Farm Report: Joshua Báez Homers Four Times, Memphis in First Place

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

Farm Report: Joshua Báez Homers Four Times, Memphis Stands Alone in First

Joshua Báez did not just have the best night in the Cardinals’ minor league system Tuesday.

He had one of the best nights in Minor League Baseball.

Báez hit four home runs and drove in seven runs as Memphis opened its final first-half homestand with a 12-5 win over Nashville at AutoZone Park. The victory moved the Redbirds into first place alone in the International League race, one full game ahead of Rochester, with their magic number down to five.

Across the Cardinals’ full-season affiliates, the system went 2-2. Memphis and Palm Beach both won big, while Springfield and Peoria dropped their series openers.

But the story of the night was not complicated.

Joshua Báez turned AutoZone Park into his own personal launch pad.

Memphis Redbirds
Record: 44-26, International League
Standings: 1st place, International League
Result: Memphis 12, Nashville 5

Memphis needed a strong start to its final first-half homestand.

Joshua Báez gave the Redbirds a historic one.

Báez hit four home runs, drove in seven runs, and became the first player in Memphis Redbirds history to homer four times in a game as Memphis beat Nashville 12-5 Tuesday night at AutoZone Park.

The four-homer game was the 16th in Minor League Baseball since at least 2005. Báez also joined Chandler Redmond and Tyrone Horne as the only Cardinals minor leaguers to accomplish the feat in the last 30 years.

That is not a hot streak.

That is history.

Báez started the scoring in the bottom of the first inning with a three-run homer. In the third, he added a two-run shot to push Memphis back in front by three. In the fifth, he went back-to-back with César Prieto for his third home run of the night.

Then came the eighth.

Báez launched his fourth home run of the game, a solo shot over the left-field wall, to complete one of the most remarkable offensive performances in Redbirds history.

He finished 4-for-5 with four home runs and seven RBIs.

By the end of the night, Báez stood as the International League leader in home runs, extra-base hits and total bases. He also sat near the top of the league in RBIs, slugging percentage, OPS and hits.

That is the kind of production that does not need a sales pitch.

Memphis had other contributors. Prieto added the back-to-back home run in the fifth, and the Redbirds finished with 13 hits and five home runs. But this game belonged to Báez from the first inning to the last.

Quinn Mathews started for Memphis and picked up the win. The left-hander allowed three runs on two hits, walked four and struck out five. All three runs came on a pair of home runs.

Luis Gastelum was sharp out of the bullpen, throwing two scoreless innings and striking out four of the first five hitters he faced.

The win moved Memphis into first place alone in the International League race. With five games left in the first half, the Redbirds control the situation in front of them.

And on Tuesday, Báez made sure they did not waste the opportunity.

Springfield Cardinals
Record: 27-36, Texas League North
Standings: 4th place, Texas League North
Result: Wichita 7, Springfield 3

Springfield opened its road series in Wichita with a 7-3 loss to the Wind Surge on Tuesday night at Equity Bank Park.

The Cardinals were playing from behind most of the night. Wichita built the early lead, and Springfield could not put together enough offense to make the ninth inning matter.

Ryan Campos gave the Cardinals their biggest swing of the game in the eighth inning, hitting a two-run homer to right field. It was Campos’ seventh home run of the season, and the two RBIs pushed his team-leading total to 39.

Campos has quietly become one of Springfield’s more consistent run producers, and Tuesday was another example of him doing what he could to keep the Cardinals from going quietly.

But Springfield had already fallen into too deep of a hole.

Liam Doyle started for the Cardinals and took the loss. He allowed four runs on three hits over 4.1 innings, walking four and striking out four. The strikeouts were there, but the command was not clean enough to keep Wichita from building the lead.

Springfield is still searching for traction after a rough stretch. The Cardinals have had nights where the offense has exploded, but the club has not been able to stack enough complete games together.

Tuesday was another one that got away.

Peoria Chiefs
Record: 32-32, Midwest League West
Standings: 3rd place, Midwest League West
Result: Dayton 8, Peoria 2

Peoria’s second-half push did not start the way the Chiefs wanted.

Dayton hit four home runs and beat Peoria 8-2 Tuesday night at Dozer Park. The loss dropped the Chiefs back to .500 and extended their losing streak to three games.

The frustrating part for Peoria is that Yhoiker Fajardo gave the Chiefs a chance.

Fajardo matched a season high with five innings, allowing one run on two hits while walking three and striking out six. Dayton got to him for a solo home run in the second inning, but that was the only damage he allowed.

