Daily Farm Report: O’Reilly and Warner Toss Gems

Three of the four minor league affiliates picked up a win on Wednesday. Memphis outlasted Oklahoma City in a fire fight, Springfield slammed the door early on Northwest Arkansas, and Palm Beach posted a huge ninth inning to complete a comeback. Peoria put up a fight but couldn’t outmatch West Michigan.

Memphis Redbirds 8 Oklahoma City Dodgers 7

Daniel Poncedeleon (SP): 3.2 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 5 BB, 3 K’s

Max Schrock (2B): 2-4, 2B, RBI, R, BB

Tyler O’Neill (RF): 3-5, RBI, R

Carson Kelly (C): 2-5, 2 RBI

Patrick Wisdom (1B): 2-4, 2B, RBI, 2 R, BB

Starter Daniel Poncedeleon was only able to put together a short outing, as command struggles ultimately undid him in the fourth. Lefty Sean Gilmartin came in to relieve and tossed 2.1 scoreless innings with three strikeouts. John Brebbia entered in the eighth and worked a two inning, three strikeout save. Gilmartin would go on to pick up the win.

The Memphis offense got contributions from up and down the line on Wednesday. Every Redbirds starter had at least one hit, and six of them picked up multiple hits. They fell behind 3-1 in the third, but scored two runs in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to pull out ahead. Six of the RBI’s came with two outs. Memphis will take on Oklahoma City again tonight at 7:05 CST.

Springfield Cardinals 7 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 2

Mike O’Reilly (SP): 6 IP, H, R, BB, 9 K’s

Tommy Edman (3B): 1-3, 2B, RBI, R, 2 BB

Lane Thomas (CF): 2-5, 2 RBI, R

John Nogowski (1B): 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI

Mike O’Reilly tossed another gem in his second Double-A start. He allowed his only run and hit in the first inning before settling in. At one point, O’Reilly retired ten batters in a row. The start puts O’Reilly at 2-0 with a spotless 0.00 ERA through 12.1 Double-A innings.

Springfield’s lead was built on a six-run outburst in the second inning. Outfielder Victor Roache started the scoring with a homer to right field off of Natural’s lefty Emilio Ogando. The home run was Roache’s seventh on the season. The remaining five runs would come through small ball. An Edmundo Sosa walk, Luke Dykstra infield single, and Tommy Edman walk combined to load the bases for a Lane Thomas two-RBI single up the middle. Knizner followed with his own RBI single, lacing a base hit to right. First baseman John Nogowski finished the inning with a two RBI double. Springfield plays Northwest Arkansas again at 7:05 CST today.

Palm Beach Cardinals 6 at Florida Fire Frogs 3

Austin Warner (SP): 7 IP, 7 H, 0 R, BB, 10 K’s

Evan Mendoza (3B): 2-4, RBI, BB

Johan Mieses (CF): 2-4, RBI, BB

Andy Young (DH): 2-4, RBI, BB

Lefty Austin Warner tossed a gem of his own to outdo Mike O’Reilly’s. Warner’s 10 K’s allowed him to outdo Fire Frogs starter Bryse Wilson, the 13th ranked prospect in a Braves system loaded with pitching talent. Florida wouldn’t break through until Jesus Cruz came in to relieve Warner. Cruz allowed three runs in two innings of work with three hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.

Palm Beach piled on five runs in the top of the ninth inning. The rally was less an offensive explosion than death by a million paper cuts. The Cardinals offense picked up nine hits on Wednesday, each of them singles, to go along with six walks. The box score isn’t much to write home about. Evan Mendoza continues to flex his hit tool, but the modest power he showed early in the season has all but disappeared. His line through 97 AB’s sits at .309/.356/.381. Andy Young, he of the 37th round selection, continues to produce in the low minors. He's sporting a .309/.380/.593 slash line. Palm Beach will take on the Fire Frogs at 5:30 CST today.

West Michigan Whitecaps 5 at Peoria Chiefs 3

Johan Oviedo (SP): 5.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 6 BB, 2 K’s

Julio Rodriguez (C): 2-4, HR, RBI, R

Nick Plummer (CF): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, R, BB

Scott Hurst (RF): 2-4

Elehuris Montero (3B): 2-4

Peoria couldn’t quite complete the sweep for the farm system. Starter Johan Oviedo struggled to find the strike zone on Thursday. Oviedo was burned for runs in the first, fourth and sixth innings. C.J. Saylor relieved Oviedo and spun two innings of scoreless ball, striking out three while giving up three hits.

The Whitecaps held a 3-0 lead into the fourth before the Chiefs could get on the board. Catcher Julio Rodriguez broke the goose egg with a homer to left. The home run is Rodrigeuz’s fourth on the season. In the sixth inning, second baseman Taylor Bryant drew a walk to set the stage for a two-run Nick Plummer homer to center. Plummer’s needs a breakout season with the bat to regain his prospect luster, and the early returns continue to be strange. He’s still running a ~15% walk rate and has started to show moderate power, but contact issues are still dogging him. His season slash line sits at .203/.356/.390. Peoria will take on West Michigan at 6:30 CST.

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Friday’s Probables

MEM: Dakota Hudson

SPR: Jake Woodford

PMB: Ian Oxnevad

PEO: Evan Guillory