The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-1 on Monday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is DSL Cardinals CF Facundo Velasquez who went 2-for-4 with a homer, four RBI, and a run scored. Other standouts include Jefferson Moran, Alan Reyes, Miguel Vargas, and Antoni Cuello. We also set up Tuesday’s full system schedule.
Results for games played Monday, June 24, 2024.
Memphis – off
The first half of Memphis’ 2024 schedule concluded on June 23rd with the Redbirds (38-37) dropping their home series versus Jacksonville (35-40)(MIA), two games to four. The team finished the first half in a two-way tie with Nashville (MIL) for fourth place in the International League West Division standings, 12 games behind first-half champion Omaha (49-24)(KC).
Memphis kicks off the second-half schedule with a road trip to division rival Gwinnett (ATL).
Tuesday’s game: at Gwinnett (0-0)(ATL), 7:05 pm ET/6:05 pm CT, TBD
Springfield – off
Springfield (37-32) capped a productive series at Corpus Christi (26-43)(HOU) by winning four of six contests and clinching the Texas League North Division title for the first half of the 2024 season.
The S-Cards begin second-half play with a six-game home stand versus Arkansas (SEA) who finished the first half a game behind their hosts.
Tuesday’s game: vs Arkansas (0-0)(SEA), 7:05 pm CT, Edwin Nunez (0-4, 6.75)
Peoria – off
Peoria (26-39) ended a forgettable first half of 2024 in sixth (and last) place in the Midwest League West Division standings, 15 ½ games back of Wisconsin (MIL)
The 2024 season’s first half ended midway through their just-completed five-game road series, one game was canceled due to wet grounds, in which they lost three of five games at second-place Cedar Rapids (37-27).
The Chiefs (1-2) already trail division-leading Beloit (3-0)(MIA) by two games in the second-half standings, placing them in a three-way tie with Quad Cities (KC) and Wisconsin at the division’s bottom (or fourth place if you are of a more optimistic nature).
Tuesday’s game: vs Quad Cities (1-2)(KC), 6:35 pm CT, TBD
Palm Beach – off
Last Monday Palm Beach sat in second place in the Florida State League East Division standings and trailed Jupiter (MIA) by one game as the first-half schedule wound down. Claiming three of five road contests at Tampa (NYY), the West Division’s first-half cellar dwellers, was enough for the Beach Birds (37-29) to snatch the first-half crown away from Jupiter against whom they finished a game up.
Early into the second-half schedule, Palm Beach (1-1) is tied for second with Daytona (CIN), ½ game behind Jupiter. They host their division’s fourth-place team, St Lucie (NYM) this week.
Tuesday’s game: vs fourth-place St Lucie (0-3)(NYM), 5:00 pm ET/4:00 pm CT, TBD
Cardinals 3 vs FCL Astros 4
The FCL Cardinals (13-22) came out on the wrong end of a tight contest, falling to the second-place FCL Astros (17-17), 4-3, at home. The FCL Cardinals are in fifth and last place in the Florida Complex League East Division standings, 13 games back of the FCL Marlins.
The game was close from the onset, the only tally over the initial seven frames being a solo shot off Cardinals’ starter, Yadiel Batista (L, 0-4). Batista took the hard-luck loss, yielding one run on five hits and two walks in four innings.
Antoni Cuello held that 1-0 score during his two frames of work, allowing one hit and a base-on-balls. Yordy Herrera kept the Astros off the board in the seventh but was dinged for an eighth-inning run on a solo blast, the only hit permitted to go with four strikeouts.
Down 2-0 with six outs to give, the Cardinals took advantage of a two-out pitching change. Second baseman Jonathan Mejia lined a double to right against the new reliever, scoring third baseman Raul Guzman who reached via a free pass.
The FCL Astros, however, essentially put the game away with a two-run ninth off Victor Villanueva. Both tallies were unearned due to three Cardinals’ bobbles, a fielding error by the first baseman allowing the lead-off batter to reach, and throwing errors by Mejia and left fielder Luis Pino which allowed both runs to score.
The home team’s ninth-inning rally fell just short. Designated hitter Felix Taveras reached on a fielding error with one away. Pinch hitter Samil De La Rosa was issued a free pass, both runners scored on Miguel Vargas’ first triple of the season. Vargas could only watch from third as catcher Alejandro Loaiza K’d swinging and pinch hitter Justin Guerrero was caught looking at strike three.
Tuesday’s game: at third-place FCL Mets (16-19), 12:00 pm ET/11:00 am CT, TBD
Cardinals 7 vs DSL Twins 3
A five-run fifth broke open a tie game as the DSL Cardinals (8-7) flew past the DSL Twins (7-9), 7-3, at home. It is the third straight win for the surging Cardinals who have won five of their last six contests, putting them fifth in the tight Central Division of the Dominican Summer League, 4 ½ games behind the DSL Giants Black.
Scoreless through the first three frames, each team notched a single tally in their half of the fourth. The visitors went up 1-0 after the Twins’ clean-up hitter, Yandro Hernandez homered to right.
But the home squad struck right back in their half of the stanza. Designated hitter Edward Guribe drew a two-out walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch. Second baseman Bracewell Taveras’ line drive single to right brought Guribe across home plate, knotting the game at 1-1.
Jefferson Moran (W, 2-0) pitched another strong effort, giving up one run on four hits in five innings. The righty struck out five and did not walk a batter although he did plunk one.
Moran was the pitcher of record when his teammates generated a five-run fifth to gain a 6-1 lead. With the Twins’ starter out of the game, the Dominican Birds pounced on right-hander Anderson Chacon (L, 0-2) for five scores, three earned. The big blow was centerfielder Facundo Velasquez’s long ball scoring right fielder Brayan Amoroso and shortstop Yairo Padilla who both reached on singles.
Number three hitter Rainiel Rodriguez reached on a throwing error by the Twins’ third baseman, ahead of Guribe’s first home run of 2024. The team’s last score occurred in the seventh after Velasquez tripled to right, driving in Padillo who reached on an error. The Cardinals acquired eight hits, two apiece by Padilla, Velasquez and Amoroso.
Brailyn Paulino retired five batters, giving up two runs, one earned on two hits, a walk and hit batsman. Alan Reyes tossed 2 1/3 frames of scoreless ball, permitting one hit and leaving Paulino’s final base runner aboard.
Tuesday’s game: at DSL Pirates Gold (11-5), 11:00 am ET/10:00 am CT, RHS Keiverson Ramirez (1-0, 1.38)
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