Daily Farm Report: A perfect farm system

It is impossible to have a better day in terms of game result than the Cardinals farm system did Thursday. Eight games, eight wins. Here’s how they all played out:

Memphis Redbirds 5 at New Orleans Baby Cakes 3

Ramon Urias (1B): 2-3, RBI, 2 R

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

Patrick Wisdom (3B): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI’s, BB

Chris Ellis (SP): 4 IP, 0 R, 4 H, 1 BB, 8 K’s

The Redbirds played a pretty good game all around aside from a shady sixth inning.

Adolis Garcia knocked one over the left field wall to give the Redbirds an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second. It didn’t take long for Patrick Wisdom to mash Triple A pitching once again as he hit a 2-run homer in the top of the third to extend it to 3-0.

An RBI single by Ramon Urias made it 4-0 in the top of the fifth. Memphis’ lone bad inning came in the sixth when they gave up three runs in the bottom half.

The Redbirds added an insurance run in the top of the eighth on an Alex Mejia groundout after drawing three straight walks.

Chris Ellis started the game with four scoreless innings and gave up four hits, one walk, and struck out eight. Tyler Webb gave up two runs and four hits in 1 ¹⁄₃ innings out of the pen. Giovanny Gallegos pitched 1 ²⁄₃ and gave up one run.

Andrew Morales (2-3) closed out the final two innings and allowed only one baserunner, who reached on an error.

Memphis moves to 77-52. Their magic number to clinch the division is three. They can do that pretty easily this weekend with a four-game series against Nashville, the only team not mathematically eliminated. Game 1 is tonight at 7:05.

Springfield Cardinals 4 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 3

Jeremy Martinez (C): 2-3, 2B, 2 RBI’s, BB

Andy Young (3B-2B): 2-4, BB

Blake Drake (RF): 2-5, RBI, R

Chris Chinea (1B): 1-4, HR, BB

Evan Kruczynski (SP): 7 IP, 2 R, 4 H, 2 BB, 5 K’s

Springfield’s offense struggled most of the night, but they pulled through in times it mattered most.

Both teams failed to score in the first six innings but Chris Chinea broke that streak with a solo home run to lead off the seventh. NW Arkansas didn’t stay down long as they responded with two runs in the bottom of the seventh. Jeremy Martinez singled in a run in the top of the ninth to tie it and eventually send it to extras.

Chase Pinder began the top of the 10th on second, Andy Young reached on a bunt single that advanced him to third, then Blake Drake reached on a bunt single that scored him. NW Arkansas was able to tie it in the bottom of the 10th to send it to another extra frame.

Martinez hit a sac fly to give Springfield another run in the top of the 11th. This time the Naturals didn’t respond and Springfield took home the victory.

Evan Kruczynski put in seven innings and gave up two runs, four hits, two walks, and struck out five. Derian Gonzalez pitched two scoreless innings out of the pen. Seth Elledge (2-1) also pitched two innings and gave up one unearned run.

Springfield moves to 57-71 and 24-34 in the second half. The fourth game of this series is tonight at 7:05.

Palm Beach Cardinals 6, Fort Myers Miracle 1

Conner Capel (LF): 2-3, 2B, BB, R

Elehuris Montero (3B): 2-3, BB, R

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

Dylan Carlson (RF): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI’s

Ryan McCarvel (1B): 1-3, 2 RBI’s, BB

Michael Wacha (SP): 3.2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 0 BB, 4 K’s

Michael Wacha looked much better in his second rehab start for Palm Beach and the Beach Birds picked up the victory.

Palm Beach took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Ryan McCarvel. Fort Myers tied it in the top of the fourth before Palm Beach exploded for four runs in the bottom of the fifth with major assistance from Fort Myers pitching.

Kramer Robertson scored on a wild pitch, Dylan Carlson hit a sac fly, Elehuris Montero also scored on a wild pitch, and Stefan Trosclair scored on a bases loaded walk. Carlson hit a home run in the seventh to add an additional run.

Wacha pitched 3 ²⁄₃ scoreless innings and gave up one hit, no walks, and struck out four. Ian Oxnevad (6-6) relieved him and gave up a home run to the first batter he faced, but otherwise pitched well. He finished going 5 ¹⁄₃ and gave up that one run, seven hits, one walk, and struck one out.

Palm Beach moves to 69-54 and 30-29 in the second half. They took two of three over Fort Myers and start a three-game home series against Jupiter tonight at 5:30.

Peoria Chiefs 4 at Kane County Cougars 3

Rayder Ascanio (SS): 2-4, BB

Julio Rodriguez (C): 1-4, HR, 3 RBI’s

Jake Dahlberg (SP): 7 IP, 3 R, 8 H, 2 BB, 3 K’s

Peoria used a late rally to attain victory.

Kane County hopped out to a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second. The Chiefs started to trim the gap with an RBI double by Zach Kirtley in the top of the fourth, but Kane County made it up with a run in the bottom of the fourth.

Peoria failed to answer until the top of the eighth when Julio Rodriguez drove in three with a home run to give the Chiefs the lead for good.

Jake Dahlberg (4-1) went seven innings and gave up three runs, eight hits, two walks, and struck out three. Ben Yokley pitched a perfect inning and Kodi Whitley threw a hitless ninth for his ninth save of the season.

Peoria moves to 72-56 and 33-25 in the second half. Peoria will finish a suspended game from July 1 with Beloit tonight at 5, then begin the scheduled four-game series with Beloit tonight at 6:30.

State College Spikes 3, Auburn Doubledays 2

Lars Nootbaar (RF): 2-4, RBI

Stanley Espinal (DH): 2-4

Eli Kraus (SP): 5.1 IP, 1 R, 4 H, 0 BB, 8 K’s

State College continued their streak of good play with a walkoff victory in unique fashion.

The Spikes took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth behind a Lars Nootbaar RBI single and a bases loaded walk for Delvin Perez. Auburn cut the deficit in half in the fifth and tied it in the eighth. The Spikes walked it off in the bottom of the ninth on an Auburn wild pitch.

Eli Kraus did well going 5 ¹⁄₃ and gave up one run, four hits, no walks, and struck out eight. Will Changarotty had a perfect 1 ²⁄₃ innings. Cory Malcom pitched an inning and gave up one run, while Kevin Hamann (1-1) pitched a scoreless inning.

State College moves to 33-32 and are 3.5 games behind first place Mahoning Valley in the Pinckney. Their elimination number is eight. Game 2 of 3 with Auburn is tonight at 6:05.

Johnson City Cardinals 10, Burlington Royals 8

Michael Perri (SS): 3-5, 2B, 3B, RBI, 2 R

Sanel Rosendo (RF): 3-5, 3B, R

Donivan Williams (2B): 3-6, 2B, RBI, 2 R

Andrew Warner (LF): 2-3, 2 RBI’s, 2 R

Liam Sabino (1B): 2-5, 2B, 2 RBI’s

Colin Schmid (SP): 6 IP, 5 R, 4 ER, 8 H, 2 BB, 5 K’s

GCL Cardinals 3, GCL Astros 2

Zack Gahagan (1B): 1-2, RBI, 2 BB

Brian Pirela (SP): 5 IP, 1 R, 3 H, 2 BB, 4 K’s

DSL Cardinals Blue 15 at DSL Rockies 3

Ramon Mendoza (DH): 4-6, 2B, HR, 3 RBI’s, 3 R

Adanson Cruz (CF): 3-5, 2 2B, RBI, 4 R

Diowill Burgos (LF): 2-5, HR, 4 RBI’s, R

Malcom Nunez (3B): 2-4, HR, 2 RBI’s, 2 R

Darlin Moquete (RF): 2-6, 2B, 2 R

Enmanuel Solano (SP): 6 IP, 3 R, 2 ER, 7 H, 1 BB, 9 K’s