Daily Farm Report: Frederis Parra outpitches Tyler Kolek, Ian McKinney throws seven shutout frames, and three Memphis pitchers combine on a shutout.

Memphis 1 Nashville 0

Notables:

• Greg Garcia (2B): 0-3, 2 K
• Randal Grichuk (CF): 0-4, 2 K, CS
• Stephen Piscotty (RF): 0-2
• Xavier Scruggs (1B): 1-2, 2B, K
• Pete Kozma (SS): 1-2, R, BB, L
• Boone Whiting (SP): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 3 BB, 7 K; 1-1, SF
• Eric Fornataro (RP): 2 IP, H, BB, 3 K
• Dean Kiekhefer (RP): 2 IP, H, K

Notes:

• Whiting threw 81 pitches in his 5 innings and coupled with good work from Kiekhefer and Fornataro shut down a Nashville lineup filled with former big leaguers. His sac bunt set up the Redbirds lone run in the 5th inning, before coming out the game in the next frame.
• It's not been a good season for Greg Garcia.  The power he showed out of gate has disappeared in the last couple of months, but the increase in strikeouts held steady. He's got a .650ish OPS since the beginning of May and even his BB-rate, long his best and most valuable skill, has taken a hit too. Pop Warner dropped him out of the leadoff spot to try and get him going in the last week or so and it hasn't taken. If he's going to have any hope of making his way onto the big league club he needs to turn this thing around, and quickly, because there's some serious pressure behind him in the organization as potential utility players make their way up.
• I don't know why Nashville starter Mike Fiers isn't in the big leagues, but he's certainly dominant enough against the PCL to merit some consideration for that Brewers rotation again.

NW Arkansas 5 Springfield 4

Notables:

• Mike O'Neill (LF): 2-4
• Breyvic Valera (2B): 0-4, K
• Jonathan Rodriguez (1B) 0-4, 2 K
• James Ramsey (RF): 0-3, BB, K
• Rafael Ortega (CF): 1-4, R, K, 2 SB (12)
• Patrick Wisdom (3B): 1-4, R, HR, RBI
• Alex Mejia (SS): 2-3, BB, SB
• Kurt Heyer (SP): 6 IP, 3 H, ER, BB, 3 K, HR
• Sam Tuivailala (RP): 2 IP, 3 K
• Lee Stoppelman (RP): 0.1 IP, 1 H, 3 ER, BB

Notes:

• Mejia has gone 6-18 since being promoted from Palm Beach last weekend -- he's in an age appropriate league now, so if he's going to take off, it's probably got to be now.
• Slingin' Sam T had a nice debut, striking out 3 in two innings on just 25 total pitches, 16 for strikes.
• Most evaluators think that the toughest transition for a minor league hitter is going from A+ to AA, and I think Mr. Consistent would agree after his first few weeks in the Texas League. I think his contact ability is good enough to adjust, but it remains to be seen if he can hit enough to be a viable bench candidate or part time player in the future for the Cardinals. I'm hopeful, because I think Valera would be a very useful utility player given his multi-positional ability, speed, and the fact that he's a switch hitter.

Fort Myers 5 Palm Beach 4

Notables:

• Charlie Tilson (DH): 0-5, K
• Bruce Caldwell (3B): 1-5, R, HR, 2 RBI, 3 K
• Luke Voit (PH-1B): 1-1, RBI
• David Popkins (RF): 0-4
• Mason Katz (2B): 2-2, R, 2B, RBI, 2 BB
• Anthony Garcia (LF): 1-3, 2 K
• Kyle Barraclough (RP): 1.2 IP, 2 H
• Danny Miranda (RP): 1.2 IP, H
• Dixon Llorens (RP): 0.2 IP, H, ER, BB, 2 K

Notes:

Peoria 5 Clinton 3

Notables:

• CJ McElroy (CF): 0-4, 2 K
• Justin Ringo (1B): 1-4, K
• Carson Kelly (C): 0-3, BB
• Ronald Castillo (RF): 1-4, RBI, K
• Luis Perez (LF): 3-4, 2 R, HR, RBI
• Rafael Medina (3B): 2-2, R, 2B, 2 RBI, BB
• Juan Herrera (DH): 2-4, R, RBI, 2 SB (24)
• Chase Brookshire (SP): 5.1 IP, 5 H, ER, BB, 3 K
• Zach Loraine (RP): 2.1 IP, 3 K
• Josh Lucas (RP): 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K

Notes:

• The big bats other than Herrera were pretty quiet for the Chiefs, but Perez and Medina made up for it at the back end of the lineup, accounting for 4 of the 5 runs scored.
• Josh Lucas made his Midwest League debut a good one, striking out two of the five batsmen he faced.

State College 4 Brooklyn 1

Notables:

• Darren Seferina (2B): 2-3, 2B, 2 BB, K, SB (3)
• Danny Diekroeger (3B): 0-2, RBI, K
• Alex De Leon (DH): 1-4, R, 3 K
• Rowan Wick (RF): 1-4, R, 2B, RBI, K
• Nick Thompson (LF): 3-4, R, 2B, RBI
• Cody Schumacher (SP): 5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 7 K

Notes:

• Rowan Wick Dinger Watch: None
• ...although he smacked his 5th double and drove in a run.
• Schumacher, as I mentioned a week or so back, was the Friday starter for Missouri State this year, replacing Cardinal farmhand Nick Petree. He was a senior sign drafted in the 36th round this year but he's been impressive in his four starts with State College so far.

Greeneville 1 Johnson City 0 (10 innings)

Notables:

• Oscar Mercado (SS): 0-4, 2 K
• Casey Turgeon (2B): 1-3, BB, K
• Casey Grayson (1B): 0-4, 2 K
• Chris Rivera (3B): 1-4, 2 K
• Ian McKinney (SP): 7 IP, 5 H, 2 BB, 3 K

Notes:

• McKinney's seven shutout frames dropped his ERA to 0.36 on the season. Why he got sent down to JC after debuting with State College is beyond me, but he's clearly ready for the bump up to the Penn League, even as good as the starting pitching has been for the Spikes
• Chris Rivera continues to get his starts at 3B with Turgeon playing 2B full time.  It's good that he's getting on the field, but I hope this is not a defensive set back for him -- if he can't play 2B, he's going to have a hard time getting the big leagues as I don't think his bat is near good enough to make him valuable at the hot corner.

GCL Cardinals 7 GCL Marlins 5

Notables:

• Edmundo Sosa (SS): 1-4, R, RBI, BB
• Malik Collymore (2B): 0-3, RBI, 2 K
• Elier Rodriguez (DH): 2-4, R, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 K
• Frederis Parra (SP): 6 IP, 3 H, 2 BB, 8 K
• Sasha Keubel (RP): 1 IP, 2 H, ER, K

Notes:

• Tyler Kolek, 2nd overall pick in the 2014 draft and possessor of the 100 mph fastball, started and threw 3 innings while walking 2 and striking out 3.  He also allowed an unearned run in the first when he walked a man, threw two passed balls to move him to third, and allowed a sac fly to Malik Collymore.
• Frederis Parra was clearly the better pitcher on this day, throwing 6 scoreless frames and striking out 8 of the 22 hitters that he faced on the day. Jeff Moore at B-P thinks he's too good for the GCL and should get moved up soon -- I agree, but the Cardinals are slow to promote teenage pitchers as a general rule, so I'd guess he'll get a few more starts stateside before moving to State College or Peoria.
• I'd be interested to hear what Sasha Keubel has to say after a couple of months pitching in the Gulf Roast League. He gave up his senior year at Iowa to sign and I'd guess that he didn't think pitching in 100 degree heat in the afternoon in Florida was his likely destination.

Probables:

Memphis: Gonzales

Springfield: Hald

Palm Beach: Jenkins

Peoria: McKnight

State College: Gomber

Johnson City: Pearce

GCL Cardinals: TBD