Cardinals Farm Report: Lance Lynn and Brayan Pena Rehab; Game Recaps & Notes

On Friday, Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn made his second rehab start with the Palm Beach Cardinals. Lynn underwent Tommy John surgery in November of 2015 and hasn’t pitched at the major-league level since. Nonetheless, the fact that he has two rehab starts under his belt already encourages the possibility of a potential bullpen role for the big-league club in September, and that would be a very remarkable feat for the 29-year-old hurler who was initially slated to miss all of the 2016 season.

Catcher Brayan Pena began a rehab stint with Palm Beach, too. Pena has logged just nine plate appearances as a member of the major-league squad, as he has been dealing with a lingering knee injury since early April..

Palm Beach’s game against the St. Lucie Mets on Sunday was suspended in the top of the fourth inning due to rain. The contest will resume on Friday, August 26, in St. Lucie. The Johnson City Cardinals’ game with the Kingsport Mets was postponed due to weather. No makeup date has been announced at this time.

Friday, August 19

Aces 5, Memphis 2

• Deck McGuire (SP): 6 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Ryan Sherriff (RP): 1.2 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 1 BB
• Alex Mejia (3B): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

A uncharacteristic night for reliever Ryan Sherriff led to a 5-2 defeat for the Redbirds on Friday night, The Aces were able to score four earned runs of Sherriff over the seventh and eighth innings, including two on Aces third baseman Carlos Rivero’s two-run blast in the eighth inning.

RockHounds 9, Springfield 3

• Corey Baker (SP): 4 IP, 5 H, 6 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 4 K
• Bruce Caldwell (SS): 3-4, 2B, 2 RBIs

Two runs in the first, second, and third innings and three more in the fifth paved the path to a 9-3 victory for the RockHounds over the Cardinals on Friday. The RockHounds scored six of their nine runs off Corey Baker, who has allowed nine earned runs over his last two starts. RockHounds center-fielder Brett Vertigan went 3-for-5 with a double and four RBIs in his team’s win.

Mets 7, Palm Beach 3

• Lance Lynn (SP): 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K
• Jack Flaherty (RP -- entered the game after Lynn exited): 6 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 10 K
• Brayan Pena (DH): 0-2, RBI, K

The Mets got to Lance Lynn for three runs (one earned) in his two innings of work and tagged Jack Flaherty with an additional four to cruise to a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals on Friday. Flaherty whiffed ten batters in his six innings but was responsible for four runs that ultimately prove to be unanswered.

LumberKings 2, Peoria 1

• John Kilichowski (SP): 6 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 6 K
• Brian O’Keefe (C):2-4, 2B, HR, RBI, R

The LumberKings pitching staff’s only flaw in their 2-1 win over the Chiefs on Friday was a solo home run in the fourth to catcher Brian O’Keefe. The LumberKings received a very strong outing from starter Kevin Gadea, who pitched seven innings of one run ball and whiffed ten batters.

Crosscutters 3, State College 2

• Greg Tomchick (SP): 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Jeremy Martinez (DH): 1-3, 2B, 2 RBIs

Two throwing errors on one play in the bottom of the fifth inning allowed the Crosscutters to score the go-ahead run in their eventual 3-2 win over the Spikes. The errors were committed by left-fielder Ricardo Bautista and catcher Riley Drongesen and both assisted the Crosscutters in scoring their third run of the game.

Johnson City 15, Pirates 6

• Ramon Santos (SP): 5 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K
• DeAndre Asbury-Heath (LF): 5-5, 2 2Bs, BB, RBI, 3 R
• Jonathan Rivera (DH): 2-6, 3 RBIs, R
• Bryce Denton (3B): 3-6, RBI, 3 R

A fifteen-run performance pieced together by Johnson City’s batting order was more than enough to ensure a victory for the team on Friday over the Pirates, who scored only six runs. On an interesting note, only three of Johnson City’s 20 hits went for extra bases, and the club stranded fourteen runners on base, despite going 11-for-23 with runners in scoring position.

Saturday, August 20

Cubs 6, Memphis 3

• Jeremy Hefner (SP): 5 IP, 9 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K
• Harrison Bader (CF): 2-4, 2 RBIs
• Mike Ohlman (C): 1-4, 2B, RBI, R

Three runs were all the Redbirds could muster off the Cubs’ pitching staff on Saturday, as Iowa doubled up the Redbirds, 6-3. Cubs starter Jordan Pries shut the Redbirds out to a mere two hits in his six innings, whereas Redbirds start Jeremy Hefer was tagged for six runs.

