Photo: Luken Baker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
It was an 0-fer day in St Louis’ minors on Sunday with all four teams going down to defeat. Luken Baker’s grand slam for Springfield was one of the bright spots as was teammate Ivan Herrera’s three-hit effort.
Results from games played Sunday, May 30th
A short start, faltering bullpen and ineffective offense resulted in the Redbirds’ 5-0 defeat to Gwinnett (ATL)(13-10) at Coolray Field. Memphis (9-14) won just one of the six-game road series, sitting fifth in the six-team Southeast Division, 9 ½ behind Nashville (MIL).
Angel Rondon’s (L, 0-3) fifth start lasted just four frames despite the righty yielding just an unearned tally on three hits and two walks. Trailing 1-0 in the top of the fifth and facing a two on/none out opportunity, Memphis manager Ben Johnson elected to pull Rondon for a pinch hitter but the move generated no positive results.
What a time for our #SLRRRP second strikeout of the game!
Angel Rondón blows it by Kyle Wright and a runner is stranded at second 😤 pic.twitter.com/PBB72bwE0i
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 30, 2021
The Stripers jumped on the Redbirds’ bullpen for four more tallies, beginning with reliever Bernardo Flores Jr. Flores was tagged for three runs on three hits and a whopping five free passes issued over 2 1/3 innings.
Evan Kruczynski walked one and retired two, stranding two inherited runners. But Connor Jones surrendered a home run with the bases empty in his inning on the mound.
The sole Memphis player with more than one of the team’s six hits was Conner Capel who singled and doubled in four at bats, batting clean up. The right fielder was caught stealing in his only attempt.
Third baseman Irving Lopez reached base twice, going 1-for-3 with a base-on-balls in the eight slot. Defensively, Lopez was charged with a fielding error, his first miscue overall.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: vs Toledo (DET)(10-12), 6:10 pm CT, TBA
The S-Cards could not hold an early lead, falling to the Wind Surge at Riverfront Stadium 6-5. Springfield (6-17) and Wichita (14-10)(MN) split the six-game series. The S-Cards, who are in fifth place in the five-team North Division of the Double-A Central, trail Tulsa (LAD) by 7 ½ games.
The contest got off to a bang when Player of the Day Luken Baker smashed a grand slam, scoring Nick Plummer (walk), Ivan Herrera (single) and Juan Yepez (catcher’s interference). The home run was Baker’s only hit in two at bats although the first baseman did work two base-on-balls.
Rake and Baker! 🍰
Luken Baker just sent a 1st-inning grand slam 420 feet 💪 pic.twitter.com/idWSsJ6pLe
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 30, 2021
Wichita crept back into the game with single scores off starter Kyle Leahy in three of the initial four frames. After the visitors added a fifth-inning tally, Leahy did not retire any of his four batters faced in the home half of the frame, leading to his departure.
The Colorado native allowed four runs on seven hits and three walks with six strikeouts in four plus innings.
Michael Brettell kept the score at 5-4 Springfield by negotiating around a bases-loaded with no outs jam. However, Brettell gave up a solo long ball in his third and final inning of work, one of two hits permitted.
Jake Walsh (L, 2-1) surrendered the game difference in the eighth via a double, two walks (one intentional) and a run-scoring wild pitch.
Springfield banged out nine hits led by Herrera who went 3-for-4 with a double, base-on-balls and two runs scored before being ejected in the ninth. The only other S-Card with a multi-hit effort was Yepez who singled twice in three at bats, touching home once.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: vs San Antonio (SD)(11-12), 6:35 pm CT, TBA
The Chiefs could not overcome an early deficit in their 7-3 loss at Beloit (MIA)(13-11). Peoria (9-15) won three of their six-game set, and are in sixth place in the six-team West Division, 6 ½ games in back of Quad Cities (KC).
Connor Lunn took the loss, his first in two decisions, yielding four tallies on six hits and a walk in five plus frames. The right-hander fanned seven.
Lunn’s last two runs scored under Fabian Blanco’s watch via a one-out single and a sac bunt. It was the only hit allowed by Blanco during his inning of work to go with three strikeouts. Wilfredo Pereira served up two solo shots constituting two of the three runs charged to him on three hits plus a plunked batter in two frames.
Down 2-0 through four, Peoria put up single tallies in each of the next two frames for a brief 2-2 tie at the sixth’s midpoint. The Chiefs added a final run in the eighth, temporarily closing the deficit to 5-3.
Six Chiefs had one hit apiece with another two players reaching base via a base-on-balls. Tyler Reichenborn launched his second bomb of 2021 while Brady Whalen doubled in a run. It was the only hit in four at bats for both players.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: at third-place Wisconsin (MIL)(12-11), 7:05 pm CT, TBA
Starter John Beller retired just two batters while four of his six successors were scored upon as the Beach Birds were thumped by The Marauders 13-1. Fourth-place Palm Beach (6-18) suffered a series’ sweep by Bradenton (PIT)(15-9) and sits firmly in last place in the Southeast Division, nine games in back of St Lucie (NYM).
Beller (L, 0-2) permitted four runs on four hits and two walks, two of the tallies coming from a long ball. He threw 14 of his 33 pitches for strikes.
Righty Will Guay recorded the first’s last out, leaving Beller’s final two runners on base. But the 24-year-old yielded a solo shot, one of two hits allowed along with a walk during his 2 1/3 innings.
Edwin Nunez tossed a clean fourth with one free pass issued, bouncing back from a horrific May 25th appearance in which Bradenton tagged him for 10 runs on eight hits and two base-on-balls in two frames.
Luis Tena pitched the fifth, giving up three runs on two doubles, a triple and wild pitch.
Yordy Richard ‘outdid’ Tena by permitting three tallies in just 2/3 of an inning. The 18-year-old yielded two hits and issued three free passes.
Reinys Portillo negated further damage by stranding three of Richard’s base runners but was tagged for two scores via a hit and four walks the next inning. Luis Ortiz retired all four batters faced, stranding three inherited runners.
Palm Beach managed just five hits and their only run was unearned due to a two-base throwing error by Bradenton’s center fielder. Catcher Roblin Heredia’s single up the middle ended up with him on third. Masyn Winn’s fourth double of 2021 drove in Heredia easily. The shortstop added his 11th stolen base, tying him for third in the league in that category.
Monday’s game: There are no scheduled MiLB games on Mondays this season
Tuesday’s game: vs second-place (tie) Jupiter (MIA) (12-12), 6:30 pm ET, TBA
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