Redbirds Win, Cards lose, Chiefs Swept, Palm Beach 17 BB?
The Cardinal Chronicle
Daily Farm Report: Redbirds Win, Cards lose, Chiefs Swept, Palm Beach Roughed Up
St. Louis, Mo.
By Ray Mileur
The Cardinals’ minor league system had one win, a rough doubleheader sweep, another frustrating night in Double-A, and a difficult loss in Jupiter on Thursday, April 30.
Memphis carried the banner with a 5-2 win over Indianapolis, while Springfield lost its fifth straight game, Peoria was swept in a doubleheader at Great Lakes, and Palm Beach endured its largest defeat of the season in a 16-1 loss to Clearwater.
The night also included several minor league transactions, most notably right-hander Tink Hence being transferred from Memphis to the Florida Complex League and Ryan Murphy moving up from Springfield to Memphis.
Memphis Redbirds
Memphis 5, Indianapolis 2
Record: 19-10
The Memphis Redbirds continued their strong start with a 5-2 win over the Indianapolis Indians on Thursday night at AutoZone Park.
Memphis did not outhit Indianapolis, but the Redbirds made enough plays, took advantage of a defensive mistake, and got quality work from the bullpen to secure the win.
Scott Blewett earned the victory, improving to 2-0, after working two scoreless innings in relief. Ryan Murphy, making his Triple-A debut after being transferred from Springfield, closed the game by inducing a groundout in the ninth to stop an Indianapolis comeback attempt.
Brody Moore delivered a key insurance run in the sixth inning with an RBI single that scored Nelson Velázquez and extended the Memphis lead to 5-1.
Indianapolis made things interesting late. Tyler Callihan snapped an 0-for-11 skid with a ninth-inning single, and Ronny Simon followed with a double off the center-field wall to cut the lead to 5-2. Murphy then finished the job.
Indianapolis outhit Memphis 9-7, but the Redbirds played cleaner baseball, committing no errors while the Indians made one.
Next: Memphis continues the series Friday, May 1. Left-hander Pete Hansen is scheduled to start for the Redbirds against Noah Davis.
Springfield Cardinals
Northwest Arkansas 4, Springfield 2
Record: 7-17
For the fourth straight game, the Springfield Cardinals walked away with the same frustrating final score.
Springfield fell 4-2 to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on Thursday night at Arvest Ballpark. It was the Cardinals’ fourth consecutive loss by a 4-2 score and their fifth straight defeat overall.
Chen-Wei Lin took the loss, falling to 1-2. He struck out six over 3 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and one hit batter.
The Springfield offense was quiet for much of the night. Carlos Linarez broke through with the club’s first hit of the game and drove in Springfield’s first run with a fifth-inning single. Jeremy Rivas added a double and scored in the eighth.
There are stretches in a minor league season when the box score starts to feel like it is being copied and pasted. Springfield is in one of those stretches right now — close enough to stay in games, but not doing enough offensively to change the outcome.
Next: Springfield continues the series Friday, May 1, at Northwest Arkansas. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. CT.
Peoria Chiefs
Great Lakes 6, Peoria 3 — Game 1
Great Lakes 5, Peoria 3 — Game 2
Record: 10-13
The Peoria Chiefs were swept in a doubleheader Thursday night at Dow Diamond as Great Lakes used the long ball to take both games.
The Loons hit five home runs across the two games, beating Peoria 6-3 in the opener and 5-3 in the nightcap. The Chiefs have now dropped the first three games of the series after winning five of six against Cedar Rapids last week.
In Game 1, Great Lakes jumped in front immediately when Chuck Davalan opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run. Mike Sirota added a two-run homer in the third to make it 3-0.
Peoria fought back in the fourth. Jesus Báez drove in a run with an RBI single, and Jose Suárez followed with a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 3-2. The Chiefs had a chance for more but left the bases loaded.
Great Lakes pulled away with more power. Davalan hit his second homer of the game in the fourth, and Sirota added his second homer in the sixth.
In Game 2, Peoria took an early lead on a Cade McGee RBI double, but Great Lakes answered quickly. Sirota hit his third home run of the doubleheader, and the Loons took control.
McGee had the best night among the Chiefs hitters. He drove in the first run of the second game with a double, then later tied the game in the sixth with his first home run of the season.
But once again, Peoria could not hold the momentum. Great Lakes answered in the bottom of the sixth, taking the lead on a throwing error and adding another run on a Davalan RBI single.
McGee’s performance was one of the few bright spots on a difficult night.
Next: Peoria looks to get back in the win column Friday, with Yhoiker Fajardo scheduled to start.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Clearwater 16, Palm Beach 1
Record: 15-9
There is no dressing this one up. Palm Beach had a rough night.
The Cardinals fell 16-1 to the Clearwater Threshers on Thursday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Palm Beach pitching issued a season-high 17 walks, and Clearwater took full advantage, scoring its season-high 16 runs.
Starter Jacob Odle took the loss, falling to 1-2. He walked three consecutive hitters with two outs in the first inning, and after an error and another walk, Palm Beach was already in trouble. Kaden Echeman entered in relief but also struggled with command, walking in two more runs before the inning ended.
Clearwater continued to build the lead, scoring three in the first, four in the third, three in the sixth, two in the seventh, three in the eighth and one more in the ninth.
Palm Beach’s lone run came in the third inning when Ryan Mitchell launched his second home run of the season, a solo shot to left field.
It was the Cardinals’ largest defeat of the season and one of those games a club simply has to flush and move past.
Next: Palm Beach continues its series against Clearwater on Friday, May 1.
Minor League Transactions
The Cardinals made several minor league moves Thursday:
RHP Tink Hence was transferred from Memphis to the Florida Complex League.
INF Anyelo Encarnación and RHP Aaron Holiday were placed on the 7-day injured list at Peoria.
INF Tre Richardson III was reinstated from the Development List at Peoria.
RHP Ryan Murphy was transferred from Springfield to Memphis.
OF Mike Antico was placed on the Development List at Memphis.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Cade McGee, Peoria
On a tough night for the Chiefs, Cade McGee stood out.
McGee drove in Peoria’s first run of Game 2 with an RBI double, then delivered a two-out, game-tying solo home run in the sixth inning — his first homer of the season.
The Chiefs did not get the win, but McGee gave Peoria a chance and provided one of the better individual offensive performances in the system Thursday night.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Scott Blewett, Memphis
Scott Blewett gets the nod after helping Memphis secure the system’s only win of the night.
Blewett worked two scoreless innings in relief and earned the victory as the Redbirds beat Indianapolis 5-2. On a night when pitching was a struggle elsewhere in the system, Blewett gave Memphis exactly what it needed — clean innings, stability, and a bridge to the finish line.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports