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Adolis Garcia had a monster day for Memphis in a bit of an underwhelming day for the Cardinals farm system Thursday. Aside from Memphis, State College and Johnson City picked up victories. Springfield, Palm Beach, Peoria, the GCL team, and both DSL teams lost.
Memphis Redbirds 12 at Salt Lake Bees 3
Adolis Garcia (RF): 3-4, 3 HR, 8 RBI’s, BB, 3 R
Alex Mejia (2B): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI’s, 2 R
Oscar Mercado (CF): 2-5, HR, 2 RBI’s, 2 R
Luke Voit (1B): 2-5, 2 2B, R
Rangel Ravelo (LF): 2-5, 2B, R
Chris Ellis (SP): 5 IP, 3 R, 5 H, 6 BB, 3 K’s
Adolis Garcia hit three home runs and put his name atop the record book in a blowout win for the Redbirds.
The monumental night started early with a three-run homer from Garcia in the top of the first. Oscar Mercado hit a two-run home run in the top of the second to give the Redbirds an early 5-0 lead.
Salt Lake kept it competitive early on scoring two in the bottom of the third and one in the bottom of the fourth to make it 5-3.
Chris Ellis (3-2) pitched five innings and gave up three runs, five hits, six walks, and struck out three. Memphis pulled away in the top of the sixth.
You wouldn’t be surprised on this night to know it was Garcia who led the charge. A grand slam extended Memphis’ lead to 9-3. Alex Mejia continued the night of the long ball with a two-run shot in the top of the seventh.
Andrew Morales pitched the sixth and seventh innings and gave up two hits while striking out two.
Garcia capped his night off with a solo home run in the top of the eighth, his eighth RBI of the night, which ties the franchise record for RBI’s in a game.
Landon Beck pitched the final two innings and gave up one hit, one walk, and struck out three.
Memphis moves to 66-38 and is 15.0 games ahead of second place Round Rock in the American Southern. They won two of three over Salt Lake and begin a four-game series in Las Vegas tonight at 9:05.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals 7 at Springfield Cardinals 4
Andrew Knizner (C): 2-4, R
Johan Mieses (LF): 1-4, HR
Andy Young (3B): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI’s
Mike O’Reilly (SP): 5.1 IP, 6 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 4 BB, 3 K’s
Springfield tried to make a late run, but a lack of offense throughout most of the night was their downfall as they saw their five-game win streak snapped.
Northwest Arkansas got on the board first with a run in the top of the fourth and another run in the top of the fifth.
Mike O’Reilly (3-5) was pulled for Ramon Santos with an out in the top of the sixth after giving up a leadoff walk, committing a throwing error, and giving up a two-run double. O’Reilly finished giving up six runs, four earned, eight hits, four walks, and struck out three. NW Arkansas scored four total runs that inning to make it a 6-0 lead.
Springfield ended the scoring drought in the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run from Johan Mieses. NW Arkansas added another run in the top of the seventh.
Santos pitched through the eighth inning to finish at 2 2⁄3 innings giving up one run, three hits, two walks, and struck out two.
Eric Carter pitched the ninth and gave up one hit and struck out two.
Springfield made an attempt in the bottom of the ninth but the deficit was too large to overcome. Andrew Knizner reached on an error to start the inning and Andy Young made them pay for it by hitting one over the left field wall. Randy Arozarena later hit an RBI single but that’s all Springfield could do.
Springfield falls to 47-57, 14-20 in the second half, and is 7.5 games behind first place Tulsa in the North. Game 2 of 4 is tonight at 7:10.
Tampa Tarpons 6, Palm Beach Cardinals 4
Irving Lopez (2B): 2-4, RBI
Ryan McCarvel (DH): 2-4, RBI
Jake Walsh (SP): 6 IP, 2 R, 7 H, 2 BB, 5 K’s
Jake Walsh put together a decent outing, but the offense struggled and the bullpen couldn’t hold on to a late lead. We’ve heard that scenario before.
Tampa came out of the gates early with a run in the first and second to open up a 2-0 lead. Palm Beach responded with a run in the top of the third on an RBI double by Kramer Robertson.
Walsh settled down after the first two innings and ended the night pitching six innings and giving up two runs, seven hits, two walks, and struck out five.
Irving Lopez hit an RBI single to tie the game in the top of the seventh. Tampa quickly retook the lead with a run in the bottom of the seventh.
Palm Beach got their first lead of the game in the top of the eighth with RBI singles from Stefan Trosclair and Ryan McCarvel.
John Kilichowski was pulled after getting an out and giving up a walk in the bottom of the eighth. He pitched 1 1⁄3 and was tagged for two runs, two hits, and one walk. Estarlin Arias relieved him and allowed the inherited runner to score plus two more, giving Tampa a 6-4 lead.
Palm Beach hit three ground outs in the top of the ninth to end the game.
Palm Beach falls to 54-43, 15-18 in the second half, and is 3.0 games behind first place Charlotte in the South. Game 2 of 4 with Tampa is tonight at 5:30.
Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3 at Peoria Chiefs 1
J.R. Davis (CF): 2-4
Paul Balestrieri (SP): 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 8 K’s
Paul Balestrieri put together a good start, but the offense had nothing going all night long.
Peoria actually took the first lead of the game with an RBI single by Zach Kirley in the bottom of the fourth, but that’s all they could muster all game long. Wisconsin tied it in the top of the sixth.
Balestrieri pitched six innings and gave up one run, five hits, one walk, and struck out eight.
C.J. Saylor entered in the seventh and gave up the go-ahead run that inning and another run in the eighth. He also gave up three hits and struck out three in his two innings.
Robbie Gordon pitched the ninth and gave up a hit and had a strikeout.
Peoria falls to 58-43, 19-12 in the second half, and is 4.0 games behind first place Cedar Rapids in the Western. They’ve split the first two games with Wisconsin and the series finale is tonight at 7.
State College Spikes 6 at Connecticut Tigers 0
Brandon Benson (LF): 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI’s, BB, R
Delvin Perez (SS): 2-5, 2 RBI’s
Brady Whalen (1B): 2-5, 2B, R
Jacob Schlesener (SP): 5 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 1 BB, 7 K’s
State College used consistent offense and outstanding pitching to pick up a good win.
Delvin Perez hit an RBI single to give State College a 1-0 lead in the top of the third. A 2-RBI double by Brandon Benson in the top of the fourth made it 3-0. Stanley Espinal singled in a run in the top of the fifth.
Jacob Schlesener’s (1-3) night ended after five scoreless innings and he gave up one hit, one walk, and struck out seven.
Another RBI single by Perez in the top of the sixth added another run to make it 5-0 State.
Eli Kraus pitched the bottom of the sixth and gave up one hit and struck out two.
State College was held scoreless in the seventh but Connecticut helped them add one more run in the top of the eighth. Wayde Ynfante led off the inning with a walk, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and scored on a throwing error.
Franyel Casadilla pitched the final three innings and gave up two walks while striking out three.
State College moves to 15-23 and is 9.5 games behind first place Mahoning Valley in the Pinckney. They lost two of three to Connecticut and start a three-game series at Lowell tonight at 5:35.
Johnson City Cardinals 2 at Pulaski Yankees 1
Kevin Woodall (RF): 2-3, 2B, RBI, BB, R
Leandro Cedeno (1B): 2-4
Tommy Parsons (SP): 6 IP, 1 R, 5 H, 1 BB, 4 K’s
Johnson City also used very stellar pitching to help lead them to victory.
Nobody got on the board until the bottom of the fifth, when Pulaski scored their only run of the game. It didn’t last long as Johnson City’s two runs came in the top of the sixth when Kevin Woodall and Carlos Soto had RBI doubles.
Tommy Parsons (2-1) threw six innings and allowed one run, five hits, one walk, and struck out four. Michael Brettell had a scoreless inning and Parker Kelly pitched two scoreless innings.
Johnson City moves to 16-18 and is 5.0 games behind first place Elizabethton in the West. They won two of three against Pulaski and start a three-game home series against Danville tonight at 7.
GCL Nationals 8 at GCL Cardinals 3
Scott Hurst (LF): 2-2, 2B, RBI, BB
Andrew Warner (DH): 1-4, 2B, 2 RBI’s
Chris Hunt (SP): 6 IP, 1 R, 2 H, 0 BB, 2 K’s
DSL Phillies Red 3, DSL Cardinals Blue 0
Malcom Nunez (3B): 3-4, 2 2B
Hector Soto (SP): 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 0 BB, 6 K’s
DSL Phillies White 8 at DSL Cardinals Red 4
Joerlin De Los Santos (LF): 3-4, RBI, BB, R
Franklin Soto (DH): 3-4, BB
Adanson Cruz (CF): 1-5, 3B, 2 RBI’s
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Friday’s Probables
MEM: Jake Woodford
SPR: Anthony Shew
PMB: TBD
PEO: Alvaro Seijas
SC: Jim Voyles
JC: TBD