MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Crossland Delivers Career-High Eight Strikeouts

The Cardinal Chronicle
Crossland Delivers Career-High Eight Strikeouts in Palm Beach Win
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Cade Crossland, the Cardinal Chronicle No.16 ranked prospect, in the Cardinals organization did not let one early swing define his night.

The Palm Beach left-hander earns The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day honors after throwing five strong innings in the Cardinals’ 9-3 win over Lakeland on Thursday night.

Crossland allowed an early solo home run, but that was the only real damage against him. From there, he settled in, trusted his stuff and gave Palm Beach the kind of steady start that lets an offense breathe.

The final line was sharp: five innings, one run, one walk and a career-high eight strikeouts.

That is the part that stands out. Crossland did more than survive the outing. He controlled it. He missed bats, limited free traffic and gave Palm Beach the foundation it needed on a night when the offense eventually broke the game open with 14 hits.

For a young pitcher, that response matters. Giving up an early homer can send an outing sideways in a hurry. Crossland did the opposite. He regrouped, attacked and kept Lakeland from building anything meaningful after that first run.

Palm Beach went on to win comfortably, but Crossland’s five innings set the tone.

Honorable Mention: Luis Gastelum, Memphis Redbirds

Luis Gastelum deserves strong recognition after striking out five over two perfect innings in Memphis’ 5-4 extra-inning win over Omaha.

His work was especially impressive in the 10th inning, when he entered with the automatic runner already in scoring position and struck out the side to protect the lead. That was closing the door with authority.

But the Pitcher of the Day nod goes to Crossland for the career-high strikeout performance and the steady five-inning start that helped carry Palm Beach to another win.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

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: Cade Crossland (University of Oklahoma Athletics)