Jacob Odle Named Minor League Pitcher of the Day

The Cardinall Chronicle
Jacob Odle Named Minor League Pitcher of the Day
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Jacob Odle gave Palm Beach exactly what it needed Wednesday—a tone-setting start in the first game of a doubleheader and enough swing-and-miss to put the Cardinals in position to finish off a sweep.

The right-hander worked 4 2/3 innings in Palm Beach’s 2-1 win over the Daytona Tortugas, allowing one run on four hits, walking two and striking out a career-high nine batters.

For that performance, Odle is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day.

Palm Beach needed every bit of his outing. In a seven-inning game where one mistake can change the whole afternoon, Odle kept the Cardinals in control. He missed bats, worked through traffic and gave the offense time to scratch across just enough support.

The Cardinals gave him an early lead in the second inning, and Odle made it stand up. Michael Dattalo, activated from the injured list, doubled in his return to the lineup. Chase Heath followed with an RBI double to put Palm Beach on the board, and Cameron Nickens later added a sacrifice fly, giving the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.

From there, Odle handled the heavy lifting.

The nine strikeouts marked a career high, and that is the number that jumps off the page. But the real value came in the setting. Palm Beach was opening a doubleheader, trying to get the day started the right way, and Odle delivered the kind of start that steadied the dugout and allowed the bullpen to finish the job.
Kaden Echeman entered in the fifth and stranded two inherited runners before working into the sixth, and Nelfy Ynfante closed it out in the seventh for his second save. It was a clean, efficient pitching effort built on the foundation Odle provided.

Brycen Mautz made this a close decision with six strong innings for Memphis, allowing two runs with no walks and seven strikeouts in a tough-luck loss. Jack Findlay also deserved mention after throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings in Springfield’s win over Tulsa.

But Odle gets the nod because he paired a career-best strikeout performance with a winning start in a tight game. Nine strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings is not just effective. That is a pitcher taking command of the afternoon.

The Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Odle, RHP, Palm Beach Cardinals.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports