MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Jurrangelo Cijntje Deals Six Shutout Innings
Cardinal Chronicle
Minor League Pitcher of the Day
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Jurrangelo Cijntje Deals Six Shutout Innings in Springfield Win
Jurrangelo Cijntje gave Springfield exactly what it needed on the Fourth of July.
The Cardinals needed a strong start. They needed length. They needed someone to keep Arkansas quiet long enough for the offense to find its footing.
Cijntje delivered all of it.
The Springfield right-hander turned in one of his best starts of the season Saturday night, throwing six shutout innings in the Cardinals’ 7-5 win over the Arkansas Travelers at Route 66 Stadium. He allowed just three hits, walked three and struck out nine, setting the tone before the game got a little too interesting late.
This was a winning start in every sense.
Springfield’s offense did not break through until the sixth inning, which made Cijntje’s work even more important. He held Arkansas off the board while the Cardinals searched for a way to solve the Travelers’ pitching staff. That is what quality starting pitching does. It keeps a club close until the bats wake up.
And when the bats finally woke up, Springfield took advantage.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the sixth and three more in the seventh, building a 7-0 lead before Arkansas made its late push. The bullpen allowed five runs over the final three innings, turning what had been a comfortable lead into a tense finish, but Cijntje’s six scoreless innings gave Springfield enough cushion to survive it.
That matters.
The strikeout total jumps off the page. Nine strikeouts over six innings shows the kind of swing-and-miss ability that has made Cijntje one of the more intriguing arms in the Cardinals’ system. But the zero in the run column is the part that tells the story. Arkansas had traffic with three walks and three hits, but Cijntje kept finding the next pitch and the next out.
That is development.
At Double-A, stuff alone does not carry a pitcher forever. Hitters are more disciplined. Lineups punish mistakes. Pitchers have to learn how to manage innings, respond to traffic and compete when the game is still waiting for someone to take control.
Cijntje took control Saturday night.
His outing gave Springfield a chance to win, preserved the bullpen for as long as possible and continued what has been a strong second-half push for the Cardinals. Springfield improved to 40-39 overall, and Cijntje’s start was the foundation for the victory.
The final score says 7-5.
The real story starts with six shutout innings.
That is why Jurrangelo Cijntje is the Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day.
Old School Take: Six shutout innings, nine strikeouts and a win over Arkansas will play every day of the week. Cijntje gave Springfield the kind of start that steadies a clubhouse and wins ballgames.
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Photo Credit: Jurrangelo Cijntje, Springfield Cardinals | MiLB.com