Cards Farm System Sweeps the Night

Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Cardinals Farm System Sweeps the Night, Going 4-0 Across All Four Levels

The Cardinals’ farm system put together a clean sweep Tuesday night, and it was not one of those quiet 4-0 evenings either.

Memphis buried Omaha under 19 runs and 21 hits. Springfield welcomed Lars Nootbaar to Route 66 Stadium and backed Mason Molina with enough offense to handle Wichita. Peoria kept its winning streak rolling behind three home runs and a rain-shortened road victory. Palm Beach closed the night with the best kind of finish — a walk-off single from Michael Dattalo.

For one night, the whole ladder leaned the right way.

Memphis Redbirds
Record: 31-21, Tied for 1st Place, International League West
Memphis 19, Omaha 5

Memphis turned Tuesday night into batting practice with consequences, pounding out 21 hits in a 19-5 rout of the Omaha Storm Chasers.

Joshua Báez led the charge and earned Player of the Day honors after going 4-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored. It was the kind of night that jumps off the box score and grabs the headline by the throat.

But Báez was hardly alone. Blaze Jordan went 4-for-6 with two doubles, a home run, three RBIs and four runs scored. Ramon Mendoza added a home run and five RBIs. Colton Ledbetter also homered, while Jimmy Crooks doubled and scored twice. Jeremy Rivas, recently promoted from Springfield, went 2-for-5 with two runs scored in the offensive avalanche.

The Redbirds scored three in the third, nine in the fourth, three in the eighth and three more in the ninth. That is not scratching out a win. That is backing the truck up and unloading lumber.

Hunter Dobbins gave Memphis 4 1/3 innings, allowing one run on six hits while striking out seven. Luis Gastelum followed with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and the Redbirds’ staff struck out 12 overall.

For a club sitting near the top of its division race, this was a reminder that Memphis can overwhelm opponents when the lineup starts rolling from top to bottom.

Springfield Cardinals
Record: 20-27,  5th Place, 8.5GB, Texas League North
Springfield 8, Wichita 5

Springfield made it two straight over Wichita, beating the Wind Surge 8-5 on a night that carried a little extra attention because Lars Nootbaar began the Double-A portion of his rehab assignment.

Nootbaar went 1-for-4 with an RBI double, and the ball came off his bat at 110.8 mph, a pretty good sign for a big league outfielder working his way back. That will play.

Still, Springfield’s win belonged to more than the rehab headline. Mason Molina turned in the top pitching performance in the system, allowing one run on one hit over five innings while striking out eight. He walked four, so it was not spotless, but when a starter gives up one hit and misses that many bats, you take it and move on.

Noah Mendlinger helped set the table with a 3-for-4 night, including a double, two runs scored, an RBI and a walk. Dakota Harris reached four times, going 2-for-2 with a double, three runs scored and two walks. Trey Paige homered for the second straight game, and Zach Levenson delivered the big late blow with a pinch-hit three-run homer in the eighth.

Springfield built an early lead, added on late and had enough cushion to survive Wichita’s push in the final two innings. For a club trying to climb out of a difficult first half, wins like this matter. They are not pretty postcards, but they are progress.

Peoria Chiefs
Record: 21-24, 5th Place, 6.5 GB, Midwest League West
Peoria 5, Wisconsin 2

Peoria stayed hot with a 5-2 rain-shortened win over Wisconsin, extending its winning streak to five games.

The Chiefs did it the old-fashioned modern way — with power and pitching.

Jesús Báez opened the game with a leadoff home run, giving Peoria a 1-0 lead before Wisconsin had even settled in. José Suárez later delivered the biggest swing of the night, a two-run homer in the fourth, and added another RBI in the fifth. Jalin Flores homered in the sixth to give Peoria its final margin.

That made three home runs on the night for the Chiefs and continued one of the best offensive runs this club has put together all season. Peoria has now homered in 11 consecutive games, the longest such streak on record for the Chiefs.

Yhoiker Fajardo battled through traffic but kept the game under control, allowing two runs over 4 2/3 innings while striking out seven. Gerardo Salas followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings, striking out three, and Dominic Freeberger recorded two outs before rain halted the game in the seventh.

After a 35-minute delay, the game was called official.

Peoria is starting to look like a club with a little bite. Five straight wins, power up and down the lineup, and enough pitching to make it stand — that is how a team starts changing the tone of its season.

Palm Beach Cardinals
Record: 25-21, 2nd Place, 3.0 GB, Florida State League East
Palm Beach 5, Lakeland 4

Palm Beach finished the system sweep in walk-off fashion, beating Lakeland 5-4 on Michael Dattalo’s single in the bottom of the ninth.

Dattalo was the story from start to finish. He went 4-for-5 with a double and three RBIs, driving in Palm Beach’s first run in the opening inning, adding another RBI hit in the third and then ending the game in the ninth.

Ryan Weingartner also had a strong night, going 2-for-5 with a home run, two runs scored and an RBI. His solo shot in the seventh tied the game at 4-4 after Lakeland had taken the lead with a three-run homer in the sixth.

Alex Breckheimer gave Palm Beach five solid innings, allowing one run on four hits with three strikeouts. The bullpen had a rough patch in the sixth, but Jovi Gálvez, Dylan Driessen and Jesús García combined to keep Lakeland off the board over the final three innings. García, making his Palm Beach debut, recorded the final two outs and earned his first career Single-A win.

Palm Beach had to win this one twice — first by building the lead, then by answering after losing it. That says something about a young club. The Beach Birds did not fold. They kept playing, tied it late and walked it off.

Player of the Day
Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds

Joshua Báez earns Player of the Day honors after going 4-for-6 with two home runs, five RBIs and three runs scored in Memphis’ 19-5 win over Omaha.

On a night when the entire system went 4-0 and several hitters had strong cases, Báez stood above the rest. Two home runs, five driven in and four hits in a 21-hit attack is not a footnote. It is the centerpiece.

Memphis had plenty of thunder Tuesday night, but Báez supplied the loudest swings.

Pitcher of the Day
Mason Molina, Springfield Cardinals

Mason Molina earns Pitcher of the Day honors after allowing one run on one hit over five innings in Springfield’s 8-5 win over Wichita.

Molina struck out eight and tied his season high in punchouts. The four walks kept the outing from being truly clean, but the stuff was clearly working. Wichita managed only one hit against him, and he gave Springfield the early control it needed.

On a night full of offense across the system, Molina gave the farm report its top pitching line.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports