photo: Lars Nootbaar (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals’ minors went 0-for-Sunday as all four teams went down to defeat by a collective 34-14 margin. Player of the Day Lars Nootbaar blasted two home runs for Memphis, which claimed its first series win of 2021 despite Sunday’s loss.
Results from games played Sunday, May 23rd.
The Redbirds were outpitched and outhit in their 8-3 loss to Louisville (CIN) (8-12) at AutoZone Park. Despite the Sunday defeat, Memphis (8-10) claimed the week’s series, four games to two.
Matthew Liberatore’s four-inning stint consisted of two frames of shutout ball followed by four runs yielded on five hits and a walk. Most damaging was a two-run home run.
Garrett Williams was tagged for four runs, two earned, on three hits and a base-on-balls in 1 1/3 innings. Both Liberatore and Williams hit a batter.
Connor Jones recorded four outs but allowed Williams’ final runner to score on a hit and walk. Alex FaGalde worked around a hit a free pass issued for a clean eighth. Seth Elledge faced the minimum in the ninth in his first appearance since being reassigned from St. Louis.
Player of the Day Lars Nootbaar provided most of his squad’s offense, going 2-for-3 with two solo shots and a base-on-balls. The center fielder has hit safely in six of his last seven games and nine of his most recent 11 contests.
Back ✌️ back 💣 💣
First, Kramer Robertson…then, Lars Nootbaar!
(Lars has two homers today and four this week, btw) pic.twitter.com/08OWFcOpPE
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 23, 2021
The Redbirds’ third tally was generated by Kramer Robertson, who went yard immediately after Nootbaar’ second blast. It was the second baseman’s only hit in four at bats and one of the team’s five hits in all.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: at Gwinnett (ATL) (9-9), 7:05 pm ET, Bernardo Flores, Jr (2-0, 1.38)
Springfield 5 vs. Northwest Arkansas 12
S-Cards’ hurlers put the team in a hole from which they could not dig out as they were thrashed 12-5 by Northwest Arkansas (KC) (9-7). Springfield (3-14) won only one of the six-game home series with one contest postponed.
Connor Thomas (L, 0-2) gave up four runs before Springfield took the field, accounting for four of the eight tallies, six earned, yielded in four plus frames. Three of the 10 hits allowed by the lefty were solo shots to go with two free passes issued.
The only hit permitted by Ramon Santos during his two innings on the mound was a long ball scoring Thomas’ last two base runners. The Naturals’ three-run seventh was charged to Jacob Bosiokovic who allowed three hits and walked one.
Neither Grant Black nor Jake Walsh were scored upon during their inning of work, the former issuing a free pass and the latter allowing a hit. Walsh is one of the few bright lights in the S-Cards bullpen, having not yet been scored upon this season over 10 innings covering six appearances.
Yep, ez gone!@budweiserusa x #BudweiserUSA pic.twitter.com/bqP8uhIrka
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 23, 2021
Three of the home team’s five scores were generated by Juan Yepez’ bomb, his only hit in four at bats and the only one of the team’s eight hits to go for extra bases. Three Springfield players garnered two hits each: Delvin Perez, Alec Burleson and Luken Baker. All three touched home once with Baker adding a walk and RBI.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: at Wichita (MN) (11-7), 7:05 pm CT, TBA
Three late runs proved to be the difference in the Chiefs’ 5-2 Sunday loss to Quad Cities (KC) (13-4). Peoria (6-12) claimed just one of the six-game home set versus their division leader.
Starter Jack Ralston was tagged for his second loss in as many decisions, giving up two runs on three hits, two walks and a plunked batter in four frames. Logan Gragg kept the River Bandits off the board, permitting two hits and two walks against eight batters retired.
Freddy Pacheco recorded the seventh’s last out, leaving one inherited runner stranded, but served up two long balls encompassing three eighth-inning tallies. Wilfredo Pereira issued a free pass in the ninth.
Peoria was held scoreless until the home half of the eighth when center fielder Matt Chamberlain launched his first home run as a professional. It came with Cristhian Longa (single) on base and was his only hit in three at bats. The Chiefs mustered five total hits.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: at Beloit (MIA) (10-8), 6:35 pm CT, TBA
A five-run ninth transformed a competitive game into a decisive home 9-4 Beach Birds’ defeat. In fact, Palm Beach (6-12) was swept by St. Lucie (NYM) (13-5).
Ludwin Jimenez (L, 0-2) did not finish the fourth, permitting an unearned tally on three hits and four bases-on-balls over 3 2/3 frames. His was the best pitching effort by Beach Birds’ hurlers as the bullpen combined to give up eight more tallies over the final 5 1/3 innings.
Jose Moreno served up a three-run bomb comprising one of four hits and two walks against six strikeouts in 2 1/3 frames. He stranded two inherited runners.
Francisco Justo tossed two clean frames but could not record a ninth-inning out. The righty was tagged for four tallies on four hits and a walk. Three of his runners scored with Luis Ortiz on the mound. Ortiz yielded a run of his own on three hits.
Missing top prospect Jordan Walker’s bat for the third straight game, Palm Beach put together two-run sixth and ninth innings. Carlos Soto and Donivan Williams had two hits apiece but were separated by five teammates in the batting order. Both players singled twice in four at bats with a run scored. Soto added a walk and an RBI. Three Beach Birds had one hit each.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: at Bradenton (PIT) (9-9), 6:05 pm ET, TBA
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