The Farm Split a Four-Game Set

The Cardinal Chronicle
Morning Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur

The St. Louis Cardinals’ farm system split a four-game Thursday night, with Springfield and Palm Beach carrying the organization while Memphis let a late lead slip away and Peoria struggled to get its offense moving.

Springfield stayed hot behind a dominant bullpen performance from Brandt Thompson, Palm Beach continued its strong week against Daytona, Memphis suffered its toughest late-inning loss of the season, and Peoria was held to three hits in Beloit.

Memphis Redbirds
25-17, T-1st, International League West

Memphis had this one in hand — until it didn’t.

The Redbirds carried a 5-1 lead into the eighth inning and still led 5-3 entering the ninth, but Jacksonville rallied late and handed Memphis a 7-6 extra-inning loss Thursday afternoon at AutoZone Park. It was the first time this season Memphis lost when leading after either the eighth or ninth inning. The Redbirds had been 19-0 in those situations. (MLB.com)

Memphis got its power from the middle of the order. Leo Bernal hit his fourth home run of the season in the second inning, Joshua Báez followed with a 430-foot two-run shot in the third, and Nelson Velázquez added a solo homer in the sixth. (MLB.com)

Hunter Dobbins gave the Redbirds their best chance to win, turning in his deepest start of the season. The right-hander allowed one run on six hits, walked one and struck out two. Scott Blewett added 1 1/3 scoreless innings in relief, but the late innings got away from Memphis.

Springfield Cardinals
15-21, Texas League North

Springfield’s turnaround continued Thursday night in Tulsa, and this one had a clear heartbeat: Brandt Thompson.

The Cardinals defeated the Drillers 7-2 at ONEOK Field, pushing their winning streak to five games and giving Springfield victories in eight of its last 10. The Cardinals also took the first three games of the six-game road series. (MLB.com)

Jeremy Rivas opened the scoring with a solo home run in the second inning, extending his hitting streak to 11 games — the longest active streak in the Texas League. Trey Paige helped carry the offense, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a sacrifice fly and three RBIs. Rainiel Rodriguez added another encouraging night, finishing 2-for-4 with a walk and his first Double-A RBI. He already has multi-hit games in two of his first three games with Springfield. (MLB.com)

Starter Chen-Wei Lin allowed two runs on seven hits over 4 2/3 innings, but Thompson took over from there and shut the door. The right-hander worked 4 1/3 hitless innings, walked one, struck out five and retired the final 13 batters he faced. That is not just relief work. That is taking possession of a game.

Peoria Chiefs
16-20, Midwest League West

Peoria’s offense never got rolling Thursday night in Beloit.

The Chiefs were held to three hits in a 5-2 loss to the Sky Carp at ABC Supply Stadium. Beloit jumped ahead early on a two-run homer by Connor Caskenette in the first inning and added more damage in the third and fourth to put Peoria in a 5-0 hole. (MLB.com)

Nate Dohm recovered after the early trouble and struck out five, tying a season high. Nolan Sparks gave the Chiefs a lift out of the bullpen, finishing the game with four scoreless innings. (MLB.com)

Tre Richardson III broke through in the sixth with his first home run of the season, and Won-Bin Cho extended his hitting streak to six games with a two-out RBI double in the eighth. But Peoria never found the big inning it needed.

The Chiefs have now lost five of their last six.

Palm Beach Cardinals
20-16, Florida State League East

Palm Beach kept its foot on Daytona.

The Cardinals defeated the Tortugas 7-2 Thursday night at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, taking the first three games of the series and continuing a strong homestand after Wednesday’s doubleheader sweep. (MLB.com)

Palm Beach fell behind twice early, but kept answering. Trevor Haskins tied the game in the second with an RBI single, and Alex Birge tied it again in the fourth with his third home run of the season — his second homer in as many days. (MLB.com)

The Cardinals broke it open in the sixth. After three straight walks, Heriberto Caraballo delivered a sacrifice fly to put Palm Beach ahead. Facundo Velasquez followed with a two-run double, stretching the lead to 5-2. Michael Dattalo later added an RBI single in the eighth as Palm Beach pulled away. (MLB.com)

Starter Ethan Young allowed two runs on four hits over four innings, walking two and striking out six. Alex Breckheimer was outstanding behind him, throwing four scoreless innings while allowing two hits, one walk and striking out six. Antoni Cuello finished it with a scoreless ninth. (MLB.com)

The Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day
Trey Paige, Springfield Cardinals

Trey Paige did not just contribute Thursday night. He controlled the middle of Springfield’s lineup.

Paige reached base four times, going 2-for-2 with two walks, a sacrifice fly and three RBIs in Springfield’s 7-2 win over Tulsa. On a night when the Cardinals kept their winning streak alive, Paige gave the offense the steady, run-producing presence it needed.

Rainiel Rodriguez deserves mention after another two-hit game and his first Double-A RBI. Alex Birge also made noise for Palm Beach with his second home run in as many days. But Paige gets the nod because of the total offensive impact — hits, walks, run production and situational execution.

That is winning baseball. Not flashy for the sake of being flashy. Just a hitter taking what the game gives him and doing something useful with it.

The Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day
Brandt Thompson, Springfield Cardinals

Brandt Thompson turned Thursday night into his own game.

The Springfield right-hander entered in the fifth inning with the Cardinals holding a lead and never gave Tulsa a way back in. Thompson threw 4 1/3 hitless innings, walked one, struck out five and retired the final 13 batters he faced in Springfield’s 7-2 win over the Drillers.

That is about as clean as long relief gets.

Alex Breckheimer made a strong case for Palm Beach with four scoreless innings and six strikeouts, and Hunter Dobbins gave Memphis a quality start before the bullpen let it get away. But Thompson’s work came on the road, in Double-A, with a lead to protect and a winning streak on the line.

The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports