Cardinals Minor League Notebook – May 23, 2021

photo: Evan Mendoza (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Saturday.  Our Player of the Day is Memphis shortstop Evan Mendoza, who was 3-for-4 and drove in the Redbirds’ walk off run in the 10th inning. Palm Beach also prevailed on a walk-off hit by Jacob Buchberger.

Results for games played Saturday, May 22.

Memphis 3, Louisville 2 (10 innings)

The Redbirds (8-9) defeated the Bats in another late inning rally, this time a 10th-inning walk off by Evan Mendoza, on Saturday night at AutoZone Park.  Memphis came back from a 2-0 deficit in the eighth to tie the game and ultimately send it to extras.

Louisville got on the board 1-0 in the third inning off Redbirds starter Tommy Parsons. The right hander remained on the mound for seven innings and gave up two runs on five hits.  The second run scored in the seventh and Memphis had a two-run deficit to make up.

Evan Mendoza

The Redbirds finally got on the board in the eighth.  Mendoza singled to left. Kramer Robertson followed with a blistering triple to center that plated Mendoza. Lars Nootbaar singled to left to score Robertson and the game was tied 2-2.

Louisville didn’t score in the 10th and in the bottom of the frame, with Rayder Ascanio at second base, Mendoza singled to bring Ascanio home for the 3-2 walk off win.

Evan Kruczynski, who pitched the 10th, earned the win, his first of the season.  Player of the Day Mendoza was 3-for-4 in the game with an RBI and his fourth steal of the season. Nootbaar was caught stealing for the first time.  Connor Capel had an outfield assist at second base.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Louisville, Angel Rondon RHP (0-2, 7.98) v. TBD 2:05 CT.

Springfield 5, NW Arkansas 6

The Cardinals (3-13) were edged by the Nationals at Hammons Field on Saturday night in a game that was a nail biter until the end.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Delvin Perez led off with a single and later scored on Alec Burleson’s double.  The Naturals scored a run to tie in the top of the second and took a 2-1 lead in the top of the third against Andre Pallante. Springfield’s starter yielded two runs, one earned, over five innings.

The Cardinals knotted it up 2-2 in the bottom of the fifth. Perez walked and Ivan Herrera singled.  Burleson drew a walk.  With the bases loaded, the Naturals catcher attempted to back pick Burleson off first base.  Burleson was safe, but during the play, Perez took off and the throw from the first baseman to home was wide. Perez was safe and the game was tied at 2-2.

Delvin Perez

In the sixth, the Naturals scored to make it 3-2 against reliever Dalton Roach, but the Cardinals would have none of it and retied the game in the bottom of the inning. Nick Plummer doubled and later scored on a wild pitch.

NW Arkansas re-captured the lead in the seventh off Roach.  Springfield answered again with two runs in the bottom half of the frame on a two-run home run by Plummer.  The Cardinals lead 5-4.

Roach surrendered two more runs to the Naturals in the top of the eighth.  This time the Redbirds were unable to counter and the Naturals won 6-5.

Perez went 3-for-4 with two runs scored.  Plummer was 2-for 4 with two RBI and Luken Baker was also 2-for-4.  Roach took the loss, his second of the season.

Perez stole his third base of the season and was also picked off first base.  Burleson and Pallante each made throwing errors.

Sunday’s game:  vs. NW Arkansas, Connor Thomas (0-1, 2.76) LHP vs. Jonathan Bowlan RHP (2-0, 1.65) 1:35 CT.

Peoria 0, Quad Cities 8

The Chiefs (6-11) were blanked by the River Bandits 8-0 at Dozer Park on Saturday night. Peoria was essentially not in the game for the entire nine innings as far as the offense was concerned.

Specifically, the Chiefs managed just four hits.  Twice Peoria had a runner in scoring position; Cristhian Longa doubled in the third and Tyler Reichenborn doubled in the fifth and both times they were left stranded.  Peoria batters struck out 15 times and not a one walked.

The pitching side was no batter as starter Nathanael Heredia did not make it out of the first inning.  He gave up four runs on two hits and two walks and took his second loss of the season.  Michael Brettell relieved Heredia and surrendered two runs in 3 1/3 innings pitched.  Cole Aker and Evan Sisk each yielded a run in their relief appearances.  Leonardo Taveras tossed two scoreless innings.

Sunday’s game:  vs. Quad Cities, Jack Ralston (0-1, 2.61) RHP vs. Drew Parrish (1-0, 0.00) 1:35 CT.

Palm Beach 6, St. Lucie 5

Just like their Triple-A counterparts, the Palm Beach Cardinals (6-11) celebrated a walk off win at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday night. This game was different in that the Cardinals led for most of the night before the visitors closed the gap.

The Beach Birds put up the first run in the first inning.  Masyn Winn drew a walk and L.J. Jones singled to center sending Winn to third base. A wild pitch sent Winn home.

The Cardinals added to their lead in the second with three runs to make it 4-0.  Franklin Soto led off with a single, Matt Koperniak doubled to left, and Terry Fuller drew a walk to load the bases. Roblin Heredia plated Soto on a single. Koperniak scored on a sac fly by Winn, and Fuller raced home on a wild pitch.

Palm Beach starter Levi Prater went 4 2/3 innings, allowing no hits, but walked five. The left-hander fanned nine.

Levi Prater

The score remained 4-0 until the top of the seventh.  St. Lucie put up three runs off reliever Angel Cuenca to cut the lead to 4-3. In the eighth, Cardinals reliever Reinys Portillo surrendered two runs as the Mets took a 5-4 lead.  Portillo was charged with the blown save.

The Beach Birds answered in the bottom of the ninth.  Heredia singled and Winn walked.  Heredia was eliminated on a force out at third with Jones hitting, but Carlos Soto followed with a single to plate Winn and tie the game.  Jacob Buchberger hit the walk off single that scored Jones.

Jacob Buchberger

Will Guay was the pitcher of record in the ninth and received the win, his first of the season.  The four Palm Beach pitchers issued 12 walks but struck out 16.

Koperniak and Heredia both went 2-for-4. Heredia, Winn, Buchberger, and Soto each had an RBI and Winn scored twice.  Koperniak had a stolen base, his first of the season.

Sunday’s game:  vs. St. Lucie, Ludwin Jimenez RHP (0-1 5.63) vs. Austin Faith RHP (2-1, 3.24) 11:00 am CT.


For more

To track the status of the Cardinals’ 40-man roster as well as all players in the system by position and level, check out the Roster Matrix, always free and updated here at The Cardinal Nation. Also included is every player transaction across the full organization all year long.


Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Memphis Redbirds Notebook – 2021 Week 2


Now Available – 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide

Now available, The Cardinal Nation 2021 Prospect Guide is back for a fourth year. It includes over 250 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of color photos.

TCN’s 2021 Cardinals Prospect Guide – Now Available!


Not yet a member?

Join The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Follow Marilyn Green on Twitter @Marilyncolor.

© 2021 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.