photo: Tink Hence (MiLB.TV)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-0 on Wednesday but Springfield’s Tink Hence is injured again. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis RF Matt Koperniak, was 4-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI. Other standouts include César Prieto, Jimmy Crooks, and Benito Garcia.
Results for games played Wednesday, September 11.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Sounds in a 6-3 road win on Wednesday. Sem Robberse started for Memphis. The right-hander pitched four innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, and struck out one.
Connor Thomas relieved Robberse and threw two scoreless innings to earn the win. Victor Santos, Jacob Bosiokovic and Ryan Loutos each tossed a scoreless inning. Loutos received his 17th save.
Memphis took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Mike Antico and Alfonso Rivas walked. César Prieto plated Antico and Rivas on a double.
Prieto provides! pic.twitter.com/B45k5tnYHm
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) September 11, 2024
Nashville came back in the second to take a 3-2 lead. In the fifth, the Redbirds regained the lead at 4-3. Matt Koperniak and Rivas singled. The two later scored on a single by Nick Dunn.
Dunn grabs us the lead! pic.twitter.com/yVF2YCGHY5
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) September 12, 2024
Memphis added a run in the sixth to extend the lead to 5-3. Ramon Mendoza doubled and scored on a throwing error. The Redbirds added a final run in the seventh on a solo home run by Koperniak to lead 6-3.
KOPERNIAK ATTACK!!@HueysRestaurant HOME RUN FOR SOME INSURANCE! pic.twitter.com/clHLOdngkc
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) September 12, 2024
The Redbirds scored six runs on 11 hits. Koperniak was 4-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Dunn plated two.
Memphis is 70-70 on the season, 32-33 in the second half. They are in sixth place in the International League West, 10.5 games back of Columbus.
Thursday’s game: at Nashville, Quinn Mathews LHP (0-1, 5.63) vs. Mitch White (5-4, 4.53) 6:35 CT
Springfield 2 at San Antonio 1
The Double-A Cardinals edged the Missions by a 2-1 score on Wednesday, but the road win was potentially costly.
Right-hander Tink Hence started but left after 1 1/3 innings with an injury. Hence allowed one hit, struck out one, walked one, threw 15 strikes and 14 balls.
After walking a San Antonio batter on four consecutive pitches, Hence was joined by catcher Jimmy Crooks and soon, manager Jose Leger and trainer Alex Wolfinger. After discussion, Hence walked off without assistance.
Hence, The Cardinal Nation’s second-ranked prospect, missed almost two months this summer with either back issues or tightness and pain in his upper chest/shoulder region, depending on which source you reference.
The nature of the current injury is unclear as Wolfinger did not check any area of Hence’s body while on the field.
But what is clear is that the 22-year-old has thrown just 24 innings over eight starts since his late July return and 79 2/3 in total for the season, all as his workload has been carefully managed. Hence’s career remains stuck at Double-A, a level he first reached on July 1, 2023.
Out of the bullpen, Benito Garcia matched a career high as he punched out 8 across 4.2 innings of work tonight. pic.twitter.com/k9pzktMJZd
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) September 12, 2024
Benito Garcia replaced Hence and threw 4 2/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits and fanned eight to earn the win. Andrew Marrero hurled a scoreless seventh. Jack Ralston and Matt Svanson each tossed a scoreless inning. Svanson received his 26th save.
Springfield put up one run in the top of the third. Dakota Harris drew a walk. Nathan Church singled. Jeremy Rivas was hit by a pitch. Jimmy Crooks plated Harris on a sac fly.
San Antonio answered with one run in the home third to tie the game.
The Cardinals scored one run in the sixth to retake the lead 2-1. Crooks doubled and later scored on a force out by Chase Davis.
Springfield scored two runs on nine hits. Crooks was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Church was 3-for-4.
Davis stole two bases. R.J. Yeager made a throwing error.
Springfield is 78-56, 41-24 in the second half. With four games remaining, the 78 wins set a new franchise record.
Thursday’s game: at San Antonio, Alex Cornwell LHP (7-3, 5.01) vs. Henry Baez RHP (4-1, 3.30) 7:05 CT.
Palm Beach and Daytona – Off
Thursday’s game: vs. Daytona, RH Chen-Wei Lin (10-5, 2.79) vs. TBD (Division Series Game 2) 5:30 CT.
In the best of three first round, Palm Beach is up 1-0 with both of the final two games (if necessary) to be played at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday and Friday evenings.
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