MiLB Player of the Day: Ian Petrutz

The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Ian Petrutz Gives Peoria a Complete Offensive Day
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Peoria came up short Sunday afternoon, but Ian Petrutz did his part.

Petrutz is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, two runs scored and a stolen base in the Chiefs’ 8-6 loss to Quad Cities.

His final line:

2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB

It was not the loudest stat line of the week, but it was one of the most complete performances of the day across the Cardinals’ farm system.

Petrutz reached base with two hits, added extra-base contact, drove in a run, scored twice and put pressure on the defense with his legs. In a game where Peoria kept fighting back but could not finish the comeback, Petrutz was right in the middle of the offense.

The Chiefs trailed early and spent most of the afternoon trying to climb out of a hole. They scored once in the second, twice in the third, once in the sixth and two more in the ninth, but the early damage from Quad Cities proved too much to overcome.

Petrutz helped keep Peoria within striking distance. His double was his fifth of the season, and his stolen base was his third. He also pushed his average to .333 and his OPS to .865, continuing a strong stretch since joining the Chiefs’ lineup.

That is the part worth watching.

At High-A, production has to matter. Petrutz is not just filling a spot in the lineup. He is getting on base, driving the ball, scoring runs and showing enough athleticism to create pressure beyond the batter’s box.

Peoria also got a strong offensive day from Jalin Flores, who went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Josh Kross drove in a run, while José Suárez, Cameron Nickens and Heriberto Caraballo each added doubles.

But Petrutz gets the nod because his day touched every part of the game.

Two hits.
A double.
An RBI.
Two runs scored.
A stolen base.

That is a winning-style performance, even on a day when the scoreboard did not cooperate.

Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day:
Ian Petrutz, DH, Peoria Chiefs
Final Line: 2-for-5, 2B, RBI, 2 R, SB

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

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: Ian Petrutz, Peoria Chiefs | MLB