Cardinals Minors May 30, 2012: Anthony Garcia Doubles, 2 Homers, & 6 RBIs; Kyle COnley Doubles, Homers Twice, & Knocks In 5 Runs; Nick Martini & Jonathan Rodriguez Each Homer & Drives in 3 Runs

Memphis beat Round Rock 4-3

Individual Highlights:

Lou Montanez 1-for-3 with two runs, one walk, and grounded into one double play.

Jaime Romak 1-for-3 with two RBIs (one w/two-outs), one sac fly, grounded into one double play, and assisted in two double plays.

Eugenio Velez 1-for-2 with one home run, one RBI, one run, and one strikeout.

Pete Kozma 2-for-4 with one double, one run, and assisted in two double plays.

Cedric Hunter 1-for-2 with two walks and one strikeout.

Bryan Anderson 1-for-1 with one RBI.

Joe Kelly started and pitched seven innings.  He allowed five hits, two runs (one earned), three walks, and struck two out. (p-s:102-62)(g/f:12-3)

Fernando Salas entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck two out for the winning decision (1-0). (p-s:14-9)(g/f:1-0)

Rough Outing:

Maikel Cleto entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed two hits, one earned run, and struck one out.  (p-s:11-8)(g/f:2-0)

Notes:

Zack Cox left the game early after being hit in the helmet by a pitch.

Hometown newspaper Ventura County Star talks with Chuckie Fick on his debut.

Memphis Redbirds Official Site Post Game

Memphis Commercial Appeal Post Game

Round Rock Express Official Site Post Game

Statesman Post Game

Springfield beat San Antonio 10-5

Individual Highlights:
Kolten Wong 1-for-4 with one double, one run, one walk, and assisted in two double plays.
Jermaine Curtis 2-for-4 with one double, one run, and one hit by pitch.
Oscar Taveras 2-for-4 with one double, two RBIs, one run, one sac fly, and one strikeout.
Kyle Conley 3-for-4 with one double, two home runs, five RBIs (two/ two-outs), three runs, and one strikeout.
Greg Garcia 2-for-4 with one run, one fielding error, and assisted in two double plays.
Audry Perez 1-for-4 with two two-out RBIs.
Adam Melker one walk and one run.
Tyler Lyons started and pitched seven innings.  He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, two home runs, and struck seven out for the winning decision (4-4).  0-for-2 at the plate. (p-s:84-59)(g/f:9-1)
Eric Fornataro entered in the seventh and pitched 1.1 innings.  He allowed two hits, no runs, one walk, and struck one out for the hold (8). (p-s:32-21)(g/f:3-0)

Rough Outing:
Deryk Hooker entered in the seventh and pitched two-thirds of an inning.  He allowed one hit, one earned run, one home run, and one walk for the hold (1). (p-s:13-7)(g/f:1-0)
Mike Blazek entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, one earned run, one walk, and struck two out. (p-s:23-14)(g/f:0-1)

Springfield Cardinals Official Site Post Game
Springfield News-Leader: Cardinals Corner Post Game

Palm Beach beat St. Lucie 3-1

Individual Highlights:
Starlin Rodriguez 1-for-2 with one run, one walk, and one fielding error.
Jonathan Rodriguez 1-for-3 with one home run, three RBIs, one run, two strikeouts, and assisted in one double play.
Cody Stanley 1-for-3 with one double and two strikeouts.
Brad Watson started and pitched six innings.  He allowed one hit, one earned run, one home run, one walk, and struck four out. (g/f:3-0)
Aidan Lucas entered in the seventh and pitched two innings.  He allowed no hits or runs, one walk, and struck one out for the winning decision (1-0). (g/f:5-0)
Chase Reid entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, no runs, and struck one out for the save (3). (g/f:2-0)

Rough Outing:
Ronny Gil 0-for-4 at the plate.
Nick Longmire 0-for-3 at the plate.
Geoff Klein 0-for-3 with two strikeouts.

Palm Beach Cardinals Official Site Post Game

Quad Cities beat Beloit 20-3

Individual Highlights:
Virgil Hill 3-for-5 with one double, three RBIs, four runs, and one walk.
Nick Martini 3-for-6 with one home run, three RBIs, two runs, and one strikeout.
Tyler Rahmatulla 2-for-4 with three RBIs (one w/two-outs), three runs, two walks, one fielding error, and assisted in one double play.
Colin Walsh 1-for-5 with one RBI, one run, one hit by pitch, and one strikeout.
Anthony Garcia 3-for-5 with one double, two home runs, six RBIs (two w/two-outs), three runs, and one strikeout.
David Medina 1-for-4 with one double, one RBI, two runs, one walk, two strikeouts, and assisted in one double play.
Casey Rasmus 1-for-4 with one run, one walk, and two strikeouts.
Matt Williams 3-for-5 with one double, two RBIs (one w/two-outs), two runs, and one fielding error.
Neal Pritchard 1-for-4 with two runs, one walk, one strikeout, and assisted in one double play.
Sam Gaviglio started and pitched seven innings.  He allowed four hits, two runs (one earned), two walks, threw one wild pitch, and struck five out for the winning decision (3-3). (g/f:16-1)
Heath Wyatt entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, one walk, and struck one out. (g/f:2-0)

Rough Outing:
Willy Paulino entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, one earned run, two walks, threw one wild pitch, and struck two out. (g/f:0-1)

Quad Cities River Bandits Official Site Post Game
Quad-City Times Post Game

Cardinals Minors May 29, 2012: Eugenio Velez Hits Grand Slam; Kyle Hald Strikes Out 5 Over 7 Innings For Win; Mark Hamilton Hits 2-Run Homer

Memphis beat Round Rock 9-8

Individual Highlights:
Lou Montanez 2-for-3 with one double, one run, and two walks.
Ryan Jackson 1-for-2 with two runs, one walk, two sacrifices, and assisted in two double plays.
Mark Hamilton 1-for-3 with one home run, two RBIs, two runs, two walks (one intentional), and one strikeout.
Zack Cox 0-for-3 with one two-out RBI, one walk, and two strikeouts.
Bryan Anderson 0-for-2 with one run, two walks, and one strikeout.
Eugenio Velez 1-for-3 with one home run, four two-out RBIs, one run, one walk, one strikeout, and grounded into double play.
Pete Kozma 1-for-3 with one double, two runs, one walk, and assisted in three double plays.
Adam Reifer entered in the seventh and pitched two innings.  He allowed no hits or runs for the hold (2). (p-s:19-13)(g/f:4-0)
Fernando Salas entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit and no runs for the save (1). (p-s:6-5)(g/f:1-1)

Rough Outing:
Jamie Romak 0-for-5 with two strikeouts and assisted in three double plays.
John Gast started and pitched five innings.  He allowed seven hits, five earned runs, one home run, five walks, threw one wild pitch, and struck two out for the winning decision (1-0). (p-s:101-60)(g/f:5-5)
Nick Greenwood entered in the sixth and pitched one inning.  He allowed four hits, three earned runs, one home run, one walk, and struck one out for the hold (3). (p-s:23-12)(g/f:1-0)

Memphis Redbirds Official Site Post Game
Round Rock Express Official Site Post Game

Springfield had day off

St. Lucie beat Palm Beach 9-1

Individual Highlights:
Starlin Rodriguez 1-for-3 with one double, one run, one walk, and two strikeouts.
Chris Edmondson 1-for-4 with one double.
Jonathan Rodriguez 2-for-4 with one strikeout.
Jeremy Patton 0-for-4 with one RBI.
Dean Kiekhefer entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck two out. (g/f:1-0)

Rough Outing:
Nick Longmire 0-for-2 with one strikeout.
Ronny Gil 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
Rainel Rosario 0-for-3 at the plate.
Geoff Klein 0-for-3 with one strikeout.
Luis De La Cruz 0-for-3 with one strikeout, one passed ball, and allowed one stolen base.
Drew Benes started and pitched three innings.  He allowed six hits, three earned runs, two walks, hit one batter, one balk, and struck four out for the losing decision (3-4). (g/f:1-2)
Scott Schneider entered in the fourth and pitched two innings.  He allowed three hits, four earned runs, and three walks. (g/f:2-2)
Logan Billbrough entered in the sixth and pitched three innings.  He allowed seven hits, two earned runs, one home run, and struck three out. (g/f:2-1)

Palm Beach Cardinals Official Site Post Game
St. Lucie Mets Official Site Post Game

Quad Cities beat Cedar Rapids 3-1

Individual Highlights:
Colin Walsh 2-for-4 with one two-out RBI and one strikeout.
Kyle Hald started and pitched seven innings.  He allowed eight hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck five out for the winning decision (1-3). (g/f:3-9)
Travis Miller entered in the eighth and pitched two innings.  He allowed one hit, no runs, two walks, hit one batter, and struck one out for the save (1). (g/f:4-0)

Rough Outing:
Roberto De La Cruz 0-for-4 with with one strikeout and assisted in two double plays.
Neal Pritchard 0-for-4 with one strikeout and assisted in one double play.

Quad Cities River Bandits Official Site Post Game
Cedar Rapids Kernels Official Site Post Game

Cardinals Minors May 28, 2012 Results: David Medina Doubles, Triples, & Drives In 4 Runs; Tyler Rahmatulla Doubles & Knocks In 3 Runs; Richard Castillo Tosses 6 & A Third Scoreless Innings

Iowa beat Memphis 8-2

Individual Highlights:
Eugenio Velez 1-for-4 with one double, one run, one walk, grounded into one double play, and assisted in one double play.
Ryan Jackson 1-for-4 with two two-out RBIs and assisted in one double play.
Cedric Hunter 1-for-4 with one double.
Barret Browning entered in the sixth and pitched two innings.  He allowed one hit, no runs, and struck two out. (p-s:17-13)(g/f:3-0)

Rough Outing:
Jamie Romak 0-for-4 with one ground into double play and assisted in two double plays.
Mitch Canham 0-for-2 at the plate.
Brian Broderick started and pitched five innings.  He allowed seven hits, three earned runs, one home run, two walks, hit one batter, and struck two out for the losing decision (2-7).  1-for-1 at the plate. (p-s:89-55)(g/f:6-3)
Maikel Cleto entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed two hits, one earned run, and struck two out. (p-s:22-13)(g/f:1-0)
Clay Zavada entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed five hits and four runs (three earned). (p-s:17-15)(g/f:2-1)

Notes:
The Memphis Flyer takes a look at how the Redbirds season has been going so far.

Memphis Redbirds Official Site Post Game
Memphis Commercial Appeal Post Game (Mark Hamilton talks about the newly-formed team)
Iowa Cubs Official Site Post Game

Springfield beat Corpus Christi 3-2

Individual Highlights:
Jose Garcia 2-for-4, one fielding error, and assisted in one double play.
Greg Garcia 1-for-2 with one run, one walk, one hit by pitch, and assisted in one double play.
Jermaine Curtis 1-for-2 with one run, one walk, and one hit by pitch.
Kyle Conley 1-for-4 with one double, two RBIs, one run, and one strikeout.
Xavier Scruggs 2-for-4 with one RBI, two strikeouts, one caught stealing, and assisted in one double play.
Richard Castillo started and pitched 6.1 innings.  He allowed six hits, no runs, one walk, and struck two out for the winning decision (2-0).  0-for-3 with one strikeout at the plate. (p-s:81-52)(g/f:12-4)
Keith Butler entered in the eighth and pitched 1.1 innings.  He allowed no hits or runs, and one walk for the save (10). (p-s:20-11)(g/f:2-1)(ir-s:1-0)

Rough Outing:
Chris Swauger 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and grounded into one double play.
Adam Melker 0-for-4 with one strikeout and grounded into one double play.
Audry Perez 0-for-4 with one strikeout.
Eric Fornataro entered in the seventh and pitched 1.1 innings.  He allowed two hits, two earned runs, one walk, threw one wild pitch, and struck three out for the hold (7). (p-s:29-18)(g/f:1-0)(ir-s:2-0)

Springfield Cardinals Official Site Post Game
Corpus Christi Hooks Official Site Post Game

Palm Beach Cardinals had day off

Quad Cities beat Cedar Rapids 16-6

Individual Highlights:
Matt Williams 2-for-5 with two runs, one walk, three strikeouts, and assisted in one double play.
Nick Martini 2-for-5 with two RBIs, three runs, one hit by pitch, one outfield assist, and assisted in one double play.
Tyler Rahmatulla 2-for-5 with one double, three RBIs (two w/two-outs), one run, one hit by pitch, and one fielding error.
Colin Walsh 1-for-2 with three RBIs (one w/two-outs), two runs, three walks, and one sac fly.
Anthony Garcia 1-for-5 with one double, one RBI, two runs, one hit by pitch, and two strikeouts.
Roberto De La Cruz 1-for-5 with one home run, two RBIs, one run, one strikeout, and assisted in two double plays.
David Medina 3-for-5 with one double, one triple, four RBIs (two w/two-outs), one run, and one outfield assist.
Juan Castillo 2-for-5 with one double, one RBI, two runs, and one strikeout.
Neal Pritchard 1-for-4 with two runs, one hit by pitch, one strikeout, and assisted in one double play.

Rough Outing:
Jonathan Cornelius started and pitched 6.2 innings.  He allowed eight hits, four runs (three earned), one walk, hit one batter, threw two wild pitches, and struck four out for the winning decision (1-1). (g/f:9-4)
Bob Revesz entered in the seventh and pitched 2.1 innings.  He allowed five hits, two earned runs, hit one batter, and struck two out. (g/f:2-1)(ir-s:1-0)

Quad Cities River Bandits Official Site Post Game
Cedar Rapids Kernels Official Site Post Game

Cardinals Minors May 8, 2012 Results - Bryan Anderson & Oscar Taveras Each Drive In 3 Runs, John Gast Tosses 7 Scoreless Innings, Pete Kozma Knocks In 2 Runs

Reno beat Memphis 9-8 in 13 innings

Individual Highlights:
Ryan Jackson 4-for-7 with one run, one strikeout, and one fielding error.
Steven Hill 1-for-7 with one RBI, one run, and three strikeouts.
Cedric Hunter 3-for-5 with one double, one RBI, three runs, and one hit by pitch.
Bryan Anderson 2-for-5 with one double, three RBIs, one run, one walk, and one throwing error.
Pete Kozma 2-for-5 with one triple, two RBIs, one run, one walk, and one fielding error.
Zack Cox 1-for-3 with one two-out RBI and one strikeout.
Adam Reifer entered in the sixth and pitched 1.1 innings.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck one out. (p-s:15-10)(g/f:2-1)(ir-s:1-0)
Chuckie Fick entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed one hit, no runs, and struck two out. (p-s:18-11)(g/f:0-1)
Eduardo Sanchez entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck one out. (p-s:16-11)(g/f:3-0)
Barret Browning entered in the tenth and pitched two innings.  He allowed two hits, no runs, threw one wild pitch, and struck three out. (p-s:37-24)(g/f:37-24)

Rough Outing:
Eugenio Velez 0-for-3 with one hit by pitch and one strikeout.
Brian Broderick started and pitched four innings.  He allowed eight hits, six runs (five earned), three walks, threw one wild pitch, and struck two out.  1-for-2 with one strikeout at the plate. (p-s:88-54)(g/f:4-4)
Jess Todd entered in the fifth and pitched 1.2 innings.  He allowed four hits, two earned runs, and struck one out. (p-s:33-23)(g/f:1-1)

Former Cardinal:
Randy Ruiz 1-for-5 with one strikeout and assisted in one double play.

Notes:
Former St. Louis Cardinal Mike Parisi (Albuquerque) was placed on the disabled list with a right shoulder impingement.  Former Memphis Redbird Royce Ring was promoted from Double-A Tulsa to Triple-A Colorado Springs.

General manager John Mozeliak took in the game to deliver 2011 World Series rings to players and coaches.

Joe Thurston (former St. Louis) signed a minor league deal with Twins and the Reds signed Koyie Hill (former spring training invite).

The Orioles called up former Springfield Cardinal Stuart Pomeranz according to Springfield News-Leader.

Memphis Redbirds Official Site Post Game
Memphis Commercial Appeal Post Game
Reno Aces Official Site Post Game

Springfield beat Arkansas 4-0

Individual Highlights:
Greg Garcia 2-for-3 with two runs and one walk.
Oscar Taveras 2-for-4 with one home run, three RBIs, one run, and one strikeout.
Kyle Conley 1-for-4 with one two-out RBI and one strikeout.
John Gast started and pitched seven innings.  He allowed five hits, no runs, one walk, struck five out, and picked two off for the winning decision (4-2). (p-s:93-60)(g/f:8-5)
Sam Freeman entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck one out for the hold (5). (p-s:19-12)(g/f:0-0)
Eric Fornataro entered in the ninth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs, and struck one out. (p-s:8-7)(g/f:2-0)

Rough Outing:
Jermaine Curtis 0-for-4 at the plate.
Chris Swauger 0-for-4 with two strikeouts.
Nick Derba 0-for-3 at the plate.

Notes:
Jesse Simpson and Kleininger Teran were placed on the disabled list while Audry Perez was activated and Neal Pritchard was promoted from extended spring training (via Palm Beach).  Former Springfield Cardinal Eric Duncan (NW Arkansas) was placed on the disabled list.

Kolten Wong has been out of the lineup with a swollen left ankle and John Gast is a top candidate to receive a call-up to Triple-A Memphis according to Springfield News-Leader.

Oscar Taveras returned to the lineup after sitting out with a bruised right knee according to Springfield News-Leader.

Springfield Cardinals Official Site Post Game
Springfield News-Leader Post Game
Arkansas Travelers Official Site Post Game

Lakeland beat Palm Beach 5-1

Individual Highlights:
Vance Albitz 2-for-3 with one walk, one caught stealing, and assisted in one double play.
Rainel Rosario 1-for-4 with one two-out RBI.
Alan Ahmady 2-for-3 with one double and one walk.
Zach Russell entered in the seventh and pitched one inning.  He allowed two hits, no runs, and one walk. (g/f:1-1)
Chris Corrigan entered in the eighth and pitched one inning.  He allowed no hits or runs. (g/f:1-2).

Rough Outing:
Ronny Gil 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and assisted in one double play.
Geoff Klein 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, assisted in one double play, and threw one runner out.
Jonathan Rodriguez 0-for-4 with three strikeouts and assisted in one double play.
Seth Maness started and pitched six innings.  He allowed nine hits, five earned runs, one home run, struck two out, and picked one runner off for the losing decision (3-1). (g/f:10-3)

Palm Beach Cardinals Official Site Post Game

Peoria beat Quad Cities 7-2

Individual Highlights:
Matt Williams 2-for-4 with one walk and two strikeouts.
Nick Martini 1-for-4 with one run and one walk.
Colin Walsh 1-for-4 with one walk, two strikeouts, and one throwing error.
Roberto De La Cruz 2-for-5 with one home run, one RBI, one run, one strikeout, one fielding error, one missed catch error, and one unassisted double play.
Anthony Garcia 3-for-5 with one two-out RBI and two strikeouts.
Casey Rasmus 2-for-4 with one double.
Kevin Jacob entered in the sixth and pitched two innings.  He allowed one hit, no runs, two walks, and struck two out. (g/f:1-3)
Robert Stock entered in the eighth and pitched two innings.  He allowed two hits, no runs, one walk, threw one wild pitch, and struck one out. (g/f:1-1)

Rough Outing:
Roberto Reyes 0-for-4 at the plate.
Virgil Hill 0-for-4 with three strikeouts.
Garrett Wittels 0-for-4 with one ground into double play.
Jonathan Cornelius started and pitched three innings.  He allowed five hits, five runs (three earned), three walks, one balk, and struck five out for the losing decision (0-1). (g/f:4-0)

Notes:
Jonathan Cornelius was promoted from extended spring training (Batavia) and Roberto Reyes was activated while Adam Lewis and Tyler Rahmatulla were placed on the disabled list.

Quad Cities River Bandits Official Site Post Game
Quad-City Times Post Game
Quad-City Times Post Game Two
Peoria Chief Official Site Post Game
Examiner Post Game

Extended Spring Training: Gulf Coast League Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals released right-handed pitcher Fermin Montanez roughly between April 24-30 according to Baseball America.

Montanez, 21, was signed as an undrafted free agent July 4, 2009 by the Cardinals out of Maracay, Venezuela.  He spent his first two professional seasons in the Venezuelan Summer League before the organization pulled the team out of the country.  And this past year he was moved to the bullpen and promoted to the Gulf Coast League.  The 6-foot-4, 200-pounder made a total of 28 appearances (nine starts) posting a 2-6 record, 3.41 ERA, and earned one save.  He allowed 73 hits, 32 runs (27 earned), three home runs, 17 walks, and struck 36 out over 71.1 innings.

Montanez had been in extended spring training in Florida since mid-March.

Palm Beach Cardinals Report April 26-May 2, 2012

The Palm Beach Cardinals opened this period losing their first game but won their next five games and ended it by losing the last game.  The A-Advanced Cardinals are 12-14 with a .462 PCT and are ten games out of first in the Florida State League South Division.  They are 5-8 at home and 7-6 on the road.

Recap April 26-May 2:

April 26 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Palm Beach sent Richard Castillo to the hill to extend their winning streak against Fort Myers.  Castillo tossed an eight-inning complete game allowing three hits, two earned runs, two walks, hit one batter, and struck four out.  Unfortunately the Cardinals offense was nonexistent once again in Castillo's second consecutive complete game.  Palm Beach produced three singles, three walks, and one hit by pitch for base runners and scored no runs.  The Miracle scored both runs in the second inning as Daniel Rohlfing singled with one out and Jairo Perez walked.  Castillo uncorked a wild pitch to put both runners in scoring position.  Michael Gonzales drove in both runners with a single to left and Fort Myers held off Palm Beach 2-0.

April 27 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Zeros went up on the scoreboard for the first two frames of the Palm Beach and Fort Myers game.  The Cardinals ended the drought putting one run up in each of the next three innings.  Vance Albitz walked, Alan Ahmady singled, and Chris Edmondson walked with one out in the third.  Jonathan Rodriguez struck out with bases loaded and Michael Swinson walked in one run.  Luis De La Cruz scored on a sac fly to center by Albitz.  Edmondson lead of the fifth with a home run to put Palm Beach up 3-0.  Chris Corrigan and Iden Nazario combined to pitch six scoreless innings allowing only one hit and five walks.  Ricky Martinez took over for the Cardinals and got two quick outs in the seventh.  Anderson Hidalgo singled, Michael Gonzales singled, and Daniel Santana triples to drive in both runners and get the Miracle within one run. Dean Kiekhefer came in a closed out the last two innings as Palm Beach beat Fort Myers 3-2.

