photo: Aaron McKeithan (Springfield Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 4-2 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield DH Aaron McKeithan, reached base four times and drove in five. Other standouts include Alfonso Rivas, Cooper Hjerpe, Joshua Baez, Trey Paige, Miguel Villarroel and Yaxson Lucena.
Results from games played on Thursday, June 6.
The Memphis Redbirds (30-30) were crushed by the Omaha Storm Chasers (42-16, KCR) 16-6 on Thursday at Werner Park. Starter Steven Matz on a rehab assignment from St. Louis and pitched two innings, allowing no runs or hits while walking one and striking out two.
The Redbirds took an early lead with Nick Raposo and Nick Dunn’s RBI singles in the second. Alfonso Rivas III’s first home run this season increased their lead to 5-0 in the top of the third.
Rivas with his first @HueysRestaurant home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/zgoIbHmEWe
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) June 7, 2024
Giovanny Gallegos, who was also on a rehab assignment, gave up a three-run blast in the bottom of the third.
Regular starter Sem Robberse took over the mound in the fourth and gave up a two-run and a three-run bomb along with an RBI double while collecting just one out before being replaced by Nick Raquet. Raquet allowed an RBI single, a sacrifice fly, and another RBI single before finishing out the inning to give the Storm Chasers a 12-5 lead.
Raposo’s solo shot to left field in the fifth brought the deficit to six.
Raquet yielded a two-run dinger in the sixth. Alex Cornwell replaced him and gave up a two-run homer in the eighth to give Omaha a 16-6 lead with five home runs on the day.
Robberse took his fourth loss this season, throwing 1/3 of an inning while allowing eight runs, seven earned, on six hits while walking one. Gallegos threw an inning, yielding three runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one. Raquet gave up three runs on three hits while walking two and striking out three in the 2 2/3 innings he pitched. Memphis allowed 16 runs, 15 earned, on 13 hits while walking five and striking out nine.
Raposo was 2-for-4 with a homer, two RBI, and a run scored. Rivas III hit 3-for-5 with a home run, three RBI, and two runs scored. Dunn was 2-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. The Redbirds totaled six runs on 13 hits with four and nine strikeouts.
Friday’s game: at Omaha, RHP Gordon Graceffo (5-5, 4.42) vs. Jonathan Bowlan RHP (6-2, 5.06) 7:05 CT.
The Springfield Cardinals (32-22) triumphed over the Arkansas Travelers (30-23, SEA) 10-6 on Thursday at Dickey-Stephens Park. Starter Edwin Nuñez threw four innings, allowing a run on three hits while walking three and striking out four.
An RBI single put the Travelers on the board in the first.
The Cardinals responded in the third with Jeremy Rivas’s sacrifice fly, Noah Mendlinger’s bases-loaded walk, a wild pitch that allowed R.J. Yeager to come home, and Aaron McKeithan’s two-RBI single.
A five run rally to take the lead? Bet. pic.twitter.com/hHMyw6UyMQ
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 7, 2024
Arkansas brought the game within two with a two-run bomb in the sixth against reliever Wilfredo Pereira.
Springfield took those two runs back in the top of the seventh with Yeager’s RBI double and McKeithan’s bases-loaded hit by pitch.
RJ Yeager has six RBIs in his last six games 👀 pic.twitter.com/uhlOT4dz0X
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 7, 2024
In the bottom half of the inning, the Travelers’ two-RBI single made the score 7-5.
Mendlinger’s RBI single and McKeithan’s two-RBI single gave the Cardinals a five-run lead heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Aaron McKeithan set a new career-high with 5 runs driven in tonight. pic.twitter.com/lN07Sp0wwm
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) June 7, 2024
In the bottom of the ninth, Arkansas earned one run back on an RBI single, but they could not overcome the deficit.
Pereira earned his third win this season, pitching three innings, and yielding four runs on six hits while walking one and striking out three. Matt Svanson earned his ninth save, giving up one run on one hit while walking two and striking out three. Springfield allowed six runs on 10 hits while walking six and striking out 10.
McKeithan went 3-for-4 with a HBP and five RBI. Mendlinger was 1-for-2 with two walks, a HBP, two RBI, and two runs scored. Yeager was 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, an RBI, and two runs scored. The Cardinals totaled 10 runs on 11 hits with seven walks and 12 strikeouts while hitting 6-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Friday’s game: at Arkansas, RHP Trent Baker (3-3, 5.63) vs. J. Mercedes RHP (2-2, 2.79) 7:05 CT.
The Peoria Chiefs (19-35) beat the Fort Wayne Tincaps (23-31, SDP) 5-1 on Thursday at Parkview Field. Starter Cooper Hjerpe threw four innings, allowing no runs or hits while walking three and striking out five.
The Chiefs struck first in the first when Chris Rotondo was caught in a rundown between first and second while attempting to steal second which gave Leonardo Bernal enough time to come home.
Peoria extended its lead to 3-0 in the second with Joshua Baez’s two-RBI double.
"Hey, race you home!" — the @peoriachiefs, probably.@CardsPlayerDev | @Cardinals pic.twitter.com/XaM0xxiVoI
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) June 7, 2024
Brody Moore’s sacrifice fly in the fourth gave the Chiefs an extra insurance run. Baez tallied his third knock of the day with an RBI single in the top of the sixth.
