Saturday's Farm Report: The Only Win - A Wild One in Peoria

The Cardinal Chronicle
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

Farm Report: Flores Walks It Off, Richardson Stays Red Hot, Memphis and Springfield Fall

The Cardinals’ minor league system had one unforgettable finish Friday night, and it came in Peoria.

Jalin Flores blasted a three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to lift the Chiefs to a wild 14-13 win over Beloit, capping a game that featured 27 runs and 32 combined hits. Tre Richardson III stayed on fire with another monster night, driving in five runs and homering again for Peoria.

Memphis was shut out by Louisville one night after the Redbirds’ pitching staff tied a franchise record with a one-hitter. Springfield dropped its Friday matchup in Frisco despite outhitting the RoughRiders, and Palm Beach’s Friday box showed an 8-2 loss at Tampa after Thursday’s shutout win.

Memphis Redbirds
Record: 37-24, 1st Place, International League West
Result: Louisville 6, Memphis 0

One night after Memphis pitching dominated Louisville in a franchise-record-tying one-hitter, the Redbirds’ offense went quiet in a 6-0 loss at AutoZone Park.

Memphis managed just three hits as Louisville evened the series. Bligh Madris was the bright spot offensively, collecting two of the Redbirds’ three hits. Madris also added a defensive highlight, making a diving snag at first base in the eighth inning to take away a potential hit.

Bruce Zimmermann started for Memphis and worked 5.2 innings. He allowed three runs on six hits, walked one and struck out four. The start pushed his season strikeout total to 71, moving him into the International League lead.

Skylar Hales and Luis Gastelum each turned in a scoreless inning out of the bullpen, with both striking out two.

Nathan Church continued his MLB rehab assignment, going 0-for-3 and exiting after the seventh inning as scheduled. Ramón Urías also continued his rehab work, going 0-for-4 as the designated hitter and remaining in the lineup through the end of the game.

Springfield Cardinals
Record: 25-29, 3rd Place, 9.5 GB, Texas League North
Result: Frisco 11, Springfield 3

Springfield had a strange night in Frisco, outhitting the RoughRiders 8-4 but still falling 11-3.

The difference came down to mistakes and damage. Springfield committed two errors, and Frisco took advantage by scoring six unearned runs. The RoughRiders also hit two three-run home runs, turning a game with limited hits into a lopsided final.

Jurrangelo Cijntje took the loss, allowing five runs, though only two were earned, over four innings. He walked two and struck out six.

Jose Cordoba provided one of the better offensive moments for Springfield, hitting a solo home run in the fifth inning. It was his first Double-A home run and came in just his second game with the Cardinals.

The loss evened Springfield’s series with Frisco at two games apiece.

Peoria Chiefs
Record: 28-27, 3rd Place, 6.5 GB, Midwest league West
Result: Peoria 14, Beloit 13

Peoria delivered the game of the night in the Cardinals’ system, rallying for a dramatic 14-13 walk-off win over Beloit at Dozer Park.

Jalin Flores ended it in the bottom of the ninth with a three-run home run to left-center field, giving the Chiefs their third straight series victory and pushing them above .500 for the first time since Opening Night.

Flores finished 3-for-6 with four RBIs, including the game-winning swing. He also tripled in the first inning to score Jesús Báez and tie the game after Beloit had jumped ahead early.

Tre Richardson III continued his power surge, going 3-for-4 with five RBIs. Richardson homered in the third inning, then homered again in the sixth as Peoria fought back from an 8-4 deficit. He also delivered a two-run single in the seventh to pull the Chiefs within two.

Anyelo Encarnación and Sammy Hernandez hit back-to-back solo home runs in the fourth inning to keep Peoria within striking distance. Jack Gurevitch added a key triple in the sixth, and José Suárez doubled home a run in the eighth to make it 13-11.

The Chiefs entered the ninth trailing by two. Richardson walked, Gurevitch walked, and Flores ended the night with one swing. It was Peoria’s second walk-off win of the season, and Flores has delivered both of them.

Palm Beach Cardinals
Record: 30-25, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB, Florida State League East
Result: Tampa 8, Palm Beach 2

Palm Beach followed Thursday’s 3-0 shutout win over Tampa with an 8-2 loss Friday night, according to the final box score.

The Cardinals had shut out the Tarpons the night before behind strong pitching and late escape work from the bullpen, but Friday’s game went the other direction. Tampa evened things up with an eight-run performance, while Palm Beach managed only two runs.

The available Friday box score confirms the final at Tampa 8, Palm Beach 2. The supplied game story notes from the 3-0 shutout belong to Thursday’s win, not Friday’s loss.

Player of the Day
Jalin Flores, Peoria Chiefs

Jalin Flores is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day.

Flores went 3-for-6 with a triple, a home run and four RBIs in Peoria’s 14-13 win over Beloit. His three-run walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth capped one of the wildest games of the season and pushed the Chiefs above .500.

Tre Richardson III made a very strong case after going 3-for-4 with five RBIs and another two-homer night. On most nights, Richardson gets the honor. But a three-hit game with a walk-off homer is hard to beat.

Flores delivered the swing that ended it.

Pitcher of the Day
Bruce Zimmermann, Memphis Redbirds

Bruce Zimmermann is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day on a night when offense carried most of the system.

Zimmermann worked 5.2 innings for Memphis, allowing three runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He kept Louisville scoreless through the first five innings before the Bats broke through in the sixth.

It was not a flashy Pitcher of the Day line, but it was the strongest starting workload on a difficult night for arms across the system. He also moved into the International League lead with 71 strikeouts on the season, which adds some weight to the outing.

Skylar Hales and Luis Gastelum also deserve mention after each threw a scoreless inning with two strikeouts out of the Memphis bullpen.

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

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Photo Credit: Tre Richardson III | Peoria Star