Memphis Walks It Off, Fajardo Fans 10, Báez Delivers a Grand Slam
The Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report: Memphis Walks It Off, Fajardo Fans 10, Báez Delivers a Grand Slam
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system came out of the All-Star break with a wild Friday night across the affiliates, headlined by Memphis rallying for a 10-9 win over Iowa, Peoria riding a 15-strikeout pitching night to a 9-3 win at South Bend, Springfield battling back after an ugly first inning before falling 9-5, and Palm Beach dropping a 10-inning game to St. Lucie.
The night belonged to Joshua Báez at the plate and Yhoiker Fajardo on the mound.
Báez launched his 29th home run of the season, a 473-foot grand slam for Memphis, while Fajardo struck out 10 over five innings for Peoria. It was a reminder that the system still has plenty of electricity, even when the box scores come with a little smoke and a few tire marks.
Memphis Redbirds
55-39 overall, 8-11 second half, 3.5 GB, International League West
Memphis came out on the right side of a Friday night slugfest, beating the Iowa Cubs 10-9 at AutoZone Park.
The Redbirds trailed early, exploded for five runs in the third, fell behind again, then kept chipping away until they finally walked it off in the ninth. It was not clean baseball, but it was winning baseball, and sometimes that is all that matters after a long night at the yard.
Joshua Báez supplied the biggest swing, going 1-for-4 with a home run, a grand slam driving in four runs, a run scored and a walk. His homer was his 29th of the season, and it pushed his RBI total to 73. That is here I am, ready for the Show production plain and simple.
César Prieto may have had the best pure offensive night for Memphis, going 3-for-4 with two runs, an RBI and a walk. Ramon Mendoza added a triple, two RBIs and two walks, while Thomas Saggese reached base four times, going 1-for-2 with three walks, two runs and two stolen bases.
Memphis also showed patience throughout the night, drawing 11 walks as a team. That was the difference-maker. The Redbirds had only nine hits, but they kept traffic on the bases and forced Iowa to keep making pitches.
On the mound, it was a rough start for Hunter Dobbins, who allowed six runs, four earned, over 3 1/3 innings. He walked four and struck out three. Hancel Rincon also had a tough night, allowing two runs and three walks in 1 1/3 innings.
The bullpen steadied the game late. Ryan Fernandez worked 1 1/3 scoreless innings and picked up the win. Cade Winquest handled the final 1 1/3 innings without allowing a run, keeping Memphis close enough for the offense to finish the job.
This was not a pitcher’s duel. This was one of those Triple-A nights where the last team standing wins. Memphis stood.
Springfield Cardinals
43-44 overall, 12-7 second half, T-1st, Texas League North
Springfield dug itself a deep early hole and could not quite climb out, falling 9-5 to the Amarillo Sod Poodles.
Chen-Wei Lin had a night to forget, allowing six runs on five hits in just 2/3 of an inning. Springfield trailed 6-0 before the game had even settled in, and that kind of first inning changes everything.
To their credit, the Cardinals did not roll over.
Jesús Báez continued his strong work at Double-A, going 2-for-5 with his eighth home run and two RBIs. He scored twice and pushed his OPS to 1.057. Rainiel Rodriguez went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI, while Ryan Campos had a three-hit night and drove in a run.
Jon Jon Gazdar also added two hits and an RBI, and Springfield finished with 12 hits as a club. The offense did enough to make the game competitive, but the early six-run deficit was too much to overcome.
The pitching bright spot was Blake Aita, and it was not a small one. Aita came out of the bullpen and gave Springfield six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits and one walk while striking out three. That kind of relief outing saves the rest of the bullpen and gives the offense time to get back into the game.
Springfield entered the night tied at the top of the second-half standings, and even with the loss, the Cardinals remain right there. A rough first inning cost them Friday, but the lineup still showed fight.
Peoria Chiefs
41-46 overall, 9-12 second half, 5.0 GB, Midwest League West
Peoria got the cleanest win of the night, beating the South Bend Cubs 9-3 behind a big fourth inning and a strikeout-heavy pitching performance.
The Chiefs scored once in the first, once in the second, and then broke the game open with a six-run fourth. From there, the pitching staff handled the rest.
Yhoiker Fajardo earned The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day honors after striking out 10 batters over five innings. He allowed three runs on four hits and one walk. The three-run third inning was the one blemish, but the swing-and-miss was loud all night.
