Sunday Best?, Not So Much
The Cardinal Chronicle
Cardinals Farm Report: Sunday Best? Not So Much
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Sunday was one of those days where the box scores did not need much dressing up.
The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates went 0-4, with Memphis getting hit hard at home, Springfield watching a close game turn into a blowout in one inning, Peoria getting shut out, and Palm Beach’s late rally coming up short.
There were still individual bright spots. Yairo Padilla delivered a grand slam-style swing for Palm Beach with a four-RBI home run, and Tanner Franklin gave Peoria the best pitching performance of the day before the game got away from the bullpen.
But as a system-wide report, this one was rough.
Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A
Overall Record: 55-41
Second Half: 8-13, 10th in the International League West, 6.0 GB
Streak: L2
Iowa 13, Memphis 4
Memphis took an early 1-0 lead, but Iowa took over from there and rolled to a 13-4 win at AutoZone Park.
The Redbirds were held to only four hits, though two of them left the yard. Chase Davis hit his first Triple-A home run, going 1-for-3 with a walk and an RBI. Andy Yerzy also homered, driving in two runs, while Nolan Gorman added a single and Victor Scott II singled and stole his eighth base.
The rest of the offense was quiet. Joshua Báez went 0-for-4, Colton Ledbetter went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, and Noah Mendlinger struck out once in an 0-for-3 day.
On the mound, it was a rough afternoon. Jurrangelo Cijntje was charged with six runs over 3.2 innings, allowing six hits, four walks and a home run. Tink Hence came in with traffic on and allowed both inherited runners to score, while Jared Shuster and Cade Winquest also allowed three runs apiece.
Takeaway: Memphis is still sitting on a strong overall record, but the second half has gone sideways. The Redbirds have dropped two straight and are now 8-13 since the break.
Springfield Cardinals — Double-A
Overall Record: 44-45
Second Half: 13-8, first in the Texas League North, 1.0 game ahead of Tulsa
Streak: L1
Amarillo 13, Springfield 2
For seven innings, Springfield was right there.
Then came the eighth.
Amarillo scored 11 runs in the eighth inning, turning what had been a tight 2-1 game into a 13-2 loss for the Cardinals.
The Springfield offense managed only four hits, but two of them were home runs. Rainiel Rodriguez hit his ninth homer of the season and drove in his 30th run. Jon Jon Gazdar added his seventh home run and drove in his 38th. Zach Levenson doubled, and Tre Richardson III singled and stole his 13th base.
Liam Doyle gave Springfield five innings, allowing two runs on three hits. The concern was the five walks, but he still kept the Cardinals in the game. Michael Watson and Nolan Sparks followed with scoreless innings.
Then the bullpen door came off the hinges. D.J. Carpenter was charged with seven runs while recording just one out, and Hunter Hayes allowed four more in two-thirds of an inning.
Takeaway: Springfield still holds first place in the Texas League North second-half race, but this one got ugly fast. One inning turned a competitive game into a blowout.
Peoria Chiefs — High-A
Overall Record: 41-48
Second Half: 9-14, fifth in the Midwest League West, 5.5 GB
Streak: L2
South Bend 7, Peoria 0
Peoria could not get the offense going in a 7-0 loss to South Bend.
The Chiefs finished with five hits and four walks but could not push a run across. Sammy Hernandez had the best offensive day, going 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. Jack Gurevitch, José Suárez and Luis Pino each added a single.
The best news for Peoria was Tanner Franklin, who gave the Chiefs a strong start. Franklin worked 4.1 innings, allowing just one earned run on one hit, walking one and striking out four.
That was enough to earn Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honors.
The game got away after Franklin left. Gerardo Salas allowed four runs, two earned, in two-thirds of an inning, and the Cubs added single runs against Bobby Olsen and Dominic Freeberger.
Takeaway: Franklin deserved better. Peoria had the pitching start it needed, but the offense was shut out and the bullpen could not hold the line.
Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A
Overall Record: 46-43
Second Half: 13-10, second in the Florida State League East, 1.5 GB
Streak: L1
St. Lucie 8, Palm Beach 6
Palm Beach made it interesting late, but the early hole was too deep in an 8-6 loss to St. Lucie.
The Cardinals trailed 6-0 before finally breaking through in the sixth inning. Then came the seventh, when Yairo Padilla launched a home run and drove in four runs to bring Palm Beach back into the game.
Padilla finished 1-for-5 with a home run, a grand slam down the left-field line, earning Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors.
Ryan Mitchell also had a big game, going 3-for-5 with a home run, an RBI, a run scored and a stolen base. Yordalin Peña hit his 13th home run of the season and drove in his 50th run. Brayden Smith singled and stole two bases, while Ryan Weingartner walked twice and stole his 29th base.
The pitching put Palm Beach behind early. Cade Crossland allowed six runs over 2.1 innings. Gabriel Chinchilla settled things down with five innings of two-run relief, allowing five hits and striking out four, but the damage had already been done.
Takeaway: Palm Beach showed fight, but the Cardinals could not overcome the early deficit. They remain in the second-half race, but now sit 1.5 games behind Daytona.
Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Yairo Padilla, DH, Palm Beach Cardinals
Padilla gets the honor after going 1-for-5 with a home run, a grand slame down the left-field line in Palm Beach’s loss to St. Lucie.
The Cardinals were buried early, but Padilla’s home run gave Palm Beach life and turned a blowout into a ballgame. On a day when the system had limited offensive highlights, his four-RBI swing stood out.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Tanner Franklin, RHP, Peoria Chiefs
Franklin earns the nod after throwing 4.1 innings, allowing one earned run on one hit, walking one and striking out four in Peoria’s loss to South Bend.
The final score was ugly, but Franklin’s outing was not. He gave the Chiefs the best start in the system Sunday and left with the game still very much alive.
The Final Word
There is no way to sugarcoat this one.
The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates went 0-4, and three of the four games had one thing in common: the pitching staffs could not stop the big inning.
Memphis gave up 13. Springfield gave up 11 runs in one inning. Peoria wasted a good start from Tanner Franklin. Palm Beach rallied late but could not overcome a six-run hole.
The bright spots were still there. Padilla drove in four. Franklin was sharp. Rainiel Rodriguez homered again. Chase Davis hit his first Triple-A home run. Ryan Mitchell had three hits and a homer.
But as a farm report, this was one to file under “turn the page.”
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Tanner Franklin, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB