photo: John Beller (Palm Beach Cardinals)
On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 2-2. Palm Beach squandered Player of the Day John Beller’s stellar start, but third baseman Jordan Walker led a 10th-inning comeback.
Results from games played Thursday, May 13th.
Redbirds hurlers gave up runs in four of eight frames in their 8-2 loss at Nashville. Memphis (2-7) trails in the series, one game to two, with three remaining.
The contest got off to a solid beginning as Daniel Ponce de Leon kicked off his rehab assignment. The 29-year-old worked around a lead-off free pass issued for a clean first that included a strikeout. Ponce de Leon threw seven of his 14 pitches for strikes.
The home team greeted regular starter Angel Rondon (L, 0-2) with a tally in his first inning of work but the Redbirds replied with two runs of their own for a 2-1 lead at the fourth’s midpoint. Rondon served up one of his two solo shots in the home half of the fourth before being tagged for a three-run fifth, his final inning on the mound. The righty allowed seven hits for five runs and was also called for a balk.
A trio of Memphis relievers shared the last three innings. Austin Warner walked one and struck out three during his two-inning stint but Evan Kruczynski’s 2021 debut did not go as well. The southpaw retired one batter, yielding three runs on a hit and two walks. Connor Jones gave up two hits before the inning was over, allowing Kruczynski’s last runner to score.
Austin Dean says goodbye! 💣💣💣 pic.twitter.com/fBZLxfEAhF
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 14, 2021
Left fielder Austin Dean did the most damage on the offense side, taking part in both of his squad’s scores. Both runs came on Dean’s first home run as a member of the St. Louis organization, scoring Jose Rondon, who extended his hitting streak to seven with a single. Memphis generated five hits in all with Dean going 2-for-4.
Friday’s game: at Nashville (MIL) (5-3), 6:35 p.m. CT, Bernardo Flores Jr. (0-0, 2.70)
The S-Cards could not overcome an early hole, falling to host Arkansas, 3-1. Springfield (1-8) has lost all three contests to date in the six-game series.
Kyle Leahy (L, 0-2) permitted three first-inning runs, holding the Travelers over the next three frames. The Colorado native allowed nine hits and a base-on-balls, fanning four in four innings.
Jacob Bosiokovic tossed two scoreless innings with two walks but Salvador Justo plunked his only batter, former Cardinals farmhand Brian O’Keefe. Right-hander Grant Black retired all six batters faced, fanning four.
The visitors’ sole offensive results occurred in the seventh when Imeldo Diaz opened with a single to left. Nick Dunn’s double advanced the third baseman to third, putting the latter in position to score on a groundout by David Vinsky. Diaz and Dunn each went 2-for-4, accounting for all of Springfield’s hits.
Friday’s game: at Arkansas (SEA) (5-3), 7:10 pm CT, Alvaro Seijas (0-1, 16.88)
Brendan Donovan’s first High-A long ball capped a late rally as the Chiefs edged the Timber Rattlers, 3-2. Peoria (3-6) holds a two-games-to-one series advantage with three yet to play.
Wisconsin struck first with a single third-inning tally off starter Connor Lunn. Peoria answered with a run of their own via Malcom Nunez’ RBI double plating Jhon Torres (single), tying the game at one all after three.
The visitors went back up in the fifth, 2-1, the score remaining stationary until the seventh. Leandro Cedeno worked an inning-opening free pass, ending up at third on a wild pitch and single to right by Moises Castillo. Cedeno tied the game 2-2 after Wisconsin’s hurler was called for a balk.
Touch 'em all, Donovan! 💣@CardsPlayerDev x Brendan Donovan pic.twitter.com/cJoLiYhBJq
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 14, 2021
Donovan’s blast occurred with two gone the next inning and was the second baseman’s only hit in three at bats. Torres singled twice in four at bats leading off and was the only Chief with more than one of the team’s six hits.
Nunez reached base twice, the second time on a hit-by-pitch, however he was caught stealing in his only attempt. Torres and Castillo both swiped their initial bags of 2021.
Lunn struck out six over five frames, yielding two runs on six hits. He did not walk a batter. Lunn’s effort was a distinct improvement from his May 9th start in which he recorded just two outs.
Wilfredo Pereira (W, 1-0) fanned four in three hitless innings for his first High-A victory. Evan Sisk negotiated around a lead-off walks by retiring his next three batters, two on swinging K’s, for his first High-A save.
Friday’s game: vs. Wisconsin (MIL) (5-4), 6:35 p.m. CT, Michael YaSenka (0-1, 10.80)
Palm Beach 5 ‘at’ Jupiter 3 (10 innings)
Jordan Walker’s 10th-inning efforts backed starter John Beller’s stellar performance in the Beach Birds’ 5-3 triumph over Jupiter. Palm Beach (3-6) has won two of the series’ first three games with three on tap.
Walker accounted for three of his squad’s five tallies, singling and doubling in five at bats. The third baseman’s game-winning double drove in Masyn Winn, who began the 10th on second, breaking a 3-3 tie. Walker raced home on Todd Lott’s single, one of the two runs scored by the 18-year-old.
Cardinals 3B prospect Jordan Walker hit a groundout 116.3 mph tonight (according to Low A Palm Beach/Jupiter's Hawkeye system). Only 12 MLB players have hit a ball that hard in a game this season.
— JJ Cooper (@jjcoop36) May 14, 2021
In the balanced offensive performance, all nine starters contributed. Franklin Soto joined Walker and Lott with two hits, the shortstop singling twice in four at bats with an RBI. Lott went 2-for-5, driving in one. Four Cards had one hit each.
John Beller built upon his excellent professional debut in which he limited his opponents to an earned run in five innings. This time the southpaw struck out an eye-popping 12 Hammerheads in 6 2/3 frames, permitting just three hits and one unearned score to earn our Player of the Day honors. Beller did not issue a free pass and departed with his team up 3-1.
Ramon Santos gave up a double and run-scoring single before recording the seventh’s last out, which cut the Palm Beach lead to one. Yordy Richard fanned five over the last three frames but permitted a run on three hits and a walk to send the game into extra innings.
Friday’s game: at Jupiter (MIA) (4-5), 6:30 pm ET, Edwin Nuñez (0-0, 9.82)
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