Yhoiker Fajardo: MiLB Pitcher of the Day
THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Yhoiker Fajardo Deals as Springfield Stops the Slide
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Yhoiker Fajardo gave Springfield exactly what it needed Wednesday night to get back in the win column.
A clean start.
A steady hand.
And a chance to get back in the win column.
Fajardo is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working 5.2 scoreless innings in Springfield’s 3-1 win over Northwest Arkansas at Route 66 Stadium.
His final line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
That is a first-place kind of start.
Springfield entered the night trying to put a rough stretch behind it, and Fajardo made sure the game never got away. He held Northwest Arkansas to three hits, worked around two walks and struck out five, handing the ball to the bullpen with the Cardinals in control.
The Naturals never scored against him.
That was the difference.
Fajardo threw 86 pitches, 52 for strikes, and kept the ball on the ground. He recorded nine groundouts and only two flyouts, which tells part of the story. This was not just swing-and-miss. This was a pitcher controlling contact, staying out of big innings and making Northwest Arkansas earn everything.
They did not earn much.
The Springfield bullpen followed his lead. Sandro Santana worked 1.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts. Domenic Picone handled a clean eighth with two strikeouts. Randel Clemente allowed one run in the ninth, but finished off the win.
As a staff, Springfield pitching combined for:
9.0 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 10 K
That is how you stop a losing streak.
The offense did enough to support the pitching. Jesús Báez drove in his 40th run of the season. Jack Gurevitch added an RBI. Zach Levenson doubled and drove in a run. Tre Richardson III walked, stole his 17th base and scored.
It was not an offensive explosion.
It did not have to be.
Not with Fajardo setting the tone.
This was the kind of game where one strong start changed the whole feel of the night. Springfield played clean baseball, the pitching staff kept Northwest Arkansas quiet, and the Cardinals stayed on top in the Texas League North.
Fajardo gave them the start they needed.
Five and two-thirds scoreless innings.
Three hits allowed.
Five strikeouts.
A Springfield win.
That earns the spotlight.
Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day:
Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Springfield Cardinals
Final Line: 5.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
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Photo Credit: Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Springfield Cardinals | MLB.com