MiLB Player of the Day: Yohel Pozo

The Cardinal Chronicle
Minor League Player of the Day: Yohel Pozo
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Yohel Pozo did everything he could to drag Memphis back into the game Wednesday afternoon.

The Redbirds did not finish the comeback.

Pozo still earned the headline.

Pozo is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day after going 4-for-5 with two home runs, a double, three RBIs and two runs scored in Memphis’ 10-8 loss to the Nashville Sounds at AutoZone Park.

This was not a quiet four-hit game.

Pozo kept Memphis alive.

The Redbirds fell behind by seven runs early, then had to spend most of the afternoon trying to claw back into a game that Nashville appeared ready to put away. Pozo made sure it never became comfortable for the Sounds.

He doubled. He homered. Then he homered again.

His second home run helped Memphis close the gap late and kept the tying run relevant in a game where the Redbirds continued to push Nashville all the way to the final innings.

That is what a veteran bat is supposed to do.

Pozo did not let the game disappear.

Memphis pushed the tying run to the plate in each of the final four innings, and Pozo’s bat was a major reason why. One day after Joshua Báez delivered one of the most historic offensive performances in Redbirds history, Pozo gave Memphis another big individual night at the plate.

It was not enough to win.

But it was enough to stand out.

Pozo finished with four hits, two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored. On a day when Memphis needed someone to help carry the offense after falling into an early hole, Pozo answered.

Rainiel Rodriguez deserves strong mention after reaching base five times for Springfield, going 3-for-3 with a home run and two walks in a 10-9 loss at Wichita. That is an important development note for one of the Cardinals’ top prospects.

Michael Dattalo also deserves mention after helping Palm Beach beat Jupiter 11-6, driving in runs and staying in the middle of an offense that has opened the series with back-to-back wins.

But Pozo had the biggest offensive line of the day.

Four hits.

Two home runs.

Three RBIs.

A double.

A comeback effort that nearly turned a seven-run deficit into something more.

That earns the honor.

Old School Take

A player cannot erase an early deficit by himself.

But he can make sure the other club has to keep playing.

Yohel Pozo did that Wednesday.

Memphis fell behind big, but Pozo kept swinging. He hit two home runs, added a double, drove in three runs and helped turn what could have been a forgettable loss into a fight to the finish.

The Redbirds lost the game.

Pozo did his part.

That is why Yohel Pozo is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day.

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: Yohel Pozo, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB