Daily Farm Report: Memphis Launches Trio Of Long Balls

The farm system delivered a mixed performance on Wednesday. With Palm Beach postponed, the affiliates went a collective 3-4. Memphis was the only full season team to pick up a win.

Memphis Redbirds 8 at Round Rock Express 4

Chris Ellis (SP): 5 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Wilfredo Tovar (LF): 3-4, HR, 2 RBI, R

Lane Thomas (CF): 1-5, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Edmundo Sosa (SS): 1-2, HR, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R

Memphis opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Alex Mejia led off the inning with a walk, but was erased on a Randy Arozarena ground ball. Arozarena reached safely, and later scored on a Lane Thomas homer. 2-0 Redbirds.

The Redbirds added two more home runs in the game, one courtesy of Edmundo Sosa in the third inning and the other by Wilfredo Tovar in the eighth.

Round Rock’s offense didn’t show real signs of life until the bottom of the ninth. With their backs against the wall, the first three runners reached on Edward Mujica to load the bases with no one out. One run scored on a sac fly and two more followed on a double. The lead was big enough, however, and Mujica ended the game via fly out.

Memphis is now 81-54.

Arkansas Travelers 7 at Springfield Cardinals 5

Evan Kruczynski (SP): 6.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s

Johan Mieses (RF): 1-4, HR, RBI, 2 R

Victor Roache (LF): 2-3, 2B, RBI, R

Chris Chinea (1B): 1-3, 2 RBI, BB

While Memphis held off a late rally to win, Springfield failed to convert on a late rally of their own.

The game entered the seventh inning knotted up 2-2. Starter Evan Kruczynski cruised through six solid innings before running into trouble. The top of the seventh began with a walk and a single. The following batter swatted a grounder that yielded one out but put runners on the corners. The second out came at home on a fielder’s choice. Kruczynski seemed on his way out of a jam before being pulled in favor of Junior Fernandez. Fernandez entered with runners on first and second with two outs and promptly allowed a single to load the bases. Every single runner would come around to score and Arkansas left the inning leading 6-2. They would add one more in the eighth.

The ninth inning Springfield rally began with an Andrew Knizner single to center. After a fielder’s choice, Evan Mendoza singled to put two runners on. A Victor Roache double scored the first run of the rally and moved Mendoza to third. Chris Chinea then singled to score both Mendoza and Roache. Arkansas responded with a pitching change, bringing in Matt Festa to replace Wyatt Mills. Festa got the final two outs via ground out and strikeout.

Springfield is now 59-75.

Kane County Cougars 6 at Peoria Chiefs 0

Jake Dahlberg (SP): 7 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 1 BB, 7 K’s

Zach Kirtley (1B): 2-4, 2B

Julio Rodriguez (DH): 1-3

Dennis Ortega (C): 1-4

While the first two games recapped here were relatively close, Peoria never even sniffed a win on Wednesday.

The Chiefs racked up only six hits on the day, only one of which went for extra bases. Jake Dahlberg picked up a lot of the slack for Peoria. Dahlberg shut down the Cougars for six frames, not running into trouble until the seventh. It was death by small ball, with four singles and one unfortunate wild pitch combining for three runs.

Kane County picked up three more runs in the ninth and Peoria never threatened a comeback. The Chiefs are now 76-58.

West Virginia Black Bears 13 at State College Spikes 3

Chris Holba (SP): 2 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Stanley Espinal (3B): 2-4, 2B, HR, 3 RBI, R

Lars Nootbaar (RF): 1-4, R

Edwin Figura (2B): 1-4, R

State College was no match for West Virginia on Wednesday. The Black Bears enjoyed an offensive explosion, tallying thirteen runs on fifteen hits. Three of those hits were long balls.

The first of the Black Bear homers came in the top of the first off of Holba and put West Virginia up 2-0. The Spikes responded in the bottom of the inning, putting two runners on and bringing them all the way around via Stanley Espinal double.

The Black Bears homered again in the top of the second, this time a solo shot to regain the lead. They added a triple, a double, and four more runs in the top of the third to really widen the gap. Toss in one more home runs and two more runs in the top of the fourth, and all of a sudden the lead extended 9-2. The Spikes failed to mount a comeback.

State College is now 34-37.

Johnson City Cardinals 6, Kingsport Mets 4

Dionis Zamora (SP): 5 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 2 BB, 5 K’s

Mariel Gomez (1B): 3-4, 2 2B, 2 RBI, BB, 2 R

Liam Sabino (3B): 1-3, HR, 2 RBI, 2 BB, R

Brian Sanchez (RF): 2-3, 2B, BB, R

Johnson City entered the bottom of the third inning trailing Kingsport 2-0. A strikeout, a single and a groundout put Andrew Warner on second with two outs. Dariel Gomez then singled to right to bring in Warner. In the next at bat, Liam Sabino launched one over the left center fence to put the Cardinals up 3-2.

After Kingsport tied things up in the top of the seventh, the Cardinals responded in the bottom of the frame with a single, a double, and three walks. It all combined for two more runs and a 5-3 lead. The bullpen would hold onto the lead.

Johnson City is now 31-37.

GCL Cardinals 11, GCL Tigers West 5

Brian Pirela (SP): 4 IP, 7 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s

Josh Shaw (2B): 2-5, 2 2B, 4 RBI, R

William Jimenez (LF): 3-3, 3B, 2 RBI, 2 R

Ivan Herrera (C): 2-4, RBI, 2 R

GCL Tigers West 9 at GCL Cardinals 2

Francisco Justo (SP): 2.1 IP, 6 H, 6 R, 0 BB, 1 K

Jhon Torres (RF): 2-4, 2B

Carlos Soler (CF): 1-2, RBI, BB

Zack Gahagan (3B): 2-3, R

~

Thursday’s Probables

MEM: Kevin Herget

SPR: Genesis Cabrera

PMB: TBD

PEO: Johan Oviedo

SC: Diego Cordero