MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Darlin Saladin
The Cardinal Chronicle
Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Darlin Saladin St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Darlin Saladin did not get the headline swing Sunday afternoon.
Won-Bin Cho took care of that.
But Saladin helped make sure Cho’s swing still mattered.
Saladin is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day after delivering three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in Springfield’s 7-6 walk-off win over the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Route 66 Stadium.
This was not a clean game early.
Springfield needed pitching stability, and Saladin gave it to them.
The right-hander entered in relief of Jurrangelo Cijntje and changed the direction of the game. Saladin worked three shutout innings, allowing just one hit while walking two. He did not let the game get away. He did not let Northwest Arkansas stretch the lead. He gave the Cardinals room to breathe.
That matters.
A lot.
In the minor leagues, the attention usually goes to the starter who piles up strikeouts or the closer who records the final out. But there are games when the most important pitching performance comes in the middle innings. Sunday was one of those games.
Springfield trailed 6-3 before scoring the final four runs of the game. That comeback does not happen without the bullpen putting up zeroes.
Saladin started that work.
Michael Watson, Nelfy Ynfante and Andrew Schultz finished it, combining for 3.1 more scoreless innings and allowing just one hit. Together, Springfield’s bullpen gave the offense enough time to climb back into the game.
Then Cho ended it.
On the second pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning, Cho launched a walk-off solo home run, giving Springfield a 7-6 victory and another strong statement to open the second half.
But before the walk-off, there had to be a shutdown.
That was Saladin.
His three scoreless innings turned a game that was slipping away into a game Springfield could still win. He stabilized the middle of the game, protected the bullpen chain and helped give the Cardinals one more chance at the plate.
That is winning baseball.
It does not always come with the loudest box score.
But it shows up where it counts.
Springfield improved to 5-1 to open the second half and took five of six from Northwest Arkansas. The Cardinals are playing like a club with confidence, and Sunday’s win was another example of a team getting contributions from every corner of the roster.
Cho delivered the finish.
Saladin helped save the game.
That earns him The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Darlin Saladin, Springfield Cardinals | MiLB