Cardinals Minor League Notebook – September 5, 2021

photo: Cardinals Dominican Academy (St. Louis Cardinals)

The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-7 in seven games on Saturday.  TCN’s Player of the Day, DSL Red left fielder Felix Taveras, was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored in the DSL Blue win over the Red.  Honorable Mention goes to Peoria catcher Pedro Pages, who was 4-for-5 with a two-run home run and three RBI.

Results from games played Saturday, September 4.

Memphis 3 at Gwinnett 5 (Game 1)

The Redbirds fell to the Gwinnett Stripers in the first game of a twin bill on Saturday at Coolray Field.  This was the completion of the suspended game from Friday.

Memphis got on the board first with a run in the first inning.  Nick Plummer drew a walk and Kramer Robertson singled.  Juan Yepez singled to score Plummer.  The Redbirds took a 2-0 lead in the third when Nolan Gorman doubled and came home on a wild pitch.

Gwinnett came back to score four runs in the fifth to take a 4-2 lead. The Stripers added a fifth run in the seventh.  Memphis attempted to rally in the ninth but was only able to scratch one run across the plate.  Conner Capel singled and scored on a ground rule double by Brendan Donovan.  The rally fell short and the Stripers took home the victory.

Gorman and Donovan were 2-for-4. Donovan had an RBI and Gorman scored one run.

Brendan Donovan

Johan Oviedo got the start for Memphis and pitched 3 2/3 innings scoreless innings, allowed two hits, fanned three and walked one.  New Redbird Ramon Santos surrendered four runs in the fifth and took the loss.  Connor Jones tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.  Evan Kruczynski yielded a run in his two innings to finish.

On the base paths, Robertson stole his 10th base of the season.  In the field, Kruczynski picked a runner off first base.

Memphis 2 at Gwinnett 5 (seven innings, Game 2)

The Redbirds lost to Gwinnett 5-2 in the seven-inning Game 2.  Starter Connor Thomas pitched six innings and gave up five runs, one earned, on six hits, fanned four and walked two.  Thomas took the loss, his third of the season.

As in the opener, Memphis took the early lead with two runs in the second inning.  Conner Capel singled, and Brendan Donovan singled.  Thomas reached on an error and Capel scored.  Nick Plummer singled to plate Donovan.

Gwinnett put up the crooked number again, this time in the third inning.  A fielding error by shortstop Evan Mendoza with two outs led to one run on an RBI single with a three-run home run to follow.  The Stripers added their fifth run in the fifth inning.

Kramer Robertson was 2-for-3 as the only Redbird with multiple hits.

Kramer Robertson

In the field, Mendoza had the fielding error and Donovan had a missed catch error.  Clint Coulter had a passed ball.

Memphis is 50-57 on the season and sits in fifth place in the Triple-A East Southeast Division, 18.5 games back of first place Durham.

Sunday’s game:  at Gwinnett, T.J. Zeuch RHP (2-3, 4.75) vs. TBD 12:05 CT.

Springfield 3 at Tulsa 15

In an odd series in Tulsa, Springfield pitching yielded 15 runs in a loss for the second time this week, but in the other three contests, the Cardinals plated a total of 30 runs.

On Saturday night at ONEOK Field, the Cardinals were shellacked by the Tulsa Drillers, 15-3.  The Drillers scored all their runs after the Cardinals took an early 2-0 lead.

Malcom Nuñez

In the top of the second, Malcom Nunez blasted a two-run home run.  The Cardinals did not score again until the ninth inning. In between, Tulsa plated five runs in the second, three in the fourth, five in the fifth and one run each in the seventh and eighth off.

In the top of the ninth, with Springfield behind 15-2, Luken Baker doubled and scored on a force out by Julio Rodriguez.

Nunez went 2-for-4 with two RBI as the only Cardinal with multiple hits. Doubles by Matt Koperniak and Baker were the only other extra base hits.

Starter Kevin McGovern pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up eight runs, six earned, on six hits, struck out three and walked four.  Alex FaGalde surrendered five unearned runs in 1 1/3 innings of relief.  Salvador Justo yielded one run in two innings pitched.  Jake Walsh gave up one run in the eighth.  McGovern took the loss, his fifth of the season.

Chandler Redmond, and Nick Dunn both made fielding errors.

Springfield is 40-67 and is in last place in the Double-A Central North Division, 22 games back of first place Wichita.

Sunday’s game:  at Tulsa, Michael Brettell RHP (1-4, 7.45) vs. TBD 6:05 CT.

Peoria 6 at West Michigan 7

The Chiefs were topped by the West Michigan Whitecaps in a Saturday night contest at LMCU Ballpark.  Peoria starter Michael YaSenka pitched 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs, five earned, on six hits, struck out three and walked two.  Colin Schmid surrendered one run in 2 1/3 innings of relief to take the loss, his first since joining the club.  Fabian Blanco and Jack Ralston each tossed a scoreless inning.

The Chiefs went up 2-0 in the first on a two-run home by Pedro Pages.  West Michigan answered with their own two-run home run in the home half of the first.  The Whitecaps added a run in the second to take a 3-2 lead.

Peoria tied it up 3-3 in the third on singles by Jhon Torres and Pages, followed by a sac fly by Todd Lott.  West Michigan wasted no time in the bottom of the third to regain the lead 4-3.  The Whitecaps widened their edge to 6-3 in the fourth.

The Chiefs knotted it up for the second time with a three-run fifth inning.  Torres singled and Pages doubled to score Torres.  Lott doubled and Pages scored.  Lott scored on a sac fly by Matt Chamberlain.