April 28 Charlotte Official Site Post Game: Anthony Ferrara and Grayson Garvin went two-to-toe in game one of the match-up between Palm Beach and Charlotte.  Both pitchers went six innings, but Garvin was the only one that did not give up a run.  The Stone Crabs got to Ferrara in the fifth as Mayo Acosta singled and Robby Price walked.  Ty Morrison singled to right field to drive in Acosta for the first and only Charlotte run of the game.  The Cardinals tied the game up in the eighth as Nick Longmire homered to left.  Mike O'Neill lead off the ninth with a single to left with Vance Albitz and Alan Ahmady moving him to third on outs.  Chris Edmondson singled to right to put Palm Beach up and Chase Reid held off Charlotte for the 2-1 win.

April 29 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Drew Benes started for Palm Beach and had his best outing of the season against Charlotte.  Benes threw seven scoreless innings allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out five.  Enny Romero didn't do too bad either for the Stone Crabs as he went six innings and only gave up five hits (one extra base hit), one earned run, and two walks.  The Cardinals got on the scoreboard in the fifth as Michael Swinson and Luis De La Cruz lead off the inning with back-to-back singles.  Ronny Gil drove in Swinson with a sac fly to right.  Gil lead off the eighth with a single, stole second, and was moved to third on a Mike O'Neill bunt.  Vance Albitz followed with another bunt that score Gil, making the game 2-0 Palm Beach.  The Cardinal loaded up the bases in the ninth with a Nick Longmire single, Jonathan Rodriguez double, and Luis De La Cruz walk.  Chris Rearick walked Gil to drive in Longmire and Palm Beach ended up winning 3-0 over Charlotte.

April 30 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Palm Beach and Charlotte exchanged scoreless innings in the first, but the second was a different story.  Jonathan Rodriguez lead off with a single, Geoff Klein followed with a single, and Nick Longmire hit a ground rule double to score Rodriguez.  Neal Pritchard singled in Klein and Mike O'Neill grounded out to score Longmire.  Vance Albitz singled to center to plate Pritchard as the Cardinals went up 4-0.  Mikie Mahtook and Riccio Torrez lead off the bottom half with back-to-back singles.  Keith Castillo struck out and Luis De La Cruz threw the ball away on Mahtook's steal and he came around to score.  Cody Rogers hit a sac fly to center that scored Torrez as the Stone Crabs got within two runs.  Jonathan Rodriguez drove in both Pritchard and Michael Swinson in the fourth and De la Cruz scored on a O'Neill single to left.  Charlotte plated two more runs in the eighth with the help of an Albitz fielding error but Palm Beach held on to win 7-4.


May 1 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Seth Maness and Marty Popham both pitched real well for Palm Beach and Fort Myers.  Both pitched into the seventh innings keeping each team to three runs a piece.  Josmil Pinto and Jonathan Rodriguez each homered off the starting pitchers.  With the teams tied at three and heading into the eighth, the game turned sour for the Miracle.  Chris Edmondson walked with one out and Rodriguez singled to center.  Geoff Klein walked to load the bases and Jairo Perez committed a throwing error that allowed Nick Longmire to reach base and score Edmondson and Rodriguez.  With two outs, Ronny Gil doubled to score Klein and Longmire.  Mike O'Neill singled to shortstop Daniel Santana, who committed a throwing error, and Gil scored.  Michael Swinson tripled in O'Neill to cap off a six-run eighth and Palm Beach beat Fort Myers 9-3.

May 2 Palm Beach Official Site Post Game: Game two of the series between Palm Beach and Fort Myers became a pitchers duel for Richard Castillo and Pat Dean.  The Miracle were the first on the board as Daniel Rohlfing drove in Andy Leer with two outs in the third.  Castillo pitched six innings allowing two hits, one earned run, three walks, one balk, and struck six out.  Dean tossed seven innings giving up seven hits, one earned run, two walks, and three strikeouts.  The Cardinals scored on Dean in the seventh as Vance Albitz knocked in Ronny Gil with a double to left.  The game headed into extras and in the 11th, Daniel Ortiz was walked by Chase Reid with one out.  Reid walked the following batter Rohlfing and gave up a RBI single to Oswaldo Arcia as Fort Myers went on to win over Palm Beach 2-1.

Who's Hot:

Mike O'Neill will look to extend his 12-game hitting streak which included two multi-hit and one multi-RBI game this past week.  The 24-year old left-handed hitter went 10-for-29 (.345) with one double, two RBIs, two runs, four walks, one sacrifice, and two caught stealing.  He played five games in left field and two as designated hitter. 

