Bernal Walks Off Charlotte as Cardinals Affiliates Split Friday Night
Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Bernal Walks Off Charlotte as Cardinals Affiliates Split Friday Night
The St. Louis Cardinals’ full-season affiliates split the board Friday night, going 2-2 across the system.
Memphis gave the night its best finish, beating Charlotte 4-3 in 11 innings behind Leo Bernal’s big swing and a strong start from Quinn Mathews. Springfield won a tight 2-1 game over Arkansas with solo home runs from Ryan Campos and Won-Bin Cho, plus dominant work from the bullpen. Peoria had 11 hits but fell 9-3 to Wisconsin, and Palm Beach let an early four-run lead slip away in a 7-4 loss at Lakeland.
It was not the clean sweep from the night before, but Memphis and Springfield gave the system two strong wins, and there were plenty of individual performances worth carrying forward.
Memphis Redbirds
Memphis 4, Charlotte 3 — 11 innings
Memphis: 51-34 overall
Memphis had to work late Friday night, but the Redbirds found the swing they needed.
The Redbirds beat the Charlotte Knights 4-3 in 11 innings at AutoZone Park, scoring twice in the bottom of the 11th to turn a one-run deficit into a walk-off win. Charlotte scored two runs in the first inning, Memphis answered with two in the bottom half, and the game stayed tied until both clubs scored in the 11th.
Leo Bernal delivered the biggest blow for Memphis, going 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, one run scored and a walk. His ninth homer of the season gave Memphis the decisive swing in a tight, low-offense game.
The Redbirds only had five hits, but they made them count. Victor Scott II doubled, walked, stole a base and scored a run. Joshua Báez added his 16th double of the season. Noah Mendlinger also doubled, while Thomas Saggese singled and scored.
Quinn Mathews gave Memphis a strong start, allowing two earned runs on six hits over six innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out seven, throwing 64 strikes on 89 pitches. After Charlotte’s early two-run first, Mathews settled in and kept the Redbirds in the game.
The Memphis bullpen was excellent behind him. Jared Shuster, Luis Gastelum, Hancel Rincon and Austin Love combined to cover the final five innings, allowing just one unearned run. Rincon was especially sharp, throwing two hitless innings with four strikeouts.
Old School Take: Memphis did not have a loud offensive night, but Bernal made sure it had the right swing at the right time. Mathews kept them close, the bullpen held the line, and Bernal sent everybody home happy.
Springfield Cardinals
Springfield 2, Arkansas 1
Springfield: 39-39 overall
Springfield won the kind of game that makes a manager sleep just a little better.
The Cardinals beat the Arkansas Travelers 2-1 Friday night at Route 66 Stadium, using two solo home runs and strong pitching to make a slim lead stand up.
Arkansas scored first with a run in the opening inning, but Springfield answered in the fifth when Won-Bin Cho hit his sixth home run of the season. One inning later, Ryan Campos gave the Cardinals the lead with his 10th homer of the year.
That was all the offense Springfield needed.
Campos led the Cardinals at the plate, going 2-for-3 with the go-ahead home run. Cho finished 1-for-3 with his solo shot, while Travis Honeyman added Springfield’s other hit. It was not a busy night for the lineup, as the Cardinals struck out 11 times and did not draw a walk, but the two home runs were enough.
Liam Doyle started and battled through five innings, allowing one run on four hits and four walks while striking out four. He kept Springfield close and gave the bullpen a chance to take over.
Edwin Núñez did exactly that.
Núñez was outstanding, throwing three hitless innings with no walks and five strikeouts. Andrew Schultz finished it in the ninth, walking one and striking out two in a scoreless inning.
Springfield pitching held Arkansas to one run on four hits while striking out 11.
Old School Take: Some nights, four hits are enough if two of them leave the yard and your bullpen refuses to bend. Campos got the big swing, Cho got Springfield even, and Núñez turned the middle innings into a locked door.
Peoria Chiefs
Wisconsin 9, Peoria 3
Peoria: 37-41 overall
Peoria had plenty of traffic Friday night. The problem was turning that traffic into runs.
The Chiefs lost 9-3 to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dozer Park despite collecting 11 hits. Peoria finished with four doubles and a home run, but the Chiefs struck out 13 times and left too much on the table.
Wisconsin jumped ahead with two runs in the first inning, then broke the game open with four runs in the fifth. The Timber Rattlers added one in the sixth and two more in the seventh to build a 9-0 lead before Peoria finally answered late.
Anyelo Encarnación was the top offensive performer for the Chiefs, going 2-for-4 with a double, a solo home run, two runs scored and an RBI. Christian Martin went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Jack Gurevitch added two hits, including a double. Josh Kross and Luis Pino also doubled.
Tanner Franklin started for Peoria and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits over four innings. He walked three and struck out three. Gerardo Salas followed with two innings, allowing three runs while striking out five. Jason Savacool gave up two unearned runs in the seventh, while Nolan Sparks and Jawilme Ramírez each worked scoreless innings and struck out two apiece.
There were useful pieces in this one, but the game got away before Peoria’s offense finally broke through.
Old School Take: Eleven hits should usually buy you more than three runs. Peoria had baserunners, but Wisconsin had the big innings. That is the difference between filling a box score and winning a ballgame.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Lakeland 7, Palm Beach 4
Palm Beach: 42-37 overall
Palm Beach had the early lead Friday night, but Lakeland owned the late innings.
The Cardinals lost 7-4 to the Lakeland Flying Tigers after jumping ahead with a four-run second inning. Palm Beach scored all four of its runs in that frame and did not score again.
Alex Birge and Trevor Haskins supplied the offense. Birge drove in two runs with a single, while Haskins hit his eighth home run of the season, a two-run shot that gave Palm Beach a 4-0 lead.
The Cardinals also got doubles from Brayden Smith, Yordalin Peña and Chase Heath, but the offense went quiet after the second inning. Palm Beach finished with six hits, two walks and 10 strikeouts.
Lakeland answered with one run in the second and three more in the third to tie the game. The score stayed 4-4 until the eighth, when the Flying Tigers scored three runs to take the lead for good.
Payton Graham started for Palm Beach and allowed four runs on seven hits over three innings. Kaden Echeman was strong in relief, throwing three scoreless innings while allowing just one hit and striking out two. Anthony Watts took the loss after allowing three runs in the eighth, and Dylan Driessen finished the inning.
Old School Take: A four-run second inning gives you a chance, but it does not win the game by itself. Palm Beach had the early punch, Lakeland had the late answer, and the Cardinals could not find another run after the second.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Leo Bernal, 1B, Memphis
Leo Bernal earns Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after delivering the biggest swing in the system Friday night.
Bernal went 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, one run scored and a walk in Memphis’ 4-3, 11-inning win over Charlotte. His ninth homer of the season helped finish off the Redbirds’ walk-off victory and gave Memphis the offensive moment it needed in a game where hits were hard to find.
This was not a night filled with crooked offensive lines across the system. It was a night where timing mattered.
Bernal had the swing that changed the game.
That is why he is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Quinn Mathews, LHP, Memphis
Quinn Mathews gets the nod as Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after giving Memphis six strong innings in its 4-3 win over Charlotte.
Mathews allowed two earned runs on six hits, walked none and struck out seven. He threw 89 pitches, 64 for strikes, and settled in after Charlotte scored twice in the opening inning.
The no-walk line stands out.
Mathews attacked the zone, missed bats and kept Memphis close long enough for the Redbirds to win it late. On a night when the system split 2-2, his start gave Memphis the foundation for the best finish of the night.
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Photo Credit: Leo Bernal, Memphis Redbirds | MLB