photo: Luken Baker (Memphis Redbirds)
On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals system went 3-2. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis’ Luken Baker, doubled, homered and drove in five. Other standouts include Michael McGreevy, Nick Raposo, Noah Mendlinger, Leonardo Bernal, Sammy Hernandez and Justin Guerrero.
Results for the games played on Saturday, May 4.
The Memphis Redbirds (16-15) dominated the Charlotte Knights (13-18, CWS) 9-2 to reach a four-game winning streak on Saturday at Truist Field. Starter Michael McGreevy earned his second win of the year throwing six innings, allowing two runs on five hits while walking one and striking out six.
The Redbirds opened the scoring in the third with two walks and a hit-by-pitch that loaded the bases. Luken Baker’s bases-clearing double produced a 3-0 lead.
Memphis out of the gates first! pic.twitter.com/sYGAuWyiMV
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 4, 2024
A double from Matt Koperniak followed by an RBI double from Nick Raposo in the top of the fourth which extended the Redbirds lead to 4-0.
Don't act too excited, Raposo brings home another!!! pic.twitter.com/B0eM2SK0sJ
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 4, 2024
The Knights cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth with an RBI double and an RBI groundout.
Memphis continued to pull away with Baker’s two-run long ball to left field. After the homer, two singles and an error loaded the bases for Raposo whose two-run double stretched the lead to six.
BAKER BLAST@HueysRestaurant pic.twitter.com/RwfNFHQbMq
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 4, 2024
In the seventh, Koperniak reached on a forceout. He came around to score after the opposing pitcher gave up a single to Jared Young and then threw two wild pitches to make the score 9-2.
Baker went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, five RBI, a walk, and a run scored. Raposo hit 2-for-4 with a double, three RBI, and a walk. Young was 1-for-3 with a walk and scored once. The Redbirds totaled nine runs on nine hits with seven walks and 11 strikeouts.
Victor Santos took home his first save this season, throwing three innings and allowing no runs, one hit, and a walk while striking out four. Memphis gave up two runs on six hits with two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Sunday’s game: at Charlotte, RHP Adam Kloffenstein (0-4, 5.93) vs. TBD 12:05 CT.
Springfield 6 at Tulsa 5 (10 innings)
The Springfield Cardinals (18-8) won a back-and-forth game in extras over the Tulsa Drillers (11-14, LAD) on Saturday at ONEOK Field. Starter Ian Bedell threw five innings, allowing four runs on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts.
The Cardinals struck in the top of the first with a two-RBI single from Mike Antico and Noah Mendlinger’s RBI single to take a 3-0 lead.
Mike Antico gets the scoring started early tonight with a two-run single in the first! pic.twitter.com/ATDAn9Y6Hi
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 5, 2024
The Drillers responded in the second with three straight walks to load the bases, an RBI forceout, and a three-run moonshot to take a 4-3 lead.
Springfield tied it in the third when Matt Lloyd and Antico walked to set up Mendlinger for his second RBI single of the game.
The visitors regained the lead in the fifth with an RBI groundout from Mendlinger to drive in Antico.
Piggyback starter Alex Cornwell took over the mound in the sixth and protected the lead until the bottom of the ninth. In the ninth, he allowed three consecutive singles for Tulsa to tie the game and send it to the 10th.
In the 10th, Lloyd singled to drive in Chris Rotondo who started the inning on second and to give the Cardinals a 6-5 lead.
CLUTCH!
Matt Lloyd comes through with an RBI knock in the top of the tenth to give us the lead right back. pic.twitter.com/QuvhrhwuwA
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 5, 2024
Rehabber Matt Carpenter went 0-for-4 with a HBP, a run scored, and two strikeouts. Mendlinger was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Antico was 2-for-4 with two RBI, a walk, and scored once. The Cardinals totaled six runs on seven hits with six walks and eight strikeouts.
Bryan Torres stole second and third for his 11th and 12th stolen bases this season, but he was caught stealing (at second) for just the second time this season.
Cornwell threw four innings to earn his third win, allowing one run on five hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Andre Granillo earned his third save, throwing one inning, giving up no runs on no hits. Springfield yielded five runs on eight hits while walking three and striking out 11.
Sunday’s game: at Tulsa, RHP Tink Hence (3-0, 2.10) vs. Justin Wrobleski LHP (1-1, 4.76) 1:00 CT.
The Peoria Chiefs were defeated by the Cedar Rapids Kernels 7-4 on Saturday at Rise 2 Greatness Field. Starter Hancel Rincon took his third loss this season, pitching 5 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on six hits with three walks and three strikeouts.
The Kernels struck in the home first with an RBI single and an RBI forceout. They continued to add to their lead in the second with another RBI single.