Inohan Paniagua took over the mound in the fifth, and in the sixth, he gave up a sacrifice fly that put the Tincaps on the board. Paniagua earned his fourth win this season, allowing one run on one hit while walking one and striking out eight. Gustavo Rodriguez threw one scoreless inning to close the ninth, yielding one hit and one walk while striking out one. Peoria gave up a run on two hits while walking five and striking out 14.
Baez went 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, and three RBI. Dakota Harris was 2-for-5 with a double and scored once. Bernal hit 2-for-4 with a double, a walk, and a run scored. The Chiefs totaled five runs on 11 hits with six walks and nine strikeouts.
Friday’s game: at Fort Wayne, LHP Pete Hansen (0-4, 4.98) vs. Henry Baez RHP (0-2, 4.58) 6:05 CT.
Palm Beach 8, Dunedin 7 (12 innings)
After three extra innings, the Palm Beach Cardinals (32-22) narrowly defeated the Dunedin Blue Jays (26-28, TOR) 8-7 on Thursday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Starter Ixan Henderson threw 4 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out four.
The Blue Jays struck first in the first with an RBI double and an RBI single.
The Beach Birds responded in the third with Trey Paige’s two-RBI double and Miguel Villarroel’s RBI single.
Dunedin tied the game in the top of the fifth with an RBI single.
Another RBI single in the bottom of the fifth from Villarroel extended the Cardinals lead to 4-3.
A sacrifice fly in the ninth against reliever Henry Gomez sent the game into extra innings. Luis Gastelum took over the mound in the top of the 10th and allowed an RBI single.
A leadoff sacrifice bunt in the bottom of the 10th from Lizandro Espinoza advanced the runner to third, and a throwing error allowed Adari Grant to score.
Second baseman Villarroel committed a fielding error in the top of the 11th that allowed a runner to score.
Johnfrank Salazar’s RBI double in the bottom of the 11th tied the game once again.
In the top of the 12th, reliever Benjamin Arias allowed an RBI single to give the Mets a one-run lead.
Sammy Hernandez’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the inning tied the game and Kade Kretzschmar walked it off with an RBI double to center.
Paige was 3-for-6 with two doubles, two RBI, and three runs scored. Villarroel went 2-for-5 with two RBI and a walk. Kretzschmar hit 2-for-6 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. The Cardinals totaled eight runs on 10 hits with four walks and 16 strikeouts.
Angel Cuenca threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out one. Gastelum threw two innings, yielding two runs, none earned, on one hit while striking out four. Arias earned his third win this season, pitching an inning, and giving up one run, none earned, on one hit while striking out one. Palm Beach allowed seven runs, four earned, on 13 hits while walking four and striking out 12.
Friday’s game: vs. Dunedin, TBD vs. Fernando Perez RHP (1-1, 3.94) 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals 1 at FCL Astros 3
The Florida Complex League Cardinals (11-14) fell to the Astros (11-12, HOU) 3-1 on Thursday at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches Complex. Starter Ruben Menes threw five innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on two hits while walking two and striking out six.
The Astros scored first in the first when third basemen Yancel Guerrero committed a throwing error to allow a runner to score.
The Cardinals tied it in the top of the fifth when Justin Guerrero grounded into a double play that plated Yancel Guerrero.
A two-run shot in the bottom of the fifth gave the Astros a 3-1 lead.
Omar Yanez pitched a scoreless inning, yielding two walks while striking out two. Yordy Herrera threw two scoreless innings, giving up two hits and two walks while striking out three. The Cardinals allowed three runs, two earned, on four hits while walking six and striking out 11.
Guerrero went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Anyelo Encarnacion was 1-for-2 with two walks. Yordalin Pena and Arfeni Batista singled. The Cardinals totaled a run on five hits with three walks and 13 strikeouts, going 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position while stranding six.
Friday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins (15-7, MIA), TBD vs. TBD 11:00 CT.
DSL Cardinals 3 at DSL Mets 2 (8 innings)
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals (2-0) won a close game in extras over the Mets Orange (2-1, NYM) 3-2 on Thursday at Academia de Beisbol de los Metros de Nueva York. Starter Keiverson Ramirez threw four scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out four.
The Cardinals struck first in the fifth when Facundo Velasquez was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
The Mets tied the game in the sixth with an RBI single against reliever Jarol Baez.
Yaxson Lucena gave the Cardinals a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth with a two-run homer.
A sacrifice fly by the Mets in the bottom of the eighth made the score 3-2.
Xavier Cruz threw a scoreless inning, allowing one walk while striking out two. Jose Suriel earned his first win this season, pitching 1 1/3 innings, and yielding one run, none earned, while walking and striking out two. Guanchi Martinez earned his first save this season, throwing a hitless 2/3 of an inning. The Cardinals gave up two runs, one earned, on five hits while walking four and striking out nine.
Lucena went 1-for-3 with a home run, a walk, two RBI, and a run scored. Velasquez had the other RBI while drawing a walk and being hit by a pitch. The Cardinals totaled three runs on three hits with eight walks and 11 strikeouts.
Friday’s game: vs. DSL Phillies Red (1-1, PHI), TBD vs. TBD 10:00 CT.
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