West Michigan went up 7-6 in the sixth.  Neither team scored in the final 2 ½ innings.

Pages was 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored.  Torres was 2-for-5.

Pedro Pages

On the base paths, Lott, and Francisco Hernandez each stole a base. In the field, Pages and Masyn Winn each had a throwing error.  Jacob Buchberger had a fielding miscue.  Tyler Reichenborn earned an outfield assist at home.

Peoria is 40-67 and is in last place in the High-A Central West Division, 30 games back of first place Quad Cities.

Sunday’s game:  at West Michigan, Logan Gragg RHP (2-5, 4.82) vs. Austin Bergner RHP (3-0, 2.82) 5:00 CT.

Palm Beach 0 at Dunedin 8

The Cardinals were blanked by the Blue Jays 8-0 on Saturday night at TD Ballpark.  The Beach Birds offense managed only three hits, with a double by Thomas Francisco the only extra base hit.

Starter Ludwin Jimenez pitched 4 1/3 innings and gave up all eight runs on eight hits, struck out four and walked two to take his eighth loss of the season.  Nathanael Heredia tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief.  Edwin Nunez added a scoreless eighth, a welcome sight after the 19-year-old had yielded 13 runs over his last three relief appearances.

Nathanael Heredia

Palm Beach had its best scoring opportunity in the fourth when Francisco doubled, and Carlos Soto drew a walk.  Aaron McKeithan flied out to center and Noah Mendlinger grounded out to end the threat.

Palm Beach is 32-72 on the season and stands in last place in the Low-A Southeast East Division, 23.5 games back of first place Jupiter.

Sunday’s game:  at Dunedin, Dionys Rodriguez (3-5, 3.93) vs. TBD 12:00 CT.

FCL Cardinals 1 at FCL Marlins 6

The Cardinals (22-22) fell to the Marlins in a Saturday contest in Jupiter.  Starter Reinys Portillo pitched 2 2/3 innings and gave up five runs, two earned, on two hits, struck out one and walked five.  Bryan Pope relieved and tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Johan Quezada, Hector Soto, Trent Baker, and Omar Sanchez each contributed a scoreless inning of relief.  Portillo took the loss, his fifth of the season.

Bryan Pope

The Cardinals fell behind early and were held scoreless until the fifth inning.  The Cardinals cut the lead to 5-1 after Joshua Baez reached on an error and advanced all the way to third base.  The center fielder scored on a wild pitch.

The Cardinals offense scored one run on five hits.  Adanson Cruz was 2-for-4 as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.

On the base paths, Brady Whalen stole his first base.  In the field, Roblin Heredia dropped a foul ball. Jeremy Rivas made a throwing and a fielding error.  Cruz had an outfield assist at home.  Portillo, Heredia, and Baker each picked a runner off first base.

Sunday’s game:  No game scheduled.

DSL Cardinals Blue 6, DSL Cardinals Red 9

The Cardinals Blue (12-26) were defeated by their sister team the Cardinals Red (17-18) by the score of 9-6 in a Saturday morning contest. Red took the early lead and never relinquished it.

Blue starter Randel Clemente pitched three innings, gave up five runs on four hits, and walked one to take the loss, his fifth of the season.  Carlos De La Cruz relieved and surrendered one run in 1/3 innings pitched. Juan Peralta tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.  Alexander Beltre yielded one run in two innings of relief.  Oliver Lopez threw a scoreless eighth.  Alejandro Cervantes gave up two runs in the ninth.

Red starter Juan Severino pitched two innings, gave up one run on two hits, and walked one.  Samuel Fabian surrendered one run in the third.  Eduar Pimentel yielded two runs in two innings pitched.  Augusto Calderon allowed one run in his two innings of work. Americo Lugo gave up one run in the final two innings to earn the win, his second of the season.

The offense of Cardinals Red put up three runs in the first inning.  Elias Reynoso led off with a double, advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored on a wild pitch.  Samil De La Rosa drew a walk but was eliminated on a force out by Carlos Carmoso.  Carmoso stole second base, then advanced to third on a wild pitch.  Felix Taveras doubled to plate Carmoso.  Taveras later stole home to score the third run of the inning.

Cardinals Blue cut the lead to 3-1 in the home half of the first on a double by Maycol Justo, who later came home on a sac fly by Jose Cordoba.  Red added two more runs in the third on two solo home runs by Taveras and Jeremy Ramos.  Cordoba hit a solo home run in the bottom of the third to make it 5-2.

Both teams scored in the fourth.  Red increased the lead to 6-2 when Marcelo Perez singled and later scored on a sac fly by Carmona.  In the bottom frame of the fourth, Diego Velasquez walked and Christian Avendano was hit by a pitch.  Velasquez advanced to third and then stole home to score the first run of the inning.  Avendano scored on a single by Cordoba.  Red led 6-4.

In the sixth, Maikel Hernandez doubled and scored on a throwing error for Red.  Blue scored in the bottom of the sixth on a solo home run by Velazquez.  The score was 7-5 in favor of Red.

Blue made it 7-6 in the eighth.  Yancel Guerrero tripled and scored on a dropped third strike.  In the ninth, Taveras hit a two-run home run to give Red the 9-6 win.

Felix Taveras

Taveras was 3-for-5 with four RBI and three runs scored.  For Blue, Cordoba was 2-for-4 with three RBI.

On the base paths, Carmona, Lizandro Espinoza, Taveras, and Reynoso each stole a base.  For Blue, Avenando and Velasquez both stole a base, and Cordoba was caught stealing.

In the field for Blue, Velasquez made a throwing error and Fernando Diaz had a missed catch error.

Sunday’s game:  No game scheduled.


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