photo: Gordon Graceffo (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Tuesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis RH Gordon Graceffo, pitched seven one-run innings with eight strikeouts. Other standouts include Nathan Church, Joshua Baez, Yordalin Pena and Jonathan Mejia.
Results for games played Tuesday, May 21.
The Triple-A Redbirds were blanked by the Bulls in a 1-0 road game on Tuesday. Starter Gordon Graceffo pitched seven innings, gave up one run on five hits and struck out eight. Graceffo took the loss, his fourth.
Kolton Ingram relieved Graceffo and tossed a scoreless eighth.
The game was scoreless until Durham plated the only run of the game in the fifth inning.
Memphis was held to three hits in total. César Prieto was 2-for-4 and had the only extra base hit, a double. The offense was 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base.
On the bases, Victor Scott stole his ninth base but was also caught stealing. José Fermín stole his seventh bag.
On defense, outfielders Matt Koperniak and Jordan Walker each had an assist at second base.
Memphis is 24-22 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Durham, Zach Thompson LHP (1-0, 1.84) vs. Shane Baz RHP (0-2, 7.88) 5:35 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals edged the Drillers by one run at Hammons Field on Tuesday. Starter Trent Baker pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on eight hits, struck out five and walked two.
Ryan Shreve threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his third win. Leonardo Taveras surrendered two runs in two innings pitched. Matt Svanson yielded one unearned run in the ninth.
Springfield put up two runs in the third inning. Jeremy Rivas singled and stole second base. Nathan Church followed with a two-run home run.
Bye bye!
Nathan Church goes deep to get us up 2-0 early! His 5th homer of the season. pic.twitter.com/7JOV0sUd32
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 22, 2024
Tulsa tied it in the fourth then took the lead 3-2 in the top of the fifth. In the home fifth, the Cardinals tacked on four runs to make it 6-3. Mike Antico reached on an error. Church doubled. R.J. Yeager singled to plate Antico and Church. Yeager was caught stealing. Jimmy Crooks walked. Matt Lloyd hit a two-run home run.
No doubter off the bat of Matt Lloyd. He's now homered in back-to-back games. pic.twitter.com/mlEal6rkRP
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 22, 2024
The Drillers scored two runs in the seventh to cut the lead to 6-5. Springfield made it 7-5 in the eighth. Jacob Buchberger singled and came home on a double by Ramon Mendoza for the decisive run.
Tulsa added a final tally in the ninth but fell one run short.
The Springfield offense scored seven runs on nine hits. Church was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Buchberger was 2-for-4. Yeager and Lloyd each had two RBI.
On the bases, Rivas stole his 11th base. Buchberger swiped his seventh bag. Yeager was caught stealing. Mendoza was picked off second base.
On defense, Buchberger and Crooks each made a throwing error. Church had two outfield assists, one at home plate and one at third base.
Springfield is 23-16 on the season.
Wednesday’s games: vs. Tulsa, RHP Edwin Nuñez (0-2, 6.53) vs. Yon Castro RHP (0-1, 11.32) 5:05 CT (Game 1); Max Rajcic RHP (4-3, 7.28) vs. TBD (Game 2)
Peoria 6, Cedar Rapids 8 (10 innings)
The High-A Chiefs fell to the Kernels in an 8-6 extra inning home game on Tuesday. Starter Pete Hansen pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up five runs on six hits, struck out five and walked one.
Zane Mills surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings of relief. Tanner Jacobson threw two scoreless innings. Tyler Bradt yielded two runs, one earned, in the 10th. Bradt took the loss.
Cedar Rapids took a 4-0 lead in the first inning. Peoria cut the lead in half in the fifth on a two-run home run by Zach Levenson.
Zach Levenson cuts the lead in half with a two-run homer!
PEO 2 | CR 4
– – –#peoriachiefs #TopDogs@milb | @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/cCALBJDXVY— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 22, 2024
The Kernels increased their lead to 6-2 in the top of the sixth. The Chiefs answered with four runs in the home sixth to tie the game at 6-6. Michael Curialle reached on an error and scored on a double by Leonardo Bernal. Osvaldo Tovalin singled. Joshua Baez followed with a three-run home run.
JOSHUA BAEZ BLASTS A GAME-TYING HOME RUN IN THE SIXTH!!!
PEO 6 | WM 6
– – –#peoriachiefs #TopDogs@milb | @CardsPlayerDev pic.twitter.com/vf6RGWIpWA— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 22, 2024
The tie game went into the 10th when the Kernels added two runs to lead 8-6. Peoria could not answer.
The Chiefs scored six runs on nine hits. Bernal was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Tovalin was 2-for-4. Levenson had two RBI. Baez had three RBI.
On defense, Alex ladisernia made a fielding error.
Peoria is 13-27 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Tulsa, Hancel Rincon RHP (2-3, 4.26) vs. John Klein RHP (3-0, 3.03) 6:35 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals lost to the Flying Tigers in an 11-1 road blowout on Tuesday. Starter Gerardo Salas pitched five innings, gave up four runs on four hits, struck out five and walked two. Salas took the loss, his second.
Jason Savacool relieved Salas and surrendered two runs, one earned, in 1 1/3 innings of relief. Augusto Calderon yielded five runs, four earned, in the final 1 2/3 innings.
Lakeland took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Flying Tigers made it 4-0 in the second. The Beach Birds were being no-hit until they scored their only run in the top of the seventh. Kade Kretzschmar drew a walk before Miguel Villarroel and Chase Adkison singled to load the bases. Kretzschmar was thrown out at home on a force out by Jose Cordoba. Sammy Hernandez was hit by a pitch and Villarroel came home.
The Flying Tigers poured it on with four runs in the seventh and three in the eighth to bring the score to 11-1.
Palm Beach had one run on two hits, one each by Villarroel and Adkison. The offense was 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.
On defense, Johnfrank Salazar made a fielding error.
Palm Beach is 23-17 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at Lakeland, RH Darlin Saladin (1-0, 2.25) vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals 5 at FCL Astros 6
The rookie Cardinals were edged by the Astros in 6-5 loss in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. Memphis rehabber Packy Naughton started and pitched two innings, gave up one unearned run on two hits and struck out four.
Yadiel Batista relieved Naughton and surrendered four runs, three earned in 4 1/3 innings. Juan Severino yielded one run in the final 1 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. Samil De La Rosa and Jonathan Mejia singled and both came home on a double by Yordalin Pena.
The Astros answered with single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings to lead 3-2. The Cardinals tied the game in the fifth. Mejia and Pena singled. Mejia went to third on a wild pitch then stole home.
Astros once again came back with single runs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings to regain the lead at 6-3. The Cardinals scored two runs in the ninth to cut the lead to 6-5. Mejia reached on an error and crossed the plate on a double by Jose Suarez. A sacrifice fly by Pena brought in the final run.
The Cardinals scored five runs on 10 hits. Pena was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Mejia was 3-for-5 with three runs scored.
On the bases, Mejia stole his second base of the season. Pena swiped his fourth bag. On defense, Yancel Guerrero made a throwing and a fielding error. Suarez had a fielding miscue.
The Cardinals are 7-6 on the season.
Wednesday’s game: at FCL Mets, RH Ronny Oliver (1-0, 2.84) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
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