Daily Farm Report: Randy Arozarena Digs the Long Ball

Clean sweep! Every single one of the minor league affiliates in action on Wednesday picked up a win. The day also featured 11 home runs, including multi home run games from Randy Arozarena and Kevin Woodall.

Springfield Cardinals 10, NW Arkansas Naturals 6

Austin Warner (SP): 7 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 5 K’s

Randy Arozarena (RF): 4-4, 2B, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R

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

Lane Thomas (CF): 1-4, HR, RBI, R

Springfield came alive with the bats on Wednesday. The club jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.

Starter Austin Warner (1-3) worked seven scoreless frames while only allowing four hits, dealing no free passes and striking out five. The start was Warner’s best effort at AA since being promoted from Palm Beach.

Ramon Santos relieved Warner to start the eighth inning. Royals’ prospect Khalil Lee opened the frame with a solo homer to right field off of Santos. Santos then induced a groundout, allowed a single, and struck out the next two batters to end the frame.

Trouble started to brew in the top of the ninth, with Santos still on the mound. Two singles, a wild pitch, and a walk loaded the bases with only one out. After a mound visit, one run scored on a groundout to Tommy Edman. A single to left field would score another run and leave runners on first and second with two outs. Kort Peterson then homered to left, scoring three and cutting the Springfield lead to 10-6. Hector Mendoza would relieve Santos and close out the game.

After struggling at Memphis, Randy Arozarena has thrived in Springfield upon demotion. Through 14 games, the young outfielder is slashing .429/.458/.804. The two home run effort on Wednesday gives Arozarena 6 at AA and 10 on the season.

The win improves Springfield’s record to 42-54.

Palm Beach Cardinals 7, Lakeland Flying Tigers 6

Evan Guillory (SP): 3.2 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Dylan Carlson (RF): 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, BB, R

Danny Hudzina (3B): 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Chase Pinder (CF): 1-4, HR, RBI, BB, R

Palm Beach and Lakeland played a tight game on Wednesday, until Palm Beach pulled out in front in the sixth inning and never looked back.

Evan Guillory (1-2) got into trouble early, allowing a leadoff single and a double two batters later. With runners on second and third, Danny Pinero plated the first run of the game with a sac fly. In the next at bat, Troy Montgomery singled to increase the Lakeland lead to 2-0.

Lakeland would record another run in the third on line drive to center field. Two more runs would come in the fourth via a ground rule double to left. Evan Guillory would be replaced by Estarlin Arias.

Palm Beach entered the bottom of the sixth trailing Lakeland 6-3. Ryan McCarvel opened the frame with a walk then advanced on a passed ball. Juan Yepez then grounded out but advanced McCarvel to third. Danny Hudzina then recorded a ground out of his own, but McCarvel scored to cut the deficit to 6-4 with two outs. In the next at bat, Chase Pinder homered to center. Kramer Robertson was then hit by a pitch, putting a runner on before Dylan Carlson launched his third home run at Palm Bach over the left center field wall. The Carlson home run would be the decisive run.

The win moves Palm beach to 51-40 on the year.

Peoria Chiefs 4 at Lansing Lugnuts 2

Alex Fagalde (SP): 6 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 3 BB, 4 K’s

Dennis Ortega (C): 3-5, 2B, 2 RBI

Elehuris Montero (DH): 1-2, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R

Peoria survived a late bottom of the ninth rally to pick up their 53rd win of the season.

Alex Fagalde (5-3) picked up his fifth win in the Midwest League on the back of six scoreless innings of work. The UC Riverside product only allowed five hits, while walking three and striking out four.

The Chiefs opened the scoring in the top of the third. With the bases loaded, Elehuris Montero drew a walk to score Jose Martinez. Two more runs would be added in the top of the fifth with a Dennis Ortega double to center field. Montero picked up his second RBI of the game with a sac fly to right in the top of the ninth.

In the bottom of the ninth, Lansing threatened early when Bryan Dobzanski walked the leadoff batter and hit the next. With two on, Jesus Navarro singled to plate Reggie Pruitt and advance Ryan Gold to second. Dobzanski then induced a groundout and recorded a strikeout to end the game.

State College Spikes 12, at West Virginia Black Bears 3

Chris Holba (SP): 4 IP, 4 H, 3 R, BB, 8 K’s

Delvin Perez (SS): 1-2, 3B, 2 RBI, 3 BB, R

Lars Nootbaar (LF): 3-6, RBI, R

Nick Dunn (2B): 1-3, 3 RBI, 2 BB, R

Delvin Perez got things going in the top of the first, walking with one out then stealing second base (his 4th of the year). After a Justin Toerner single, Stanley Espinal singled to score Perez. Toerner scored on a wild pitch, and Lars Nootbar plated Espinal with a single. 3-0 Spikes. They would pick up one more in the top of the second on a Nick Dunn RBI single.

Those four runs would be all State College needed on Wednesday. Chris Holba came into some trouble in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff single by Zack Kone. Kone came around to score West Virginia’s first run on an Edison Lantigua triple. First rounder Travis Swaggerty doubled to score Lantigua, and two batters later the Spikes would pick up their third run on a ground ball to the pitcher.

State College would pull away by scoring eight runs between the 4th and 7th innings. The win moves State College to 13-19 on the year.

Johnson City Cardinals 7, Bluefield Blue Jays 5

Colin Schmid (SP): 4.1 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Kevin Woodall (RF): 3-3, 3 HR, 6 RBI, 2 BB, 3 R

Donivan Williams (2B): 1-3, BB

Dariel Gomez (1B): 1-2, RBI, 2 BB

Cheers to you, Kevin Woodall. Woodall was the Cardinals’ tenth round pick this year out of Coastal Carolina. He was part of a mini trend in this years draft class, one of a few defensively limited sluggers taken in the top half of the draft. The three home run effort gives Woodall six on the season. Through 86 at bats, he’s slashing .295/.360/.628. The Appy League is a step down from college pitching, but hot starts are always better than the alternative.

Johnson City entered the bottom of the eighth tied 5-5 with Bluefield. With one out, Moises Castillo drew a walk to give the Cardinals a baserunner. A walk and a single in the next two at bats loaded the bases. Woodall walked to put the Cardinals ahead 6-5. Dariel Gomez then was hit by a pitch to extend the lead to 7-5. Evan Sisk picked up the save.

The win moves to Cardinals to 11-15 on the season.

DSL Cardinals Blue 17 at DSL Yankees 4

Inohan Paniagua (SP): 5 IP, 5 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s

Malcom Nunez (3B): 2-5, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, BB, 3 R

Carlos Soler (CF): 3-5, 2B, 4 RBI, BB, 2 R

Freddy De Jesus (1B): 2-6, 2 2B, 2 RBI, R

DSL Cardinals Red 12, DSL Rangers 2

Martin Cordova (SP): 5 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Adanson Cruz (CF): 4-4, 3B, BB, R

Joerlin De Los Santos (LF): 3-5, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

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Thursday’s Probables:

MEM (GM 1): Dakota Hudson

MEM (GM 2): Kevin Hergret

SPR: Sam Tewes

PMB: TBD

PEO: TBD

SC: Jacob Schlesener

JC: TBD