Fajardo threw 74 pitches, 55 for strikes. That tells the story. He was attacking, working ahead and missing bats.
Peoria’s bullpen was outstanding behind him. Dylan Driessen, Nate Dohm, José Davila and Patrick Galle combined for four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five. As a staff, the Chiefs struck out 15 South Bend hitters.
At the plate, Ian Petrutz led the offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. His homer was his second of the season. Anyelo Encarnación drove in two runs and stole his 10th base of the year, while Tai Peete, Jack Gurevitch and Cameron Nickens each drove in a run.
Josh Kross added a triple, and Michael Dattalo doubled and scored twice.
This was a strong all-around win for Peoria — early offense, a knockout inning, and a pitching staff that kept the Cubs quiet after the third.
Palm Beach Cardinals
45-42 overall, 12-9 second half, 0.5 GB, Florida State League East
Palm Beach let a close one slip away in extra innings, falling 3-2 in 10 innings to the St. Lucie Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
The Cardinals scored in each of the first two innings but were shut down the rest of the way. St. Lucie tied the game in the third, and the score stayed 2-2 until the Mets pushed across the winning run in the top of the 10th.
Sebastian Dos Santos had the biggest swing for Palm Beach, going 2-for-5 with his second home run of the season. Yordalin Peña also had a strong night, going 2-for-4 with a double. Ryan Mitchell walked three times and stole his 22nd base of the season before being ejected in the 10th inning.
Palm Beach had seven hits and four walks, but the Cardinals struck out 12 times and could not find the big hit late.
Brian Holiday gave Palm Beach a solid start, allowing two runs over five innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out four. Nelfy Ynfante followed with two scoreless innings, Justin Militello added a scoreless eighth with two strikeouts, and Jesús García gave up one unearned run over the final two innings.
It was a tough loss because the pitching was good enough to win. The offense just went quiet after the second inning.
Player of the Day
Joshua Báez, OF, Memphis Redbirds
Joshua Báez gets the nod as The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day.
Báez went 1-for-4 with a grand-slam, and a walk in Memphis’ 10-9 win over Iowa. His homer was his 29th of the season, and he now has 73 RBIs.
That is the kind of production that keeps jumping off the page. Báez has impact power, and Friday night he delivered the swing that helped Memphis stay in a game that could have easily gotten away.
César Prieto made it interesting with a 3-for-4 night and two runs scored, while Ian Petrutz had a strong game for Peoria with a home run, double and two RBIs. But Báez drove in four in a one-run Memphis win, and that carries the day.
Pitcher of the Day
Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Peoria Chiefs
Yhoiker Fajardo is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day.
Fajardo worked five innings in Peoria’s 9-3 win at South Bend, allowing three runs on four hits with one walk and 10 strikeouts.
The line was not spotless, but the stuff was. Fajardo filled the zone, threw 55 strikes on 74 pitches, and gave the Chiefs five innings of high-strikeout baseball. Peoria’s bullpen took it from there, and the staff finished with 15 strikeouts on the night.
Blake Aita deserves a strong mention after giving Springfield six scoreless innings out of the bullpen. That was a major outing in a tough situation. But Fajardo’s 10 strikeouts in a winning start earn the top spot.
The Cardinal Chronicle’s Old School Take
Memphis found a way. That is the story at Triple-A. It was messy, it was long, and the pitching staff walked 10 batters, but the offense kept grinding. Eleven walks, nine hits, and a walk-off win will cover up a lot of fingerprints.
Joshua Báez continues to show the kind of power that makes people stop scrolling. Twenty-nine home runs and 73 RBIs is not background noise. That is middle-of-the-order thunder.
Peoria had the best pitching night in the system. Fajardo punched out 10, the bullpen stacked zeroes, and the Chiefs struck out 15 South Bend hitters. That is how you put a game away.
Springfield lost the game in the first inning, but Blake Aita kept it from becoming a bullpen disaster. Six scoreless innings in relief deserves respect. That is not mop-up work. That is a pitcher saving the night from getting sideways.
Palm Beach came up short, but the Cardinals remain just a half-game back in the Florida State League East. The margin down there is thin, and Friday was one of those games where one more timely swing would have changed the whole tone.
The system went 2-2 on the night. Memphis walked it off. Peoria handled business. Springfield showed fight. Palm Beach missed a chance.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Joshua Báez, Memphis Redbirds | MiLB