Ronny Gil collected two multi-hit and two multi-RBI games and will look to add onto a three-game hitting streak.  The 23-year old switch-hitter went 8-for-19 (.421) with one double, four RBIs (two w/two-outs), three runs, two walks, three stolen bases, one sac fly, one sacrifice, three strikeouts, one caught stealing, and grounded into one double play.  He played six games at shortstop where he assisted in four double plays and committed one throwing error. 

Richard Castillo rolled along adding more solid games to his resume this season.  The 22-year old right-hander started on April 26 and pitched his second consecutive complete game of the season.  He allowed three hits, two earned runs, two walks, hit one batter, threw one wild pitch, and struck four out for the losing decision (1-3).  The December 12, 2007 free agent signing made his second opening on May 2 where he went six innings giving up two hits, one earned run, three walks, and struck six out.  He had a combined ground out-to-fly out of 16-to-9.

Anthony Ferrara made his second consecutive quality start and third out of four for the season.  The 22-year old left-hander started on April 28 and allowed six hits, one earned run, and two walks over six innings.  He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 5-to-5.

Drew Benes rebounded from a rough start to the season to make his best start of the season.  The 23-year old right-hander appeared on April 29 and pitched seven innings allowing three hits, no runs, one walk, and struck five out for the winning decision (1-2).  He had a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 7-to-4.

Iden Nazario came in on two occasions to eat some innings up and earned two wins for the Palm Beach club.  The 23-year old left-hander appeared on April 27 and pitched two innings allowing no hits, no runs, one walk, and struck two out for the winning decision (1-0).  He came in on May 1 and gave up one hit, no runs, two walks, and struck two out over two innings for the winning decision (2-0).  The 2010 30th round 919th overall) selection had a combined ground out-to-fly out ratio of 2-to-1.

Logan Billbrough earned two saves in two closing situations this past week.  The 22-year old right-hander was called on to close out the April 29 contest and pitched one inning allowing no hits or runs and struck one out.  He then pitched another scoreless inning on April 30 giving up one hit and hitting one batter.  The June 2011 free agent signing had a combined ground out-to-fly out ratio of 1-to-3.

Who's Not:

Vance Albitz received some extra playing time and struggled somewhat at the plate.  The 24-year old right-handed hitter went 4-for-22 (.182) with one double, four RBIs (two w/two-outs), one run, one walk, one hit by pitch, one stolen base, one sac fly, and two sacrifices.  He played five games at second base (assisted in six double plays) and on game at shortstop (assisted in one double play and committed one fielding error).

Alan Ahmady also had trouble at the plate this past period.  The 24-year old right-handed hitter went 3-for-34 (.125) with four walks, six strikeouts, and grounded into one double play.  He played two games in right field and five at third base (assisted in two double plays).

Ricky Martinez extended his streak up giving up a run to four games.  The 24-year old right-hander pitched on April 27 for one inning and gave up three hits, two earned runs, and struck one out for the hold (1).  He was called on for the April 30 contest and allowed one hit, two unearned runs, two walks, and threw one wild pitch.  The June 15, 2010 free agent signing had a combined ground out-to-fly out ratio of 4-to-1.

Notes:

Starlin Rodriguez (hamstring strain) was placed on the disabled list and Travis Tartamella was activated on  April 26.

Packy Elkins was placed on the disabled list and Neal Pritchard was promoted from extended spring training on April 28.

Seth Maness was named St. Louis Cardinals Minor League Organizational Pitcher for the month of April.

2012 Florida State League Stats:

The Palm Beach Cardinals are batting .260 (4th) with a .333 OBP (3rd), .349 SLG (7th), and .683 OPS (6th).  They rank third in hits; tied for fifth in stolen bases and caught stealing; sixth in doubles, total bases, and walks (tied); tied for eighth in runs and home runs; 11th in strikeouts; and 12th in triples in the 12-team division.

The Cardinals have a 3.17 ERA (4th) and 1.21 WHIP (5th).  They rank first in complete games; fifth in losses (tied) and walks; tied for sixth in wins; tied for seventh in saves; ninth in shutouts (tied), runs allowed, earned runs, home runs allowed (tied), and strikeouts; tied for tenth in holds; and 11th in hits allowed in the 12-team division.

Mike O'Neill ranks tied for sixth in AVG, tied for fourth in hits, and tied for third in walks, fourth in OBP.
Jonathan Rodriguez ranks tied for second in doubles.
Starlin Rodriguez ranks tied for eighth in triples.
Nick Longmire ranks tied for fifth in strikeouts.
Seth Maness ranks tied for fourth in ERA, tied for fourth in wins, seventh in innings pitched, tied for sixth in home runs allowed, and fourth in WHIP.
Richard Castillo ranks sixth in ERA, tied for fifth in losses, first in complete games, eighth in innings pitched, and third in WHIP.
Chase Reid ranks tied for fifth in losses and tied for seventh in game finishes.
Logan Billbrough ranks tied for ninth in saves.
Ricky Martinez ranks tied for tenth in runs allowed.
Carlos Martinez ranks tied for fourth in hit batters.
Anthony Ferrara ranks tied for ninth in walks.
Aidan Lucas ranks tied for tenth in holds.

