Another Wild Night Down on the Farm
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Farm Report: Memphis Splits, Springfield Swept, Palm Beach Slides
St. Louis, Mo. — By Ray Mileur
The St. Louis Cardinals' farm system had another uneven night on Wednesday, with one club holding steady atop its division, another enduring a difficult doubleheader sweep, one postponed by weather, and Palm Beach dropping its third straight.
There was good, bad, and ugly — pretty much the full baseball menu.
Memphis Redbirds (18-10) — Split Doubleheader, Remain in First
At Triple-A, the Memphis Redbirds opened their series against the Indianapolis Indians with a split on Wednesday at AutoZone Park, taking Game 1 by a 3-0 shutout before falling 9-0 in Game 2.
Game 1 belonged to veteran left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, who delivered 5 1/3 scoreless innings, scattering five hits, striking out seven and issuing no walks in one of Memphis’ sharper pitching performances of the season. Max Rajcic closed it out, escaping a bases-loaded jam in the sixth with a double-play ball before finishing off the shutout for his second save.
The big swing came off the bat of Bligh Madris, whose 430-foot, two-run homer in the third inning—his fourth of the season—gave Memphis breathing room and ultimately all the offense it needed.
Game two was a different story. After holding Indianapolis scoreless for 11 innings across the doubleheader, the Indians broke through for five runs in the fifth inning en route to a 9-0 victory. Still, there was encouragement from Hancel Rincón, who turned in four scoreless innings in a spot start, allowing just three hits while striking out five without a walk.
Even with the split, Memphis remains one game ahead of Gwinnett in the International League standings and continues to hold first-place — territory they haven’t surrendered all season.
Springfield Cardinals (7-16) — Rough Day in Northwest Arkansas
The Springfield Cardinals continue to search for traction.
Springfield dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals, losing 4-2 in both contests.
In Game 1, Springfield battled early, but Northwest Arkansas broke a 2-2 tie with a decisive two-run single in the sixth inning.
Game 2 proved even more frustrating as Naturals starter Felix Arronde spun five no-hit innings, completely silencing Springfield’s bats and setting the tone for another 4-2 defeat.
At 7-16, Springfield remains mired near the bottom of the Texas League standings and badly needs a spark — either from the mound, the lineup, or preferably both.
Peoria Chiefs (10-11) — Rain Wins Again
Mother Nature claimed Peoria’s scheduled game Wednesday night.
The Peoria Chiefs and the Great Lakes Loons were postponed due to inclement weather in Midland, Michigan.
The two clubs will make it up on Thursday with a seven-inning doubleheader.
Sometimes the best ERA on the farm belongs to rain clouds.
Palm Beach Cardinals (15-8) — Skid Reaches Three
The Palm Beach Cardinals dropped their third straight game Wednesday night, falling 11-6 to the Clearwater Threshers in Jupiter.
Palm Beach dug itself an early hole and never fully recovered.
Starter Jack Martinez lasted just 2 2/3 innings, allowing six runs (three earned) as Clearwater’s offense kept piling on late.
There were some bright spots:
• Jonathan Mejia drove in four runs, including a two-run double and a two-run single late
• Yordalin Peña continued to show speed, collecting a hit and stealing another base
• Antoni Cuello provided quality relief, tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings
Still, walks, defensive miscues, and a crooked-number eighth inning put the game out of reach.
Palm Beach remains in first place, but what once looked like smooth sailing has hit choppy water.
The Wrap
Memphis keeps winning enough to stay on top.
Springfield keeps grinding through hard times.
Peoria waits on weather.
Palm Beach suddenly looks human.
That’s baseball on the farm—one bus ride, one rain delay, one breakout and one rough night at a time.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports