Cardinals Farm Report: Sierra, Bader Have Big Weekends

St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jhonny Peralta had his rehab assignment moved to the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, but he will be out of action for a few days after cutting his thumb severely enough to require stitches.. On Wednesday, May 25, the Cardinals acquired outfielder Jose Martinez from the Kansas City Royals for cash; he was added to the team's 40-man roster and assigned to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, the team he made his organization debut with on Friday.

Friday, May 27

51s 4, Memphis 1

• Alex Reyes (SP): 5 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 7 K
• Jose Martinez (1B): 1-4, 2B
• Tommy Pham (CF): 2-3, R

Alex Reyes was sharp his second start of the season for the Redbirds, but the bullpen let him down in the later innings of Friday’s ballgame. Miguel Socolovich surrendered two runs in the seventh, one coming on a fielding error by Tommy Pham. Memphis could not make up for the runs. The Redbirds finished the night with a total of five hits; their only run of the night came on a sacrifice fly from David Washington in the top of the fourth.

Springfield 1, RoughRiders 0

• Daniel Poncedeleon (SP): 7.2 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K
• Harrison Bader (CF): 1-3, HR, RBI

Daniel Poncedeleon started the game for Springfield on Friday, and he was sharp enough to finish it, too, if his pitch count would have implemented. After crossing the 100-pitch plateau with two outs in the eighth, Poncedeleon was lifted in favor of Ronnie Shaban. There was no score on either side when Poncedeleon was lifted, so it’d be up to Springfield’s bullpen to hold down any lead given. With RoughRiders reliever Ryne Slack pitching with one down in the bottom of the eighth, Springfield outfielder Harrison Bader teed off on his tenth homer of the season, providing the Cardinals with a 1-0 lead that -- despite recording just one other hit (a single by Carson Kelly) -- was enough to win the ballgame.

Palm Beach 3, Hammerheads 2

• Jack Flaherty (SP): 6 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K
• Allen Staton (3B): 3-4, 2 2Bs
• Orlando Olivera (DH): 0-3, 2 RBIs

Jack Flaherty submitted six scoreless innings for Palm Beach, and he ended his day with a one-run lead courtesy of Orlando Olivera’s RBI groundout in the second. The Hammerheads scored two runs off Landon Beck in their final two turns at the dish, but the Cardinals were able to mount a comeback in the bottom of the ninth against Jose Velez. Olivera walked with the bases loaded to tie the game before Oscar Mercado singled in the game-winning tally.

River Bandits 7, Peoria 4

• Brennan Leitao (SP): 5.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 7 K
• Magneuris Sierra (CF): 2-4, 2 RBIs

The River Bandits got to Brennan Leitao for five runs through six innings and added two off of reliever Juan Perez. The Chiefs received an RBI double from Magneuris Sierra in the second inning and run-scoring hits from Vaughn Bryan and Chris Chinea, but that couldn’t quite match the seven runs put up by the River Bandits’ lineup, which had at least one RBI from six of the batting order’s nine spots.

Saturday, May 28

51s 17, Memphis 14

• J.C. Sulbaran (SP): 3.2 IP, 10 H, 10 R, 9 ER, 2 BB, 2 K
• Nick Martini (LF): 4-5, 2 R, 2B, RBI
• Charlie Tilson (CF): 3-6, 2 R, 2B, RBI

In the purest sense of the cliche phrase, Cashman Field, home of the Las Vegas 51s, is a hitter’s ballpark, and that was evident in the game on Saturday night. The 51s had ten runs on the board by the end of the fourth inning against J.C. Sulbaran and appeared to have a pretty hearty lead. The Redbirds plated fourteen runs across the last five innings of play, four coming on home runs from Mike Ohlman and Patrick Wisdom. However, Las Vegas’s seven runs in innings 5-8 were enough to win the ballgame.

Springfield 5, RoughRiders 4

• Trey Nielsen (SP): 7 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 8 K
• Harrison Bader (CF): 2-5, R, 2B, HR, RBI
• Collin Radack (DH): 3-3, RBI

Springfield sent Trey Nielsen to the mound to start Saturday’s game, and he turned in his sixth consecutive start of at least six innings. However, he left the game down by three. Relief pitcher Joey Donofrio allowed a run in the top of the eighth, giving the Cardinals quite the task over the last couple of innings. Harrison Bader homered to lead off the home half of the eighth A pair of base hits later, Paul DeJong rocketed a double to right field. Collin Radack tied the game with a single, preceding Breyvic Valera scoring on a fielding error in the bottom of the ninth to win the game.