RockHounds 11, Springfield 3

• Daniel Poncedeleon (SP): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K
• Thomas Spitz (RF): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R

A mammoth nine-run eighth inning fueled the RockHounds to an 11-3 win over the Cardinals on Saturday. The eighth inning featured RockHounds right-fielder Joe Bennie’s second home run of the day, a three-run shot, and Cardinals shortstop Alex Mejia’s seventh error, one that very well could have been the second out of a destructive yet positive frame for the hometown RockHounds.

Mets 3, Palm Beach 1

• Junior Fernandez (SP): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 3 K
• Brayan Pena (DH): 2-4, RBI

The Mets scored three runs in the seventh inning off Daniel Bard to take Saturday’s contest over the Cardinals, 3-1. Junior Fernandez held the Mets scoreless through six innings, but Bard, who was appearing in just his third game of the season, walked two batters and hit as many, allowing the Mets to score a trio of tallies without recording a single hit in the frame.

LumberKings 5, Peoria 1

• Ryan Helsley (SP): 4 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 2 K
• Eliezer Alvarez (2B): 3-4, 2B
• Josh Swirchak (3B): 0-2, SF, 2 K

Other than a sacrifice fly off the bat of third baseman Josh Swirchak in the top of the fifth inning, the Chiefs’ side of the run column was silent, as the LumberKings’ pitching staff held Peoria to one run in their 5-1 win on Saturday. LumberKings starter Pedro Vasquez turned in seven innings and was followed by Dylan Silva, who turned in two scoreless innings out of the ‘pen.

State College 13, Scrappers 8

• Bryan Dobzanski (SP): 3.2 IP, 8 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
• Vince Jackson (CF):  3-4, BB, 4 RBIs, 2 R
• Andy Young (2B): 3-6, 3B, HR, 2 RBIs, 2 R

With five three-hit performances and a whopping 23 hits as a team, the Spikes scored thirteen runs en route to a 13-8 win over the Scrappers on Saturday. Yariel Gonzalez, Elier Rodriguez, Ryan McCarvel, Andy Young, and Vince Jackson all recorded three hits. Gonzalez, Rodriguez, Jeremy Martinez, Tommy Edman, and Ricardo Bautista each drove in a run, Young and Danny Hudzina both plated a pair, and Jackson highlighted the offense-heavy day with four RBIs.

Johnson City 4, Pirates 2

• Ross Vance (SP): 7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 6 K
• J.R. Davis (2B): 4-4, 2 R
• Luis Bandes (RF): 3-4, HR, 2 RBIs, R

With seven brilliant innings from starter Ross Vance and big days at the dish from J.R. Davis and Luis Bandes, the Cardinals knocked off the Pirates on Saturday, 4-2. Davis recorded four hits in as many at-bats and scored two runs, including one that accounted for the first RBI of the day for Bandes, who plated two runs and swatted his third home run of the season.

Sunday, August 21

Memphis 4, Cubs 1

• Mike Mayers (SP): 5 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 8 K
• Breyvic Valera (SS): 3-5, RBI
• Carson Kelly (C): 1-4, 2B, RBI

It was Memphis that was able to smile come the end of Sunday’s game, as the Redbirds knocked off the Cubs, 4-1. Mike Mayers turned in five innings, in which he whiffed eight batters and only walked one. The Redbirds did leave nine runners on base, but the four runs that they did push across proved to be plenty.

RockHounds 4, Springfield 3 (F/13)

• J.C. Sulbaran (SP): 5.2 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K
• Bruce Caldwell (2B): 2-6, 2 RBIs

A wild pitch uncorked by Chris Perry in the thirteenth inning allowed RockHounds second baseman Joe Bennie to score the game-winning run for the RockHounds in their 4-3 win over Springfield, The wild pitch could not have come at better time for the RockHounds, who had just drawn two walks to open up the inning.

LumberKings 2, Peoria 1

• Ronnie Williams (SP): 6 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 6 BB, 7 K
• Eliezer Alvarez (2B): 0-2, BB, HBP, 3 SB, R

Ronnie Williams was the tough-luck loser in Sunday’s game between the Chiefs and LumberKings, as Peoria only managed one run on two hits and dropped the game, 2-1. Over his six innings of work, Williams allowed two runs, both solo homers to Logan Taylor and Dalton Kelly, respectively. Williams’ lone run of support came in the fourth inning, but it was to no avail.

State College 5, Scrappers 0

• Jordan Hicks (SP): 5 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K
• Tommy Edman (SS): 2-4, 2B, 3B, BB, RBI, 2 R

Though they failed to record even one-third of the number of hits that they did in Saturday’s game, the Spikes’ five runs on seven hits during Sunday’s contest proved to be plenty, as State College knocked off the Scrappers, 5-0. Jordan Hicks gave State College five shutout innings, in which he whiffed four. For the offensive side of things, the Spikes scored two runs in the first and three across the game’s final two frames.