Palm Beach Erupts for 19, Cijntje Shines Despite Springfield Loss
The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinals Farm Report: Palm Beach Erupts for 19, Cijntje Shines Despite Springfield Loss
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Friday night brought a little more life to the Cardinals’ farm system, even if the night still came with two frustrating losses.
Palm Beach exploded for 19 runs in Daytona, Peoria got a strong pitching night from Tanner Franklin and snapped its losing streak, while Memphis and Springfield both let winnable games slip away late.
The full-season affiliates finished 2-2 on the night.
Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A
Overall Record: 54-37, 1st, 2.0 games ahead of Nashville
Second Half: 7-9, L2
Gwinnett 6, Memphis 5
Memphis let another one get away in Gwinnett.
The Redbirds jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, got a late run in the ninth, and still lost 6-5 when Gwinnett scored twice in the bottom of the ninth.
Leo Bernal had the biggest swing for Memphis, launching his 11th home run of the season and driving in three runs. Yohel Pozo added a solo homer, his third of the year, and also doubled. Noah Mendlinger had two hits, while Ramon Mendoza drove in a run.
The concern continues to be the top prospect bats in the middle of the order. Joshua Báez went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk, while Nolan Gorman went 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout.
On the mound, Mason Molina worked four innings, allowing three runs on five hits with two walks and six strikeouts. Hancel Rincón gave Memphis three scoreless innings of relief, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out two.
The game fell apart in the ninth when Cade Winquest allowed two runs on two hits, including a home run, while recording just one out.
Takeaway: Memphis had the lead, had the late bullpen bridge, and still lost. The Redbirds remain in first overall, but back-to-back walk-off losses in Gwinnett sting.
Springfield Cardinals — Double-A
Overall Record: 41-43, 3rd, 15.5 GB
Second Half: 10-6, L1
Tulsa 7, Springfield 5
Springfield had this one lined up for a good road win before Tulsa broke through late.
The Cardinals led 5-2 after four innings, but the Drillers scored four runs in the seventh and added another in the eighth to hand Springfield a 7-5 loss.
The best news of the night was Jurrangelo Cijntje, who gave Springfield six strong innings. The switch-pitching right-hander allowed two runs on four hits, walked one and struck out eight. He threw 85 pitches, 57 for strikes, and gave the Cardinals every chance to win.
Offensively, Rainiel Rodriguez homered and drove in two runs. The home run was his eighth of the season and another reminder of why his bat keeps drawing attention. Deniel Ortiz also drove in two, while Brody Moore singled, walked, drove in a run and stole two bases. Won-Bin Cho did not get a hit, but he reached base three times with three walks.
The bullpen could not hold it. Hunter Hayes and Andrew Schultz combined to allow four runs in the seventh, and Edwin Núñez gave up another run in the eighth.
Takeaway: Cijntje deserved better. Six innings, eight strikeouts and two earned runs should put a club in position to finish the job. Springfield could not get it done late.
Peoria Chiefs — High-A
Overall Record: 39-45, 5th, 10.5 GB
Second Half: 7-11, W1
Peoria 6, Quad Cities 3
Peoria finally got back in the win column, beating Quad Cities 6-3 behind a strong start from Tanner Franklin and a balanced offensive night.
Franklin was excellent, working five innings of one-run baseball, allowing six hits, walking none and striking out nine. He threw 81 pitches, 58 for strikes, and gave the Chiefs a badly needed starting effort after a rough stretch on the mound.
The bullpen did enough from there. Gerardo Salas worked two scoreless innings, Jason Savacool allowed two runs in the eighth, and José Davila handled the ninth.
At the plate, Luis Pino led the way, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBIs. Josh Kross hit his 10th home run of the season, while José Suárez tripled and drove in a run. Michael Dattalo added two hits and an RBI, and Cameron Nickens doubled, walked and drove in a run.
Peoria had 11 hits, four doubles, a triple and a home run. That will play.
Takeaway: After giving up 18 runs the night before, Peoria needed a clean, grown-up win. Franklin set the tone, the lineup produced, and the Chiefs snapped their four-game skid.
Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A
Overall Record: 44-41, 2nd, 1.0 GB
Second Half: 11-8, W1
Palm Beach 19, Daytona 8
Palm Beach did not just win Friday night. The Cardinals emptied the cabinet.
After scoring three runs in the second inning, Palm Beach erupted for 10 runs in the third and rolled to a 19-8 win over Daytona. The Cardinals finished with 14 hits, 18 walks, five doubles and two home runs.
Chase Davis was the headliner, going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and three walks. It was his first home run with Palm Beach, and it came in a game where he reached base five times.
Alex Birge also had a huge night, going 3-for-6 with two doubles and five RBIs. Matthew Miura went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, three runs scored and three walks. Yordalin Peña doubled twice and drove in a run, while Jonathan Mejía walked four times and scored three runs.
This was not normal baseball. Eighteen walks is the kind of number that makes a scorekeeper reach for coffee and mercy.
On the mound, Andrew Dutkanych IV gave Palm Beach needed length in relief, striking out seven over 3.2 innings while allowing two runs. Jesús García finished it with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out two.
Takeaway: Palm Beach had been scuffling, but this was a full offensive reset. Davis had the headline night, Birge drove in five, Miura reached base six times, and the Cardinals stayed right near the top of the overall standings.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Chase Davis, RF, Palm Beach Cardinals
Davis earns the honor after going 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and three walks in Palm Beach’s 19-8 win over Daytona.
That is a complete offensive night. He hit for power, drove in runs, controlled the strike zone and reached base five times. In a game packed with big numbers, Davis stood above the rest.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Springfield Cardinals
Cijntje gets the nod after throwing six innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits, walking one and striking out eight in Springfield’s loss to Tulsa.
He did not get the win, but he gave Springfield the best starting performance in the system Friday night. The strikeouts were there, the walks were limited, and he left the game with the Cardinals in control.
Honorable mention: Tanner Franklin, Peoria — 5 IP, 1 ER, 0 BB, 9 K.
Final Word
Friday was a better night than the previous two, but still not clean.
Palm Beach scored 19 and looked like it might not stop until sunrise. Peoria got a strong pitching performance and snapped its losing streak. Memphis lost another late heartbreaker, and Springfield wasted a strong start from Cijntje.
The system went 2-2, which is progress, but the late-game losses at Memphis and Springfield keep this from feeling like a clean night.
The best signs were clear: Chase Davis had a breakout night, Jurrangelo Cijntje looked sharp, Tanner Franklin missed bats, and Palm Beach’s lineup turned a Friday night in Daytona into batting practice with consequences.
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Photo Credit: Jurrangelo Cijntje, Springfield Cardinals | MLB