Memphis Rallies Late, but Cardinals Affiliates Drop Three of Four
Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Memphis Rallies Late, but Cardinals Affiliates Drop Three of Four
The St. Louis Cardinals’ full-season affiliates went 1-3 Tuesday night, with Memphis providing the lone win in a wild 10-inning comeback at Gwinnett.
The Redbirds rallied from an early deficit, tied the game in the ninth and exploded for five runs in the 10th to beat the Stripers, 11-6. Springfield got a strong start from Braden Davis and home runs from Travis Honeyman and Dakota Harris, but lost 4-3 on the road at Tulsa. Peoria was buried by a pair of big middle innings in a 14-4 loss at Quad Cities, while Palm Beach fell behind early and lost 12-7 at Daytona despite a three-double night from Trevor Haskins and three RBIs from Ryan Weingartner.
It was a rough night across the lower levels, but Memphis gave the system a comeback worth leading with.
Memphis Redbirds
Memphis 11, Gwinnett 6 — 10 innings
Memphis: 53-35 overall
Memphis turned a frustrating night into one of its better comeback wins of the season.
The Redbirds beat the Gwinnett Stripers 11-6 in 10 innings Tuesday night, overcoming early deficits of 3-0 and 5-1 before tying the game in the ninth and blowing it open in the 10th.
Gwinnett scored three runs in the second inning and added two more in the fourth, putting Memphis in a 5-1 hole. The Redbirds started the climb in the sixth with three runs, then trailed 6-4 entering the ninth before scoring twice to force extra innings.
Once the game reached the 10th, Memphis unloaded.
The Redbirds scored five runs in the top of the inning, turning a tied game into an 11-6 lead and giving the bullpen enough room to finish it.
Leo Bernal and Matt Koperniak carried the big bats for Memphis. Bernal went 2-for-5 with his 10th home run of the season, four RBIs and two runs scored. Koperniak also drove in four runs, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a walk. Nolan Gorman added his third home run and reached base five times, going 1-for-2 with four walks and two runs scored.
Colton Ledbetter also had a strong night, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a run scored. César Prieto added two hits and an RBI.
Brandt Thompson started for Memphis and allowed five runs on six hits over four innings. The game could have gotten away from the Redbirds there, but the bullpen changed the night.
Cade Winquest was electric in relief, striking out six over two scoreless innings. Scott Blewett followed with two scoreless innings of his own, and Tink Hence worked the final two innings, allowing one run while striking out two.
Old School Take: Memphis got buried early, but the Redbirds did not stay buried. Bernal and Koperniak drove in eight runs between them, Gorman kept getting on base, and Winquest helped flip the game from the bullpen. That is a comeback win with some teeth.
Springfield Cardinals
Tulsa 4, Springfield 3
Springfield: 40-41 overall
Springfield had the lead late, but Tulsa got the final swing.
The Cardinals lost 4-3 to the Drillers on Tuesday night at ONEOK Field, falling on a ninth-inning run after Tulsa had already tied the game with two runs in the seventh.
Springfield scored first when Travis Honeyman hit his seventh home run of the season in the opening inning. The Cardinals added another run in the third, then Dakota Harris homered in the sixth to give Springfield a 3-1 lead.
That should have been enough with the way Braden Davis was throwing.
Davis gave Springfield a strong start, allowing one run on three hits over 5.1 innings. He walked three and struck out eight, giving the Cardinals exactly the kind of outing needed to win on the road. His command was not perfect, but the swing-and-miss was there, and he kept Tulsa under control through the first half of the game.
The bullpen could not hold it.
Randel Clemente allowed two runs in 1.1 innings, Andrew Schultz kept the game tied with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Tyler Bradt allowed the winning run in the ninth.
Springfield managed only five hits and struck out 14 times. Honeyman and Harris supplied the home runs, while Deniel Ortiz doubled and walked. Rainiel Rodriguez singled, stole a base and scored a run.
Old School Take: Braden Davis gave Springfield a winning start. Eight strikeouts and one run over 5.1 innings should put a club in position to finish. But one-run leads on the road are fragile things, and Tulsa found the last answer.
