MiLB Pitcher of the Day: an Jurrangelo Cijntjes

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Jurrangelo Cijntje Strikes Out 11 Before Leaving With Hamstring Injury
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Jurrangelo Cijntje deserved a better ending Thursday night.

Both on the scoreboard and physically.

Cijntje is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after delivering one of the strongest strikeout starts in the Cardinals’ system this week, working 6.1 innings in Memphis’ 3-2, 10-inning loss to Durham before leaving the game with a hamstring injury.

His final line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K

That is a dominant Triple-A start.

Cijntje allowed only two hits, walked just one batter and struck out 11. He threw 72 pitches, 53 for strikes, and gave Memphis the kind of outing that should have been enough to win.

It was power, efficiency and swing-and-miss all wrapped into one.

Durham did not score against him until the seventh inning, and even then, the damage was limited. Cijntje left with one out in the seventh, with Memphis still very much in position to win the game.

The concern, of course, is the hamstring.

For a pitcher who was in the middle of one of his best outings since reaching Triple-A, seeing the night end that way takes some shine off what should have been a clean pitching headline. The performance was excellent. Now the next question is how serious the injury may be and whether it costs him any time.

The Redbirds’ pitching staff was excellent overall. Memphis allowed only three hits through nine innings and struck out 15 Durham hitters. Cade Winquest struck out the side in the eighth, and Hancel Rincón added a scoreless ninth with one strikeout.

But the offense could not do enough.

Joshua Báez provided the Memphis scoring, going 2-for-4 with his 34th home run of the season and both Redbirds RBIs. The homer pushed Báez to 90 RBIs on the year, another loud marker in one of the best power seasons in the Cardinals’ system.

Still, Memphis finished with only four hits and struck out 14 times. Durham tied the game in the seventh, then scored twice in the 10th to walk it off.

That should not take anything away from Cijntje’s night.

Six and one-third innings.
Two hits.
One earned run.
One walk.
Eleven strikeouts.

That is the kind of start that jumps off the page.

Cijntje has had to battle through the adjustment to Triple-A, and the season line still reflects some of that turbulence. But Thursday night was a reminder of why the arm remains so interesting.

The stuff missed bats.
The control was there.
The efficiency was there.
The performance was there.

The win was not.

And now the Cardinals will have to hope the hamstring issue is not anything serious.

Sometimes the box score result does not match the outing.

This was one of those nights.

Cijntje gave Memphis a gem, struck out 11 and owned the pitching headline across the Cardinals’ farm system.

That earns the spotlight.

Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Memphis Redbirds
Final Line: 6.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 11 K
Note: Left the game with a hamstring injury

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Memphis Redbirds | MLB