Palm Beach 4, Hammerheads 3

• Blake McKnight (SP): 5 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 0 K
• Casey Grayson (1B): 2-2, R, 2B, 2 RBIs

The Hammerheads knocked Palm Beach’s pitching staff around for fourteen hits, including nine off of starter Blake McKnight. The Cardinals turned four double-plays, a key reason why the Hammerheads failed to score more than three runs. Casey Grayson and Allen Staton drove in runs in the third; Grayson scored on a wild pitch in the sixth and drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Peoria 9, River Bandits 2

• Derian Gonzalez (SP): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 E, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Brian O’Keefe (C): 1-5, R, 2 RBIs
• Magneuris Sierra (CF): 3-4, 2 R, 2 2Bs, RBI

Derrian Gonzalez held the River Bandits to one run on five hits through six innings, and the Chiefs put together four crooked-number innings, including a three-run ninth. Five of Peoria’s eleven hits went for extra bases; Magneuris Sierra doubled twice, Edmundo Sosa and Eliezer Alvarez each had a two-bagger, and Brian O’Keefe jacked a two-run homer.

Sunday, May 29

51s 11, Memphis 5

• Jeremy Hefner (SP): 1.2 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Alex Mejia (SS): 2-4, 2B, RBI
• David Washington (1B): 1-3, 2 R, HR, RBI

The 51s scored six runs through the game’s first two innings, which proved to be enough to defeat Memphis on Sunday. The Redbirds scored five times on seven hits, two of the runs coming thanks to errors committed by Las Vegas infielders Danny Muno and Gavin Cecchini. Las Vegas first baseman Marc Krauss hit a three-run homer off of reliever Sam Tuivailala in the eighth, highlighting the 51s’ four-run frame.

Springfield 4, RoughRiders 1

• Andrew Morales (SP): 7 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
• Luke Voit (1B): 1-3, 2 R, HR, 2 RBIs

Andrew Morales limited the RoughRiders’ offense to one run in his seven innings of work, and the Cardinals’ offense backed him up. Luke Voit hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the first off RoughRiders starter Luis Ortiz, which proved to be enough for Morales and relievers John Brebbia and Josh Lucas.

Hammerheads 8, Palm Beach 7

• Jacob Evans (SP): 6.2 IP, 8 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Allen Staton (3B): 2-4, 3 RBIs

Hammerheads starter Jorgan Cavanerio held Palm Beach to five hits through his six-inning outing, and The Cardinals were down by eight runs heading into their half of the eighth inning. Jhohan Acevedo put the Cardinals on the board with a single before Allen Staton drove in two on base hit. Cole Lankford drove in a run in the ninth to draw Palm Beach within four, and Acevedo pulled them to three runs back with an RBI groundout. Casey Grayson singled in a run, accounting for the third run Kyle Fischer had surrendered in his 2/3 innings of work. In what had become a save situation, Scott Lyman entered and allowed one of his inherited runners to score before recorded the game’s final out. Despite their seven runs across the final two frames of play, Palm Beach came up short.

River Bandits 7, Peoria 3

• Sandy Alcantara (SP): 5 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Chris Chinea (DH): 1-4, R, HR, 2 RBIs
• Brian O’Keefe (C): 2-4, R, 2 2Bs

Sandy Alcantara surrendered four runs in his five innings of work, and the Chiefs could not recover. Designated hitter Chris Chinea hit a two-run homer in the top of the second, but Peoria’s only other run came on a wild pitch in the fifth.

*Monday, May 30

*The Springfield Cardinals and Palm Beach Cardinals were off on Monday; they will both resume play on Tuesday.

Memphis 9, 51s 3

• Arturo Reyes (SP): 8 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K
• Charlie Tilson (LF): 2-5, 2B, 3 RBIs
• David Washington (RF): 1-3, HR, R, 2 RBIs

Backed by four two-run innings and a solo homer from Tommy Pham in the first, Arturo Reyes and Memphis cruised to a 9-3 victory over the 51s. The 51s failed to get anything going against Reyes in his eight innings of dominance, but they did tax John Church for three in the bottom of the ninth.

Peoria 6, River Bandits 5

• Jake Woodford (SP): 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Leobaldo Pina (3B): 3-4, 2 R, SB

The Chiefs were down by one run heading into the top of the ninth inning. River Bandits relief pitcher Ralph Garza surrendered four hits, a walk, threw a wild pitch, and hit a batter in a very eventful ninth inning, one where the Chiefs took a one-run lead to win the ballgame. The hit by pitch came at a very unfavorable time for the River Bandits and Garza; Eliezer Alvarez was plunked with the bases loaded, forcing in the go-ahead run.