The Cardinals’ farm system went 3-1 on a wild Friday Night
The Cardinal Chronicle
The Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
The Cardinals’ farm system went 3-1 on Friday night, with Springfield, Peoria and Palm Beach all landing in the win column while Memphis dropped a tough extra-inning game at Omaha. The night featured late bullpen work, a strong Single-A debut, and a four-RBI game from Matt Koperniak.
Memphis Redbirds
Record: 33-22, 1st Place, International League
Result: Omaha 7, Memphis 6 — 10 innings
Memphis let one get away Friday night, falling 7-6 in extra innings to the Omaha Storm Chasers at Werner Park. The loss dropped the Redbirds a half-game behind Rochester for first place in the International League and into a second-place tie with Nashville.
Bruce Zimmermann gave Memphis six innings, allowing three runs on five hits with one walk and four strikeouts. Matt Svanson gave the Redbirds their cleanest relief work, tossing 1.1 scoreless innings and allowing only one baserunner.
Matt Koperniak carried the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs, a new season high for the veteran outfielder. Leo Bernal also had a three-hit night and drove in a run. Joshua Báez did not homer for the first time in the series, but he still scored twice and delivered a key defensive play in the ninth, cutting down the potential winning run at the plate to keep Memphis alive.
Springfield Cardinals
Record: 21-27, 5th Place, 8.5 GB, Texas League North
Result: Springfield 6, Wichita 3
Springfield picked up a 6-3 win over the Wichita Wind Surge on Friday night. The official box page confirmed the final score, though the full stat table was not cleanly available through the public page.
The win continued a better stretch for Springfield after opening the week with momentum against Wichita. Lars Nootbaar’s rehab assignment had already brought extra attention to Route 66 Stadium earlier in the series, and the Cardinals kept the week moving in the right direction with another home victory.
With the win, Springfield improved to 21-27 and remains in the Texas League North race from the back half of the division.
Peoria Chiefs
Record: 23-26, 6.th Place, 7.0 GB, Midwest League West
Result: Peoria 7, Wisconsin 5 — 10 innings
Peoria showed some backbone Friday night, rallying for a 7-5 extra-inning win over Wisconsin. The Chiefs trailed early, fought back, and then leaned on the bullpen to finish the job.
Leonel Sequera allowed three runs in the first inning, but Peoria began chipping away in the second when Sammy Hernandez blasted a two-run homer, his second long ball of the week. Luis Pino added a solo home run in the fifth, and the Chiefs tied the game in the sixth when Cameron Nickens scored on a wild pitch and Tre Richardson III brought home Jalin Flores with a sacrifice fly.
The bullpen won this game. Jawilme Ramírez entered in the sixth and retired eight straight hitters after walking the first batter he faced, striking out five over 2.2 innings. Dominic Freeberger followed with two shutout innings, stranded the winning run in the ninth, and then escaped trouble again in the 10th to earn the win.
In the 10th, Jesús Báez dropped a double down the right-field line to put two runners in scoring position. Nickens delivered the go-ahead sacrifice fly, and Báez later scored on a ground ball and a low throw to give Peoria the 7-5 lead.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Record: 27-22, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB, FSL East
Result: Palm Beach 7, Lakeland 5
Palm Beach built a 7-0 lead and then held on late for a 7-5 win over Lakeland at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. The victory gave the Beach Birds a 3-1 series advantage over the Flying Tigers.
Yordalin Peña opened the scoring with his fourth home run of the season, a solo shot in the second inning. In the third, Chase Heath lined a two-run double into the left-center gap, and Peña followed with an RBI single to make it 4-0.
Brian Holiday made his Single-A debut and gave Palm Beach four scoreless innings, allowing only one hit and one walk while striking out three. That is the kind of first impression a young pitcher wants to make. No fireworks, no drama, just outs.
Palm Beach added two more runs in the fifth, including an RBI single from Heath, then pushed the lead to 7-0 in the sixth when a balk brought home another run. Lakeland rallied late, scoring twice in the seventh and three times in the eighth, but Jesus Garcia worked the final two innings and earned his first career save in his second Single-A outing. (MLB.com)
Player of the Day
Matt Koperniak, Memphis Redbirds
Matt Koperniak gets the nod after going 3-for-4 with a double and four RBIs in Memphis’ 7-6 extra-inning loss at Omaha.
It came in a losing effort, but Koperniak’s bat kept Memphis in the game all night. Four RBIs marked a season high, and on a night when the Redbirds needed offense, he delivered it.
Yordalin Peña and Chase Heath both deserve strong mention for Palm Beach, but Koperniak’s production was the loudest bat on the board.
Pitcher of the Day
Brian Holiday, Palm Beach Cardinals
Brian Holiday earns Pitcher of the Day after making his Single-A debut with four scoreless innings for Palm Beach.
Holiday allowed just one hit, walked one and struck out three. He did not factor in the decision, but he gave Palm Beach exactly what it needed: a clean start, early control, and a foundation for a 7-5 win.
Jawilme Ramírez also deserves mention after striking out five over 2.2 scoreless innings for Peoria in a tight extra-inning win.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports
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Photo Credit: Lars Nootbaar, Springfield Cardinals