photo: Alec Burleson (Peoria Chiefs)
The St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-2 on Saturday with a win by Memphis and two from Palm Beach. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day is once again Memphis left fielder Alec Burleson who went 4-for-5 with two RBI and a stolen base. Other standouts include Luken Baker, Nathanael Heredia, Matt Chamberlain and Jake Burns.
Results from games played Saturday, May 28th.
The Memphis Redbirds (26-21) won in late innings over the Iowa Cubs (CHC, 23-23) on Saturday at AutoZone Park. Starter Johan Oviedo surrendered five runs on five hits and three walks. The right hander fanned eight in 5 1/3 innings.
Iowa opened the scoring with three in the second but the Redbirds responded with two in the home half. Luken Baker and Ben DeLuzio each drove in a run. Down 5-2 in the sixth, Memphis scored eight runs in the sixth through eighth innings.
Alec Burleson plated two and Paul DeJong brought in one to tie the game at 5-5 in the sixth. The Redbirds took the lead in the seventh via a solo shot from Cory Spangenberg. In the eighth, Kramer Robertson ran home on a throwing error and Luken Baker’s double cleared the loaded bases to make the score 10-5.
The bullpen was lights out with no runs and two hits allowed in 3 2/3 innings. Zach McAllister tossed 1 1/3 and gave up two hits and a walk. Brandon Waddell took his second win after a hitless 1 1/3 innings. Blake Parker closed out the game and struck out the side.
Burleson stayed hot with four hits, two RBI and one run scored. He is slashing .360/.394/.584/.978 in May. Spangenberg walked and came across three times. DeLuzio went 3-for-4 and Baker had four RBI. The Redbirds took eight walks and the Cubs were struck out 14 times.
The Redbirds were running on Saturday with six stolen bases. Kramer Robertson and Evan Mendoza each had two. Burleson and Spangenberg both took one.
Sunday’s game: vs. Iowa, TBA vs. TBA 6:35 CT
Springfield 3 at Tulsa 4 (10 innings)
The Springfield Cardinals (18-26) fell to the Tulsa Drillers (LAD, 27-16) in extra innings at ONEOK Field on Saturday. Starter Dalton Roach gave up two runs, one earned, in six innings. The right hander yielded seven hits and struck out four.
With the Cardinals down 2-0 in the seventh, they tied the game. Nick Dunn was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and was followed by a walk from Malcom Nunez. With a tie score after the ninth, the contest went into extra innings.
In the 10th, Justin Toerner drove in Nunez after he was placed on second. The Drillers had two men on with two outs and won the game with a single.
Garrett Williams struck out the side in the seventh inning. Grant Black tossed two scoreless innings with one hit and one walk surrendered. Freddy Pacheco took his fourth loss and second blown save of the season in the 10th inning.
The Cardinals offense only had three hits and three walks in 10 innings. Matt Koperniak, Jordan Walker and Nunez each recorded a hit. The lineup went 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position and struck out 12 times.
Moisés Gómez and Dunn each stole a bag.
Sunday’s game: at Tulsa, RHP Kyle Leahy (2-4, 6.21) vs. LHP John Rooney (2-1, 4.50) 7:05 CT
For the fifth straight game, the Peoria Chiefs (17-27) lost to the Lake County Captains (CLE, 23-20) at Dozer Park. Saturday’s score was 4-1. Starter Austin Love tossed five innings with two runs surrendered on seven hits and two walks. The right hander fanned five and took his fifth loss.
The lone Chiefs run came in the sixth inning via a solo shot off the bat of Todd Lott, his first since rejoining Peoria.
Nathanael Heredia threw three innings with one unearned run given up. The left hander struck out four. Colin Schmid pitched the ninth inning with one unearned run yielded and two walks. The 24-year-old struck out three batters.
The Chiefs walked five times but had only two hits. Thomas Francisco wore the golden sombrero with four strikeouts in four at-bats. Three errors were committed in the infield – from Lott, Francisco Hernandez and Ramon Mendoza.
Hernandez stole a bag and Tommy Jew recorded an outfield assist.
Sunday’s game: vs. Lake County, RHP Logan Gragg (1-4, 5.35) vs. TBA 6:35 CT
Palm Beach 6 at Daytona 5 (7 innings, Game 1)
The Palm Beach Cardinals (16-27) edged the Daytona Tortugas (CIN, 18-25) in Game 1 of the doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Ballpark on Saturday. Starter Bryan Pope surrendered five runs, four earned, in two innings. The right hander struck out three.
With the Beach Birds down 5-0 after the second, they scored six runs over the fourth through sixth innings. Matt Chamberlain brought in two in the fourth and Osvaldo Tovalin hit a three-run shot to tie the game in the fifth. Sander Mora brought in the go-ahead run in the sixth.
Andrew Marrero threw two scoreless innings with three walks, fanning five. Nelfri Contreras recorded his second win after his two innings with one hit and two strikeouts. Roy Garcia pitched the final inning with one hit given up and three strikeouts.
Tovalin brought in three and Chamberlain scored two. Every Cardinal run was scored with two outs.
The Tortugas had a historic game with eight stolen bases against the Beach Birds pitchers and catcher Wade Stauss, four from right fielder Blake Dunn.
Palm Beach 8 at Daytona 4 (7 innings, Game 2)
The Palm Beach Cardinals (17-27) topped the Daytona Tortugas (CIN, 18-26) at Jackie Robinson Ballpark in the doubleheader nightcap. Starter Carlos Guarate surrendered three runs on four hits and a walk in three innings. The 21-year-old fanned four.
Palm Beach had a six-run third inning and added two more over the fourth and fifth. Brady Whalen brought in two and Chamberlain scored one. Jake Burns recorded an RBI double and Brandon Hernandez added two more with a ground-rule double. Chamberlain plated one in the fourth and Burns scored in the fifth after a throwing error.
Hayes Heinecke recorded his first win after one unearned run was given up in 2 2/3 innings. The left hander yielded three hits and struck out five. Alex Cornwell saved his first game with a hitless 1 1/3 innings.
The Beach Birds went 6-for-17 with runners in scoring position and recorded 11 hits. Chamberlain, Tyler Reichenborn and Aaron McKeithan had two hits apiece. Burns reached base four times on two hits and two walks. In fact, every Cardinal reached base at least once.
Sunday’s game: at Daytona, RHP Trent Baker (2-4, 2.34) vs. RHP Alexander Johnson (1-2, 7.64) 4:35
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