Liam Doyle Named Minor League Pitcher of the Day

The Cardinal Chronicle
Liam Doyle Named Minor League Pitcher of the Day
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Liam Doyle delivered his best start as a professional Saturday night, and the Springfield Cardinals needed every bit of it.

The left-hander struck out a career-high eight batters over five innings in Springfield’s 7-5 win over the Corpus Christi Hooks at Route 66 Stadium, earning The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day honors.

Doyle allowed two runs on five hits and, just as important, did not issue a walk. He completed five innings for the first time this season and gave Springfield a steady start in a game that eventually turned into a late-inning test.

The final line was clean and encouraging: five innings, five hits, two earned runs, no walks and eight strikeouts.

For a young pitcher still building his professional foundation, the strikeouts are the flash. The zero walks are the substance. That combination tells a better story than the win-loss column ever could.

Doyle did not factor into the decision after Corpus Christi rallied to tie the game, but his outing gave the Cardinals the footing they needed. Springfield eventually broke through in the eighth on Jeremy Rivas’ two-run single, and Mason Burns closed the door in the ninth for his third save.

Matt Pushard also deserves mention after throwing a perfect inning with two strikeouts during his rehab appearance for Memphis, while Cade Crossland struck out six over four innings for Palm Beach despite fighting command.

But Doyle set the standard Saturday night.

Eight strikeouts. No walks. Five complete innings for the first time this season.

That is a step forward worth noting.

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