Peoria Chiefs
Quad Cities 14, Peoria 4
Peoria: 38-43 overall
Peoria started with a punch. Quad Cities answered with a haymaker.
The Chiefs lost 14-4 to the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park after the game unraveled in the middle innings.
Peoria scored twice in the top of the first inning and had an early chance to set the tone. Quad Cities answered with one run in the bottom half, tied it in the third, moved ahead in the fifth and then broke the game wide open with seven runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh.
That was the ballgame.
Peoria finished with nine hits, but the Chiefs could not keep pace once Quad Cities started stacking crooked numbers. Jack Gurevitch led the offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Jalin Flores, Michael Dattalo and José Suárez each drove in a run. Sammy Hernandez added his 10th double of the season.
Tai Peete went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Ian Petrutz also reached twice with a hit and a walk.
Yhoiker Fajardo started for Peoria and allowed two runs on three hits over 3.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Gerardo Salas followed with 1.2 innings, allowing one run while striking out two.
The game got away in the sixth when José Davila allowed seven runs on six hits. Jason Savacool gave up four more in the seventh, and by then Peoria was chasing a game it was not going to catch.
Jawilme Ramírez finished with a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.
Old School Take: Peoria had a 2-0 lead before some fans had settled into their seats, but the middle innings swallowed the game whole. When you give up 11 runs across two innings, there is not much mystery left in the box score.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Daytona 12, Palm Beach 7
Palm Beach: 43-39 overall
Palm Beach showed some fight, but Daytona had too much offense.
The Cardinals lost 12-7 to the Daytona Tortugas on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, as Daytona scored seven runs over the first two innings and kept adding on from there.
Palm Beach fell behind 4-0 in the first and 7-0 after the second. The Cardinals answered with four runs in the third and three more in the fourth, cutting into the deficit and making it a game. But Daytona scored in five of the first seven innings and finished with 17 hits.
Trevor Haskins had the best offensive night for Palm Beach, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Ryan Weingartner doubled and drove in three runs, while Sebastian Dos Santos drove in two. Matthew Miura singled, stole a base and scored a run. Chase Heath singled, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.
Chase Davis also appeared in the lineup for Palm Beach, going 0-for-3 with a walk.
Cade Crossland started and had a rare rough outing, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in one inning. Yadiel Batista followed and allowed five runs, four earned, over three innings. Jesús García gave Palm Beach two innings and allowed one unearned run, while Anthony Watts and Antoni Cuello each allowed a run in relief.
Palm Beach had six hits, drew four walks and scored seven runs, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.
Old School Take: Palm Beach did not quit after falling behind 7-0, and that matters. But Daytona kept swinging, kept adding on and made sure the Cardinals never got all the way back.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Matt Koperniak, OF, Memphis
Matt Koperniak earns Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after helping power Memphis’ comeback win at Gwinnett.
Koperniak went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in the Redbirds’ 11-6, 10-inning win. On a night when Memphis had to rally from a four-run deficit, Koperniak’s production was a major part of the comeback.
Leo Bernal had an equally strong case after going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs of his own. Nolan Gorman also reached base five times and homered. But Koperniak’s full line, including the walk and four RBIs, gives him the edge.
The Redbirds needed offense in waves Tuesday night. Koperniak gave them one of the biggest ones.
That is why he is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Braden Davis, LHP, Springfield
Braden Davis gets the nod as Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after giving Springfield a strong start in its 4-3 loss at Tulsa.
Davis worked 5.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking three and striking out eight. He kept the Drillers off balance, gave the Cardinals a chance to win and left with Springfield in position to take the opener.
The bullpen could not hold the lead, but that should not take away from Davis’ outing.
Cade Winquest also deserves mention after striking out six over two scoreless innings for Memphis, but Davis’ length and effectiveness as a starter make him the choice here.
A road start with 5.1 innings, one run and eight strikeouts will play.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.
Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary:
www.cardinalchronicle.com
Photo Credit: Matt Koperniak, Memphis Redbirds | MLB