Daily Farm Report: Dakota Hudson Pulled From Start

The Cardinals could be on the verge of seeing another pitching prospect make his major league debut. Dakota Hudson was pulled early during his Wednesday start, leading to speculation that the righty was being promoted. A promotion could be in the cards, granted circumstances conspire in the next few days to make a spot start necessary. Given that John Gant threw yesterday against the Reds, Hudson appears to be the backup plan if: (1) Carlos Martinez, who throws Friday with plans to start on Monday, isn’t ready to come back yet, or (2) Austin Gomber, who is in line to start either Sunday or Monday, is needed in relief before then.

Elsewhere on the farm, the minor league affiliates turned in a split card. Here’s what happened.

Salt Lake Bees 7, Memphis Redbirds 5

Dakota Hudson (SP): 1 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 0 K

Conner Greene (RP): 3.2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 1 K

Oscar Mercado (CF): 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Tyler O’Neill (LF): 1-2, 2 BB, R

The aforementioned Hudson began his shortened outing by putting away the Bees in order in the top of the first. In the second, Hudson walked the leadoff batter and allowed a single before being pulled in favor of Tyler Webb. Both of Hudson’s baserunners came around to score. The Bees tagged Webb for three more runs in the inning. 5-0 Bees.

Memphis didn’t threaten until the top of the fourth. With one out, Tyler O’Neill drew a walk. Adolis Garcia then doubled to advance O’Neill to third. With two on, Max Schrock hit a sac fly to score O’Neill. 5-1 Bees.

The cut lead would be short lived, as the Bees tagged on two more runs in the bottom of the frame. Memphis would score late but could not overcome the deficit. Memphis is now 65-38.

Springfield Cardinals 5 at Tulsa Drillers 2

Connor Jones (SP): 6.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Randy Arozarena (RF): 2-3, 2B, R

Andy Young (2B): 1-4, 2 RBI, R

Jeremy Martinez (C): 2-4, RBI, BB

Springfield took this game into extra innings before being able to close things out. The Cardinals took an early lead in the third, when Randy Arozarena was driven in by Evan Mendoza after hitting a one-out double. Tulsa tied the game in the fifth on a ground ball single RBI.

The game ultimately went into extra innings. In the top of the tenth with Blake Drake on second, Lane Thomas walked to put two on. A Randy Arozarena sac fly advanced bot runners to 2nd and 3rd. After Mendoza was intentionally walked, Andy Young singled on a soft liner to score the go ahead runs. Victor Roache and Jeremy Martinez added RBI’s of their own. 5-1 Cardinals. Tulsa plated one in the bottom of the tenth but couldn’t pull off the comeback.

Springfield is now 47-56 on the season.

Palm Beach Cardinals 7 at Daytona Tortugas 4

Evan Kruczynski (SP): 6 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 5 K’s

Stefan Trosclair (1B): 2-4, 3B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Danny Hudzina (3B): 1-4, HR, 2 RBI, R

Kramer Robertson (SS): 2-5, 3B, 2 R

Palm Beach fell into an early hole, allowing two runs in the bottom of the second. The Cardinals responded in the top of the third. Trosclar tripled with one out, before Hudzina hit his fourth home run of the season. Robertson then recorded a triple of his own before scoring on an Irving Lopez sac fly. 3-2 Palm Beach.

The Cardinals traded runs with the Tortugas and entered the sixth tied 4-4. J.B. Woodman led off the frame with a double before Shane Billings added a double of his own. Jose Godoy then hit a sac fly to score Woodman and advance Billings. Billings would come around to score on a Trosclair groundout. Those runs would prove to be the difference in the game.

Palm Beach is now 54-42.

Peoria Chiefs 7, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 5

Angel Rondon (SP): 6.2 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 11 K’s

Yariel Gonzalez (3B): 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, R

Rayder Ascanio (SS): 3-4, 2B, 3 RBI, R

Dennis Ortega (C): 1-3, 2B, BB, 2 R

Angel Rondon turned in a mixed bag of a start on Wednesday, allowing four earned runs but striking out eleven and only walking two.

Peoria opened the scoring in the bottom of the first when Yariel Gonzalez double to right to score Elehuris Montero. Wisconsin responded in the top of the fourth, when Zack Clark put a three run homer over the left field wall. Peoria responded quickly, added four runs in the bottom of the frame.

Wisconsin would add another run in the top of the 5th, before Yariel Gonzalez put the game out of reach in the bottom of the frame with a home run to left center. The homer was Gonzalez’s seventh of the season.

Peoria is now 58-42.

Connecticut Tigers 3, State College Spikes 0

Michael Baird (SP): 5 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 BB

Delvin Perez (SS): 1-4

Edwin Figuera (3B): 1-3, BB

There isn’t too much to report from State College’s game on Wednesday. Starter Michael Baird turned in a stellar, if somewhat short, start. The big righty has been lights out through 19.1 innings at State College so far. Baird is running a 1.86 ERA while striking out nearly 10 batters per nine and walking less than one.

Despite Baird’s stellar outing, the Spikes offense wasn’t able to help in any way shape or form. The Spikes only recorded two hits, neither of them for extra bases.

State College’s loss drops their record to 14-23 on the year.

Pulaski Yankees 12, Johnson City Cardinals 6

Dionis Zamora (SP): 5.2 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 6 K’s

Leandro Cedeno (1B): 2-4, 2B, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Dariel Gomez (DH): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, BB, R

Nolan Gorman (3B): 1-3, 2 BB, R

GCL Cardinals 8, GCL Marlins 6

Brian Pirela (SP): 6 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Mateo Gil (SS): 2-5, RBI, R

Andrew Warner (LF): 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Josh Shaw (3B): 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI, R

DSL Cardinals Blue 12, DSL Phillies Red 3

Enmanuel Solano (SP): 6 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Malcom Nunez (1B): 3-5, HR, RBI, 3 R, SB

Jean Selmo (DH): 3-4, HR, 4 RBI, 3 R

Carlos Soler (CF): 2-5, RBI, 2 R

DSL Phillies White 9, DSL Cardinals Red 4

Luis Ortiz (SP): 4.1 IP, 10 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s

Francisco Hernandez (3B): 2-4, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

~

Thursday’s Probables

MEM: Chris Ellis

SPR: TBD

PMB: TBD

PEO: Paul Balestrieri

SC: Jacob Schlesener

JC: Tommy Parsons