Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 7, 2019

photo: Edmundo Sosa (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Results from games played Thursday, June 6th.

Memphis 7 at Tacoma 0    

Harold Arauz (Memphis Redbirds)

The Redbirds used five late-inning runs to solidify their 7-0 blanking of Tacoma (30-31) (SEA) in the decisive third game of the away set.  It was the first series win for Memphis (25-36) since taking three of four from Nashville May 11th through 14th and only the second road series victory of season.

The visitors began the game with a first-inning tally and added another in the fifth before breaking it wide open with a three-run seventh plus two-run eighth.  Memphis banged out 11 hits, led by co-Player of the Day Edmundo Sosa, who finished a single shy of the cycle.  The shortstop went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and solo shot comprising one of his three runs scored.

Hitting right behind Sosa in the nine hole, catcher Jose Godoy also went 3-for-4, albeit with fewer results, a run scored and an RBI.  Drew Robinson was the final Memphis player with a multi-hit performance, singling and doubling in five at bats with two driven in.  Lane Thomas’ only hit in four at bats was a home run with the bases empty.

Daniel Ponce de Leon had a brief three-inning, 53-pitch start, giving up a hit and three free passes.  This abbreviated outing perhaps keeps him in contention for pitching on Monday for St. Louis. Called up from Springfield apparently for the purpose of following Ponce de Leon, co-Player of the Day Harold Arauz delivered. Arauz (W, 3-0) tossed a stellar six shutout frames, allowing five hits and a walk on 79 pitches, 49 for strikes.

Friday’s game:  at Reno (26-34) (ARI), 9:05 pm CT, Evan Kruczynski (0-1, 6.63)


Springfield at Northwest Arkansas – postponed      

The series opener for Springfield (23-36) at Northwest Arkansas was rained out.  The contest has been rescheduled as part of a twin bill on Friday, June 7th.

Friday’s game:  at Northwest Arkansas (25-33) (KC).  Game one: 4:30 pm CT, Jacob Patterson (4-3, 4.76)/Williams Perez, (6-2, 4.84)


Lakeland 4 at Palm Beach 1   

Edgar Gonzalez (Palm Beach Cardinals)

Three late tallies sent the Beach Birds to a 4-1 home defeat to the Flying Tigers, their third loss in the recently completed four-game set.  The defeat dropped Palm Beach (33-26) a game behind division leaders Bradenton (PIT) and Fort Myers (MIN).

The PB-Cards’ offense managed an anemic three hits, with two in the sixth contributing to their only run.  Justin Toerner bunted for a base hit and scored on Yariel Gonzalez’ two-out double to right.

That knotted the game at 1-1 but the tie lasted only until the next inning when reliever Zach Prendergast (L, 1-1) issued a free pass with one away.  Ramon Santos retired the next five batters but not before giving up two runs on four hits, two walks and three wild pitches.  That left Prendergast with a final line of one tally yielded on two hits and a base-on-balls in 1 1/3 innings.

Edgar Gonzalez used eight strikeouts to minimize the threat of three hits and four walks allowed in five innings, permitting one run.  At the other end of the game, C.J. Saylor pitched a one-two-three ninth.

Friday’s game:  vs. Charlotte (31-29) (TB), 6:30 pm ET, TBA


Peoria 0 “at” Quad Cities 1        

Kyle Leahy (Peoria Chiefs)

A tight pitching duel resulted in the Chiefs’ 1-0 walk-off loss to the River Bandits.  Peoria (26-32) took two of the three-game series with first-place Quad Cities (36-20), a club they trail by 11 games.

The score was knotted at 0-0 until the home half of the ninth when Freddy Pacheco began his second inning of work.  Pacheco (L, 0-2) issued a free pass followed by a run-scoring double that ended the game.

Starter Kyle Leahy tossed an impressive five frames, limiting the River Bandits to two hits and one base-on-balls.  The right-hander has not yielded a score in his last 13 innings covering three starts.  Sebastian Tabata and Franyel Casadilla retired three batters each, with Tabata issuing a free pass and Casadilla permitting a hit.

Brendan Donovan’s single to open the game was the only thing preventing Peoria from being no hit.  Brandon Riley walked the next inning (but was picked off) and the next 23 Chiefs were retired in order.

Friday’s game:  vs. Cedar Rapids (30-29) (MIN), 6:35 pm CT, Alvaro Seijas (4-4, 2.96)


DSL Cardinals Blue 2 at DSL Mets1 1

The Cardinals Blue came out on the right end of a pitching duel as they edged the DSL Mets1, 2-1.  The C-Blue (3-1) now stand atop the South Division, a half-game in front of four teams, including the Mets1.

A quartet of C-Blue hurlers held the Mets1 to a single tally on six hits and four free passes while notching a combined 12 K’s.  16-year-old right-hander Yordy Richard impressed in his first professional start, striking out seven in four frames while allowing a run on three hits and two walks. The tally on his record came in his final inning.

Victor Villanueva was credited with the win with two frames of one-hit ball.  Luis Tena fanned four during his two innings on the bump, giving up two hits before lefty Cristoffer Zapata negotiated around two walks for his first professional save.

Despite the fine pitching efforts of the quartet, the Cardinals Blue trailed until the seventh when the squad combined two of the day’s four hits plus a walk and wild pitch to plate two runs.  Left fielder Leudy Pena got it started with a one-out walk then advanced a base on right fielder Jose Rodriguez’ second single of the game.  The runners moved up a base on a wild pitch, putting Pena in position to score on first baseman Luis Rodriguez’ ground out.  Catcher Diego Velasquez’ infield single to third was sufficient to bring Jose Rodriguez across for the winning tally.

Friday’s game:  vs. DSL Phillies Red (3-2), 10:30 am ET, TBA


DSL D-backs2 6 at DSL Cardinals Red 4

A four-run eighth sent the Cardinals Red to a 6-4 defeat to the D-backs2.  The C-Red (4-1) are in a three-way tie for first in the San Pedro Division with the Mets2 and Phillies White.

Righty reliever Benjamin Arias took both the loss and blown save in just his second professional appearance.  The 17-year-old yielded three runs on two hits, a base-on-balls and a plunked batter in 1 1/3.  All three tallies scored with Augusto Calderon (BS, 1) on the mound.  Calderon permitted an unearned run of his own on two hits and two walks in 1 2/3.

Miguel Yedis acquitted himself well in his first start after 14 relief appearances in 2018.  The righty held his opponents to an unearned run on two hits and a base-on-balls over four innings.  Yedis hit one batter.  Yonael Dominguez gave up a run on three hits and three free passes during his two-inning stint.

Second baseman Albert Inoa spearheaded his team’s eight-hit attack with a perfect 3-for-3 effort.  Inoa touched home twice, worked two free passes and knocked in a run.  The only other Cardinals Red with more than one hit was Diowill Burgos, who singled and doubled in three at bats and added two walks.

Friday’s game:  at DSL D-backs2 (2-3), 10:30 am ET, Angel Cuenca (1-0, 0.00)


Bonus for members of The Cardinal Nation

2019 Cardinals Draft – Digging into the Numbers

Get TCN’s New 2019 Prospect Guide

Order The Cardinal Nation’s 190-page 2019 Prospect Guide now – available in PDF with a special 50% off deal for annual members and printed book form, now $5 off.


Not yet a member?

Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system. Annual members may purchase the new 2019 Prospect Guide PDF for less than half price. In addition, our limited edition printed and bound Guides are $5 off, so get yours today!

© 2019 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.