photo: Alvaro Seijas (Johnson City Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-3 on Tuesday. Peoria logged a road shutout behind the pitching of Player of the Day Alvaro Seijas and Thomas St. Clair. Ryan Helsley’s strong outing was ruined by Memphis’ pen and Edmundo Sosa remains hot for Springfield.
Results from the games played Monday, May 21st.
Oklahoma City 10 at Memphis 3 (10)
A 10th-inning bullpen implosion by the Redbirds resulted in a 10-3 home loss to the Dodgers. Each team has claimed one of the first two games of the series with two contests to play.
Reliever Edward Mujica (L, 2-2) took over pitching duties to begin the 10th with the score tied at two all. Five hits and shortstop Alex Mejia’s first miscue of 2018 later, the game was pretty much out of reach with seven runs allowed, five earned. Mike O’Reilly was brought in to get the final two outs and he did, just not before surrendering a home run that scored Mujica’s last base runner. It was the second long ball served up that inning.
That spoiled a fine effort by starter Ryan Helsley who was making his second Triple-A start of 2018 and his first since being recalled from Springfield. The only damage against Helsley during his seven-inning stint came in the first, when he gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. The Oklahoma native proceeded to set down his next 20 batters, nine on strikeouts. Andrew Morales tossed two scoreless frames, fanning three and walking two.
Memphis (27-19) outhit Oklahoma City, 10 to nine, but went 3-for-17 with runners in scoring position. Two of those hits belonged to Helsley, who was a perfect 2-for-2 with a double and RBI. Oscar Mercado and Ramon Urias both had two hits, as Mercado doubled twice in five at bats with a run scored and RBI. Urias went 2-for-3 and touched home once.
Wednesday’s game: vs. Oklahoma City (28-14) (LAD), 6:35 pm CT, Kevin Herget (1-4, 4.15)
Springfield 3 at Corpus Christi 9
Starter Anthony Shew lasted just four plus frames in his Double-A debut as the S-Cards (23-22) were clobbered by the Hooks, 9-3, the first of three games in Texas between the two squads.
Shew (L, 0-1) took a 3-1 lead into the fifth but did not retire any of the six batters faced that inning. The righty yielded six fifth-inning tallies and nine hits and a base-on-balls overall.
Colton Thomson tossed three scoreless frames, permitting three hits and a walk in his second Double-A appearance. Yeison Medina was touched for two runs on two hits and a free pass in the eighth.
Edmundo Sosa continues to swing a hot bat, singling and doubling in four at bats with a run scored and RBI. It was the fourth straight multi-hit effort by the shortstop.
The final S-Card with more than one of the team’s nine hits was Blake Drake, who went 2-for-4 with a double out of the nine hole. But the left fielder was a tad shaky on the base paths, unsuccessful in his stolen base attempt and picked off another time. Defensively, Drake was credited with an outfield assist at third.
Wednesday’s game: at Corpus Christi (26-19) (HOU), 7:05 pm CT, Conner Greene (4-2, 3.92)
Palm Beach’s (25-17) rally from a 7-0 deficit fell just short, resulting in a one-run defeat to the Flying Tigers. The rubber game of the three-game away series is scheduled for Wednesday.
Five of the seven runs surrendered by Ian Oxnevad (L, 3-4) over five innings were generated by two long balls. Those bombs were part of the seven hits and one base-on-balls permitted. Oxnevad also hit a batter.
Jesus Cruz, Jacob Patterson and Will Latcham shared pitching duties the rest of the way. Cruz struck out three but issued two free passes in 1 1/3, but both runners were stranded after Patterson retired his only batter. Latcham walked one while recording four outs.
Down 7-0 after four, the Beach Birds scored six times over the next three frames. Chase Pinder spearheaded his team’s 12-hit effort, going 3-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and one knocked in.
Six other PB-Cards either generated a multi-hit performance or took part in the scoring. Shane Billings, Dylan Carlson and Johan Mieses each had two hits, Billings in five and the latter two in four at bats.
Wednesday’s game: at Lakeland (20-21) (DET), 6:30 pm ET, Casey Meisner (2-1, 2.25)
Alvaro Seijas and Thomas St. Clair combined on a three-hitter as the Chiefs (23-19) blanked the Snappers, 1-0. The victory evened the road set at one game apiece with two on tap.
Seijas, our Player of the Day, twirled his best outing in eight 2018 starts, limiting Beloit to two hits and a base-on-balls over 6 2/3. The 19-year-old fanned five and threw 60 of his 96 pitches for strikes.
St. Clair (W, 1-2) was lights out in relief, retiring all eight batters faced. It was the sixth consecutive scoreless relief appearance for the right-hander, who struck out three on Tuesday.
Peoria’s offense was held to three hits as well. The game was knotted at zero until Jose Martinez worked a free pass to open the ninth. Scott Hurst’s single put runners at first and second for J.R. Davis, whose 6-4 grounder advanced Martinez to third and forced Hurst at second. A sac fly to center by Yariel Gonzalez brought Martinez home and that was the game.
Wednesday’s game: at Beloit (19-21) (OAK), 6:30 pm CT, Zach Prendergast (4-2, 2.70)
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