Farm Report: Odle Strikes Out Nine, Cho Homers, Peoria Carries the Night
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Farm Report: Odle Strikes Out Nine, Cho Homers, Peoria Carries the Night
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Wednesday was another rough night across the Cardinals’ full-season affiliates, with Peoria standing as the lone winner.
Memphis dropped its fourth straight, Springfield lost its third in a row and slipped a game behind Tulsa in the second-half race, and Palm Beach came up a run short against Tampa. The bright spot was Peoria, where Jacob Odle struck out nine and the Chiefs’ lineup stayed hot in a 7-2 win over West Michigan.
The full-season affiliates finished 1-3 on the night.
Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A
Overall Record: 55-43
Second Half: 8-15, 10th in the International League West, 8.0 GB
Streak: L4
Durham 8, Memphis 2
Memphis fell behind early and never recovered in an 8-2 loss to Durham at AutoZone Park.
The game turned in the third inning, when Durham scored seven runs and knocked Mason Molina out before he could finish the frame. Molina was charged with seven runs on six hits and five walks over 2.2 innings. He struck out two but threw only 47 strikes on 83 pitches.
The bullpen was better after the early damage. Jared Shuster worked three scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out two. Cade Winquest and Durbin Feltman each threw a scoreless inning, with Feltman striking out two.
The offense did not give Memphis much room to climb back. The Redbirds finished with only five hits and struck out 12 times. Brody Moore had the best night at the plate, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two stolen bases. Nolan Gorman doubled and scored, while Thomas Saggese and Noah Mendlinger added singles.
Takeaway: Memphis is in a second-half slide. The Redbirds still have a strong overall record, but they are now 8-15 since the break and have lost four straight.
Springfield Cardinals — Double-A
Overall Record: 44-47
Second Half: 13-10, 2nd in the Texas League North, 1.0 GB
Streak: L3
Northwest Arkansas 9, Springfield 4
Springfield’s losing streak reached three games with a 9-4 loss at Northwest Arkansas.
The Cardinals trailed 8-0 before finally breaking through with four runs in the eighth inning. Won-Bin Cho provided the biggest swing, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, a walk, a run scored and a stolen base. That was enough to earn him Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors.
Deniel Ortiz also drove in a run, walked and stole a base. Jon Jon Gazdar added two hits, while Jesús Báez doubled and scored.
On the mound, Braden Davis had plenty of swing-and-miss but also had to work through traffic. He allowed three runs over 4.1 innings, but struck out eight while walking three. Tyler Bradt struggled in relief, allowing four runs over 1.1 innings, and the Naturals broke the game open with a five-run sixth.
Takeaway: Cho’s night was the bright spot, but Springfield has hit a bump. The Cardinals are now one game behind Tulsa after holding first place earlier in the week.
Peoria Chiefs — High-A
Overall Record: 43-48
Second Half: 11-14, 5th in the Midwest League West, 4.5 GB
Streak: W2
Peoria 7, West Michigan 2
Peoria was the clear bright spot of the night, beating West Michigan 7-2 at Dozer Park.
Jacob Odle gave the Chiefs the best pitching performance in the system, striking out nine over 4.2 innings. He allowed two runs on only two hits and three walks. The pitch count kept him from finishing the fifth, but the stuff was clearly working.
The bullpen finished the job. Dylan Driessen, José Davila and Patrick Galle combined for 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just three hits while striking out five.
The offense gave Odle plenty of support with 12 hits, four doubles, a triple and three home runs.
Jalin Flores had a big day, going 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, an RBI, two runs scored and a walk. Jack Gurevitch homered again, his 13th of the season, and drove in two. Sammy Hernandez added his fifth homer, while Ian Petrutz continued his tear by going 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, raising his average to .374 with a .980 OPS.
Tai Peete added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. José Suárez and Michael Dattalo also doubled.
Takeaway: Peoria has won two straight, and the lineup continues to show real thunder. Odle’s nine strikeouts were the headliner on the mound, but this was a strong all-around win.
Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A
Overall Record: 47-44
Second Half: 14-11, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 1.5 GB
Streak: L1
Tampa 3, Palm Beach 2
Palm Beach came up just short in a 3-2 loss to Tampa.
The Cardinals actually outhit the Tarpons, 7-6, but could not find the big swing. Sebastian Dos Santos had a strong day at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and both Palm Beach runs scored. Matthew Miura also had two hits, while Yairo Padilla, Yordalin Peña and Johnfrank Salazar added singles.
Palm Beach ran well, stealing four bases. Padilla stole his seventh, Ryan Mitchell stole his 26th, and Peña stole two to reach 19 on the season.
On the mound, Ixan Henderson allowed one run over three innings with three strikeouts. Nathan Shinn carried the bulk of the game, allowing two runs over 5.2 innings, but he also walked five. Justin Militello came in for the final out and struck out one.
Takeaway: Palm Beach stayed close but could not cash in enough chances. The Cardinals are still in the second-half race, but now sit 1.5 games behind Daytona.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Won-Bin Cho, RF, Springfield Cardinals
Cho earns the honor after going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, a run scored, a walk and a stolen base in Springfield’s loss at Northwest Arkansas.
The Cardinals did not win, but Cho accounted for the biggest offensive swing of the night and gave Springfield its best individual performance.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Jacob Odle, RHP, Peoria Chiefs
Odle gets the nod after striking out nine over 4.2 innings in Peoria’s 7-2 win over West Michigan.
His final line was strong: 4.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 9 K.
The walks and pitch count kept the outing from being longer, but the swing-and-miss was loud. Odle gave Peoria the tone-setting start it needed.
Final Word
Wednesday belonged to Peoria.
The Chiefs got nine strikeouts from Jacob Odle, three home runs from the lineup, and another strong offensive showing from Ian Petrutz, Jalin Flores and Jack Gurevitch.
The rest of the system had a tougher night. Memphis lost its fourth straight. Springfield dropped its third straight and slipped behind Tulsa. Palm Beach played a tight game but came up one run short.
The standings now tell part of the story. Springfield is still very much in the Texas League North race, but the recent skid matters. Palm Beach remains close in the Florida State League East. Peoria is still chasing but showing signs of life. Memphis needs to stop the bleeding in the second half.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Jacob Odle, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB