Cardinals Farm Report: Gomber Continues to Shine; Moss, Carpenter, & Peralta Rehab

On Thursday, the Cardinals sent Brandon Moss on a rehab assignment with the Springfield Cardinals; Moss continued that assignment throughout the weekend and is expected to join the major-league team during their upcoming series with the Reds. Matt Carpenter joined the Springfield squad on Sunday and will meet the Cardinals in St. Louis on Friday, August 5, if all goes well. Jhonny Peralta was assigned to the Palm Beach Cardinals on Sunday and -- like Moss and Carpenter -- is anticipating a return to the big-league roster during the upcoming week.

Prior to the Cardinals’ game on Sunday against the Marlins, the team acquired left-handed relief pitcher Zack Duke from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Charlie Tilson. Duke posted a 2.63 earned run average in 37.2 innings out of Chicago’s bullpen and gives St. Louis’s bullpen a much-needed lift, especially from the left side. As far as the White Sox go, they are getting Tilson, a 23-year-old outfielder who manages a high average and has flashed extra-base power. This year, Tilson batted .282 in 100 games for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds with 28 XBHs, including sixteen doubles, eight triples, and four home runs.

The Johnson City Cardinals’ game with the Kingsport Mets on Thursday was postponed and made up as part of a doubleheader on Friday.

Friday, July 29

Dodgers 9, Memphis 3

• Mike Mayers (SP): 5 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• David Washington (RF): 2-4, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R

Backed by a pair of three-run innings, the Dodgers took the fourth and final game of their series in Memphis, 9-3. The Dodgers scored five runs off Redbirds starter Mike Mayers in his outing of as many innings and went on to score four more times against reliever John Brebbia. A bright side of the game for the Redbirds came in the form of David Washington, who homered on Friday and now has twenty long balls on the season.

Springfield 5, Naturals 4

• Daniel Poncedeleon (SP): 6.2 IP, 9 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K
• Brandon Moss (1B): 0-2, BB
• Jacob Wilson (2B): 1-4, HR, 4 RBIs, R

After the Naturals took a 3-1 lead in the top of the third off Daniel Poncedeleon, Cardinals second baseman Jacob Wilson lifted his teammate off the hook with a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth to put a five in Springfield’s section of the run column that would not be shaken, as the Cardinals defeated the Naturals by a 5-4 score.

Yankees 2, Palm Beach 1

• Matt Pearce (SP): 8 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• Thomas Spitz (RF): 1-3, RBI

By going a measly 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, Palm Beach wasted an eight-inning gem from starter Matt Pearce, making him the tough-luck loser in the Cardinals’ 2-1 loss to the Yankees on Friday. The Yankees scored both of their runs in the seventh inning of the contest, one from Jeff Hendix and one from Zack Zehner, who both recorded their RBIs on extra-base hits.

Peoria 10, River Bandits 4

• Derian Gonzalez (SP): 5 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
• R.J. Dennard (1B): 2-5, HR, 2 RBIs, R
• Carlos Torres (RF): 3-5, 2B, RBI, R

Leaving ten runners on base isn’t always a big deal, considering the Chiefs did so and yet managed to score ten runs on eighteen hits and three walks in their 10-4 win over the River Bandits on Friday. Peoria tallied seven runs (five earned) off River Bandits starter Elieser Hernandez and received at least one hit from all but one batter and an RBI from all but two batters in the victory.

State College 9, Crosscutters 2

• Steven Farinaro (SP): 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K
• Elier Rodriguez (DH): 2-4, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 R

It’s hard to win ballgames when the team does not play a clean defense, and Friday’s game between the Spikes and Crosscutters was no exception. With four errors -- including two by shortstop Arquimedes Gamboa, who now has sixteen on the season -- the Crosscutters fell to the Spikes, 9-2. Crosscutters starter Adonis Medina was chased from the game after allowing seven runs (three earned) through four innings.

Game One: Johnson City 3, Mets 2

• Daniel Castano (SP): 5.2 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Caleb Lopes (2B): 2-3, BB, RBI

The Mets tied the contest at two in the top of the sixth inning, but Cardinals second baseman Caleb Lopes promptly responded in the home-half of the frame with an RBI single to score Johnson City’s third run, which proved to be the game-winning tally for the Cards in their 3-2 victory in the first game of the doubleheader.

Game Two: Mets 6, Johnson City 3

• David Oca (SP): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
• Bryce Denton (3B): 1-3, 2B, R
• Joey Hawkins (SS): 1-3, HR, BB, 2 RBIs, R

In the second game of Friday’s doubleheader, it was the Mets who finished on top, doubling up the Cardinals by a 6-3 score. With a tied game in the seventh, Kingsport plated three runs off Cardinals reliever Anthony Shew, who allowed three runs on five hits and two walks in his lone frame of work.

Saturday, July 30

Express 13, Memphis 7

• Deck McGuire (SP): 2.2 IP, 6 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 3 BB, 3 K
• Breyvic Valera (3B): 3-4, R
• Mike Ohlman (C): 2-4, HR, RBI, R

The Express knocked Redbirds starter Deck McGuire out of the ballgame in the third inning, a frame that the Express scored six times in to tax McGuire with seven earned runs through his 2.2-inning outing in the Express’ 13-7 win on Saturday. In addition to their routing of McGuire, the Express scored a half-dozen runs off Memphis’s bullpen including four off Thomas Lee.

Springfield 1, Naturals 0

• Austin Gomber (SP): 7 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
• Blake Drake (CF): 1-3, RBI
• Luke Voit (1B): 2-3, R

With yet another fine outing, left-hander Austin Gomber led Springfield to a 1-0 win over the Naturals on Saturday. Gomber held the Naturals to one base hit -- a two-out single in the top of the second inning -- over seven innings. Blake Drake’s RBI knock in the second stood up come game’s end, as Corey Baker, Justin Wright, and Ronnie Shaban nailed things down in the contest’s final innings to preserve a win for Gomber and the Cardinals.

Yankees 5, Palm Beach 4

• Ian McKinney (SP): 4.2 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Edmundo Sosa (SS): 2-4, 3B, 3 RBIs, R

The Cardinals took a one-run lead in the fifth, but the Yankees promptly tallied a pair of runs in the top of the sixth and held on for a 5-4 win. Three of the Cardinals’ four runs on Saturday were courtesy of shortstop Edmundo Sosa, who plated two of them on a triple, his second three-bagger in eight games with Palm Beach.

Peoria 1, Timber Rattlers 0

• Dailyn Martinez (SP): 7.1 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
• Jose Martinez (SS): 1-4, RBI

Jose Martinez’s run-scoring groundout in the third was the only run that the Chiefs and starter Dailyn Martinez needed on Saturday, as Peoria took their series opener with the Timber Rattlers, 1-0. With his pitch count over 100, Martinez was lifted from the game with one out in the eighth, though he was hurling like he could have went the distance.

Crosscutters 5, State College 1

• Bryan Dobzanski (SP): 4.1 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 3 BB, 5 K
• Tommy Edman (2B): 1-3, HR, RBI, R

With a splendid day from their pitching staff, the Crosscutters enjoyed a 5-1 win over the Spikes on Saturday. Cole Irvin started for the Crosscutters and allowed one run: a home run to State College second baseman Tommy Edman, his fourth of the season. Aside from that, the Crosscutters prohibited action in the Spikes’ run column, as relievers Blake Quinn and Will Hibbs paired up to shut the Spikes out across the final four innings of the contest.

Johnson City 4, Mets 1

• Ian Oxnevad (SP): 4.2 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 6 K
• Matt Fiedler (RF): 2-4, 2B, RBI

Ian Oxnevad provided the Cardinals with a nice outing on Saturday, allowing one run while lasting just shy of the five-inning mark. His outing preceded even sharper work from relievers Ross Vance and Levi MaVorhis, who -- with four runs of support -- helped pitch the Cardinals to a 4-1 win over the Mets.

Sunday, July 31

Memphis 4, Express 2

• Arturo Reyes (SP): 5 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 4 K
• David Washington (RF): 3-4, HR, 3 RBIs, R

With a grand day at the dish for David Washington, Memphis cruised to a 4-2 win over the Express on Sunday. Arturo Reyes tabbed the start for the Redbirds and turned in five innings of one-run ball. The bullpen backed him up, as John Brebbia pitched the sixth, Miguel Socolovich took care of the seventh and eighth, and Sam Tuivailala successfully closed out the game for his fifteenth save of the season.

Naturals 5, Springfield 2

• Trey Nielsen (SP): 5 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Matt Carpenter (2B): 1-2, BB, R
• Brandon Moss (LF): 0-3, SF, RBI, K

The Naturals scored three times in the fifth inning to smash a 2-2 tie and win Sunday’s game, 5-2. The Naturals did all of their damage off Springfield starter Trey Nielsen, who surrendered five runs in as many innings. Naturals second baseman Corey Toups went 1-4 with a double and three RBIs.

Yankees 6, Palm Beach 0

• Sandy Alcantara (SP): 2.1 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
• Jhonny Peralta (3B/SS): 1-3, 2B

The Yankees’ four-run third inning off Sandy Alcantara proved to be more than necessary in their 6-0 win over the Cardinals on Sunday. The big blow of the third inning came off the bat of Yankees right-fielder Zack Zehner, who laced a two-RBI double cap off the crooked-number inning and end Alcantara’s outing.

Peoria 5, Timber Rattlers 2

• Brennan Leitao (SP): 6 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 4 K
• Magneuris Sierra (CF): 1-4, 2B, R
• Brian O’Keefe (C): 2-3, HR, 3 RBIs, 2 R

After the Timber Rattlers knotted the ballgame at two in the top of the sixth, the Chiefs strung together three runs in their half of the frame to build a 5-2 advantage, the same one they would go on to win the game by. The Chiefs scored all five of their runs off Timber Rattlers starter Jordan Yamamoto. Yamamoto surrendered home runs to catcher Brian O’Keefe and first baseman Chris Chinea in the sixth, Yamamoto’s final inning of work on Sunday.

State College 5, Black Bears 3

• Harley Holt (SP): 3 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 0 K
• Elier Rodriguez (1B): 1-4, 2B, 3 RBIs

The Black Bears owned a 3-1 lead after they batted in the third, but they failed to build on and ultimately dropped Sunday’s matchup with the Spikes, 5-3. State College received a nice day at the plate from first baseman Elier Rodriguez. Rodriguez drove in three runs on a third-inning double, one that put the Spikes ahead in the game for good.

Johnson City 4, Pirates 3 (F/14)

• Frederis Parra (SP): 7.2 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K
• Noel Gonzalez (RP -- pitched the 13 & 14 innings): 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K
• Matt Fiedler (LF): 3-7. 2 2Bs, 3 RBIs

After the Pirates tied the Cardinals at two in the fourth inning of Sunday’s game, the score stood for over seven innings. The Cardinals scored in their half of the twelfth inning but allowed the Pirates to as well, evening the score at three. In the top of the fourteenth against Pirates reliever Robbie Coursel, Cardinals left-fielder Matt Fiedler smacked a line-drive double to right field for the Cardinals’ fourth run, which turned out to be the game winner.