For five innings, this was a pitchers’ duel.

The game did not break open until late.

Dayton added a solo homer in the seventh to make it 2-0 before Jalin Flores answered in the bottom half with his ninth home run of the season. It was Flores’ second home run in as many games, cutting the deficit to 2-1.

The Dragons then added two runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth, with Carter Graham delivering the final blow on a grand slam.

Jack Gurevitch drove in Peoria’s second run with an RBI double in the eighth, scoring Anyelo Encarnación, but the Chiefs could not finish the comeback.

Peoria managed six hits, but Dayton’s power was the difference.

The positive note was Fajardo. He did more than enough to keep Peoria in the game, and his six strikeouts made him the strongest pitching candidate in the Cardinals’ system on Tuesday.

Palm Beach Cardinals
Record: 32-32, Florida State League East
Standings: 2nd place, Florida State League East
Result: Palm Beach 14, Jupiter 1

Palm Beach needed a reset after a rough series against St. Lucie.

The Cardinals got one in a big way.

Palm Beach beat Jupiter 14-1 Tuesday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, using early offense, late separation and strong pitching to open the series with a blowout win over the first-half division champion Hammerheads.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Ryan Mitchell scored on a throwing error. In the third, Ryan Weingartner stretched the lead with his sixth home run of the season, a two-run shot to center field.

Jupiter answered with one run in the bottom of the third, but that was all the Hammerheads would get.

Palm Beach added insurance in the eighth when Brayden Smith hit a two-run homer to right field, pushing the lead to 5-1. Then the Cardinals blew the game wide open with a nine-run ninth inning.

Chase Heath added a two-run double in the ninth, and Weingartner also drove in a run with a single as Palm Beach turned a solid lead into a rout.

The Cardinals’ pitching staff held Jupiter to three hits.

That was just as important as the 14 runs.

Palm Beach had been through an uneven offensive stretch, including a no-hitter, a 17-run win, a shutout loss and several missed opportunities. Tuesday was the kind of game that lets a young club breathe again.

The first-half race is over.

But the development work is not.

Player of the Day
Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds

There is no debate here.

Joshua Báez is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after hitting four home runs and driving in seven runs in Memphis’ 12-5 win over Nashville.

Báez hit a three-run homer in the first, a two-run homer in the third, a solo homer in the fifth and another solo homer in the eighth. He became the first player in Memphis Redbirds history to hit four home runs in a game and one of only a small group of minor leaguers to accomplish the feat since 2005.

He also helped push Memphis into first place alone in the International League race.

That is the full package.

Individual history.

Team impact.

First-place stakes.

Palm Beach had several strong offensive performances in its 14-1 win over Jupiter, including Ryan Weingartner and Brayden Smith. Ryan Campos homered for Springfield, and Jalin Flores homered again for Peoria.

But Báez stood alone Tuesday night.

Four home runs will do that.

Pitcher of the Day
Yhoiker Fajardo, Peoria Chiefs

Yhoiker Fajardo is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day after giving Peoria five strong innings in its 8-2 loss to Dayton.

Fajardo allowed one run on two hits, walked three and struck out six. He matched a season high in innings pitched and kept the Chiefs in the game while the offense tried to find a way through Dayton starter Kyle McCoy.

The final score got away from Peoria late, but Fajardo’s work should not get buried under the result.

For five innings, he gave the Chiefs exactly what they needed.

Luis Gastelum deserves mention after throwing two scoreless innings with four strikeouts for Memphis. The Palm Beach pitching staff also deserves mention after holding Jupiter to three hits in a 14-1 win.

But Fajardo had the best starting line of the night.

Five innings.

One run.

Two hits.

Six strikeouts.

That earns the honor.

Old School Take

Some nights, the story writes itself.

Joshua Báez hit four home runs.

Memphis won.

The Redbirds moved into first place alone.

That is the headline.

Báez has been one of the biggest stories in the Cardinals’ system this season, and Tuesday night was the kind of performance that forces everyone to pay attention. Four home runs in one game is not just a good night. It is a career night. It is a record-book night. It is the kind of night people remember.

Palm Beach also deserves credit for answering back with 14 runs after a difficult week. Peoria lost, but Yhoiker Fajardo pitched well. Springfield still has work to do.

But this Farm Report belongs to Báez.

Four swings.

Four home runs.

First place for Memphis.

That is the Farm Report.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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Photo Credit: Joshua Baez, Memphis Redbirds | MLB

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