In the sixth, Rincon was taken out after allowing a walk and a single. Reliever d Nathanael Heredia immediately threw a wild pitch that scored a runner, and after walking the next batter, he threw another wild pitch that allowed another runner to come. Peoria was down 5-0.
Roy Garcia took over the mound in the seventh and gave up a two-run blast to make the score 7-0.
The Chiefs attempted a comeback in the eighth. Leonardo Bernal’s two-RBI single with the bases loaded fueled the rally. Dakota Harris and Osvaldo Tovalin contributed RBI singles to make the score 7-4, but it was not enough.
Harris went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Bernal hit 1-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Tovalin was 1-for-4 with an HBP and an RBI. The Chiefs totaled four runs on five hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts.
Heredia threw 2/3 of an inning, charged with no runs on one hit with a walk, a strikeout, and two wild pitches. Garcia pitched two innings, giving up two runs on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Peoria yielded seven runs on nine hits with seven walks and seven strikeouts.
Sunday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-2, 7.79) vs. Jordan Carr LHP (1-1, 7.11) 1:05 CT.
The Palm Beach Cardinals (15-11) fell to the Daytona Tortugas (16-10, CIN) 7-5 with 28 total strikeouts by both teams on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Starter Jose Davila took his second loss this season to drop his record to 1-2, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking two and striking out seven.
The Tortugas led off with two singles and a sacrifice fly in the first to take an early 1-0 lead.
An RBI double and an RBI single in the second, along with another RBI single in the top of the fourth made the score 4-0 for the visitors.
In the bottom of the fourth, Jose Cordoba’s RBI double to left drove in Miguel Villarroel to put Palm Beach on the board and bring the deficit down to three.
Daytona added another insurance run in the sixth with an RBI single to center. Benjamin Arias took over to finish off the sixth and pitched through the seventh. The Tortugas continued to pull away in the top of the seventh with a two-run bomb to right field that brought in the eventual game-winning run.
Down 7-1, Palm Beach attempted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh. After a single and a walk, Lizandro Espinoza’s RBI single scored Luis Piño. Another walk loaded the bases for Sammy Hernandez, whose two RBI double continued the rally. Cordoba’s sacrifice fly closed the gap to 7-5 but the scoring ended there.
Hernandez went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Cordoba was 1-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Espinoza went 1-for-3 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored. The Cardinals totaled five runs on seven hits with eight walks and 15 strikeouts.
Ettore Giulianelli threw an inning, allowing no runs on one hit with two walks and three strikeouts. Angel Cuenca pitched one inning, giving up no runs and no hits with a strikeout. Palm Beach yielded seven runs on 11 hits with four walks and 13 strikeouts.
Sunday’s game: vs. Daytona, RH Chen-Wei Lin (2-1, 1.64) vs. TBD 11:00 CT.
On Saturday’s Opening Day, the Florida Complex League Cardinals (1-0) defeated the FCL Mets (0-1, NYM) 6-4 at the Roger Dean Stadium Complex. Starter Leonel Sequera threw three innings, giving up two runs on three hits with one walk and two strikeouts.
The Mets struck first in the third with two singles and a walk to load the bases. A groundout and a sacrifice fly drove in two runs.
Justin Guerrero’s three-run homer to left in the fourth gave the Cardinals a 3-2 lead. The Cardinals added an extra insurance run in the fifth. Yancel Guerrero doubled to lead off the inning and later scored on a wild pitch.
Reliever Samuel Fabian entered the game in the sixth and allowed a solo home run in the top of the seventh to cut the Cardinals lead to one.
Yordalin Pena’s double brought Ramos home to regain the two-run lead.
Hunter Hayes took over in the top of the eighth, and after allowing runners to reach the corners, a pickoff attempt and a throwing error from first baseman Justin Guerrero, allowed the runner on third to come home. The home team took the insurance run back in the bottom half of the eighth. Justin Guerrero singled, Arfeni Batista pinch-ran for him, and Samil De La Rosa’s RBI double brought him home.
Justin Guerrero went 2-for-4 including a home run, three RBI, and a run scored. De La Rosa was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI. Pena was 1-for-3 with a double, an RBI, and a walk. The Cardinals totaled six runs on eight hits with four walks and 10 strikeouts.
In the field, Heriberto Caraballo allowed a runner to reach first on a catcher’s interference. De La Rosa and Justin Guerrero committed a fielding error.
Yordy Herrera earned the win, pitching one inning, allowing no runs and no hits while walking one and striking out three. Ronny Oliver threw a scoreless inning, giving up a hit and two walks while striking out one. Hayes earned his first save, throwing two innings, yielding one run, none earned, on one hit while walking one and striking out two. The Cardinals allowed four runs, three earned, on eight hits with five walks and 10 strikeouts.
Sunday’s game: The league is off Sundays.
Monday’s game: at FCL Marlins, TBD vs. TBD 11:00 CT.
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