1 in the bottom of the inning, but the lead was short lived as the Mighty Mussels pushed across three runs over the next two frames.  A two-run seventh reknotted the game at 4-4, setting the stage for the subsequent Buchberger/Jew show.

Friday’s game: vs. Fort Myers (27-18) (SD), 6:30 pm ET, Jose Moreno (0-3, 7.62)

For more

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