photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 0-1 on Friday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, catcher Jimmy Crooks, was 2-for-4 including a home run and three RBI in Memphis’ Opening Day loss at Louisville. Other standouts include Ryan Vilade and Matt Koperniak.
Results for the game played Friday, March 28.
The Memphis Redbirds fell to the Bats in Louisville on Friday in the first game of the Triple-A season. All four Redbirds pitchers were scored upon.
Michael McGreevy started. The right hander pitched four innings, gave up four runs on six hits, struck out two and walked one. McGreevy took the loss.
In his Cardinals system debut, Curtis Taylor surrendered three runs in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Andre Granillo followed and allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings. Michael Gomez yielded an unearned run in the ninth.
The Bats went up 1-0 in the first then took a 4-0 lead in the fourth. They added a fifth run in the fifth.
Memphis got on the board in the top of the sixth to cut the lead to 5-2. Matt Lloyd drew a walk and advanced to second on a ground out by José Fermín. Matt Koperniak drove in Lloyd on a single for Memphis’ first RBI of the season. Thomas Saggese singled. Koperniak came home on a single by Jimmy Crooks.
Louisville immediately answered with two in the home sixth to lead 7-2. They made it 8-2 in the seventh.
JIMMY CROOKS WITH HIS FIRST TRIPLE-A HOMER pic.twitter.com/SUQpZWNL7q
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) March 29, 2025
In the top of the eighth, Crooks hit a two-run home run to shrink the lead to 8-4. The Bats answered with a run in the bottom of the eighth for the final 9-4 score.
The Redbirds scored four runs on eight hits. Crooks was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ryan Vilade was 2-for-4 including a double.
On defense, right fielder Vilade had an assist at second base. Center fielder Michael Helman threw out a runner at home plate. Crooks had two passed balls.
The Redbirds are 0-1 on the season.
Saturday’s game: at Louisville, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-0, 0.00) vs. Drew Parrish LHP (0-0, 0.00) 1:05 CT.
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