Up Next:

May 1-3: Fort Myers
May 4-7: Brevard County
May 8-11: @ Lakeland

Former Cardinals On Atlantic League 2012 Opening Day Rosters

Brian Barton - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Freddie Bynum - Somerset Patriots
Brad Furnish - Bridgeport Bluefish
Shawn Garceau - York Revolution
Richard Giannotti - Southern Maryland Blue Crabs
Reid Gorecki - Long Island Ducks
Randy Keisler - Long Island Ducks
Blake King - Camden Riversharks
Jeff Lyman - Long Island Ducks
Josh Pressley - Sugar Land Skeeters
Prentice Redman - Bridgeport Bluefish
Rich Rundles - Lancaster Barnstormers
Ramon Vasquez - Bridgeport Bluefish
Les Walrond - Lancaster Barnstormers
Bob Zimmermann - Long Island Ducks

Springfield Cardinals Report April 24-30, 2012

The Springfield Cardinals extended their losing streak from three games to a now ten consecutive games.  The Double-A Cardinals are 8-16 with a .333 PCT and are ten games out of first place in the Texas League North Division.  They are 5-5 at home and 3-11 on the road.

Recap April 24-30:

April 24 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Springfield sent Trevor Rosenthal to the hill to help end the losing streak carried over from the previous period.  Rosenthal pitched five scoreless innings as the Cardinals offense put the team in the lead.   Kolten Wong was hit by a pitch with one out in the first.  Wong stole second, Rainel Rosario grounded out, and Xavier Scruiggs doubled to drive in Wong.  Jake Shaffer singled to left field to knock in Scruggs and Kyle Conley followed with a single to right, making it Springfield 3-0.  Wong lead off the third with a solo homer run to right.  The Naturals finally got to Rosenthal in the sixth as Christian Colon doubled to left with one out.  Wil Myers singled to center to score Colon and John Whittleman walked.  Nick Derba threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt and then let a ball get away allowing both runners to get into scoring position and score one more run.  Springfield loaded up the bases in the seventh and Brendan Lafferty uncorked a wild pitch that scored Wong and Rosario.  Carlo Testa lead off the bottom of the seventh with a double off Eric Fornataro.  Yem Prades singled in Testa with one out and Colon knocked him in on a triple.  Myers doubled to score Colon and Myers then crossed the plate when Scruggs committed an error on a Whittleman hit.  Both bullpens shutdown their opponents for the next five frames and in the bottom of the 13th Testa struck again with a single to right.  Testa made his way around to third on outs and scored on a Colon single as NW Arkansas beat Springfield 7-6.

April 25 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Springfield once again took an early lead on NW Arkansas only to watch it go in the tank real quick.  The Cardinals held a 3-2 lead, with the help of a Oscar Taveras two-run shot, over the Naturals heading into the bottom of the fourth.  Kurt Mertins lead off the fourth with a double and Carlo Testa reached on a bunt.  Ryan Jenkins doubled to center to score Metrins and Rey Navarro singled to score Testa and Jenkins.  Wil Myers hit a two-run shot and Yem Prades also hit a two-run homer (driving in John Whittleman who walked) making the score 9-3 NW Arkansas.  Springfield added three runs spread out over the sixth, seventh, and eight innings which included a Kyle Conley solo homer, Jake Shaffer single to drive in Jose Garcia, and another Conley homer.  Whittleman also hit a solo homer in the sixth and NW Arkansas held on to win 10-6 over Springfield.

April 26 Springfield Official Site Post Game: NW Arkansas came out of the gate swinging right away on Springfield starter Tyler Lyons.  Rey Navarro singled to center, Christian Colon bunted to move him over, and Wil Myers flew out for the second out.  John Wittleman walked followed by a Mario Lisson double to score Navarro and Wittleman.  Yem Prades drove in Lisson on a single to left making the score 3-0 the Naturals.  Myers lead off the third with a home run to put NW Arkansas up four runs.  Jose Garcia and Kolten Wong drove in Rainel Rosario and Nick Derba for two runs in the fifth.  The Naturals knocked Lyons out of the game in the sixth as Kurt Merkins and Ryan Jenkins hit back-to-back singles.  Jesse Simpson gave up a single to Navarro that scored Mertins making it 5-2 NW Arkansas.  Lisson doubled in Myers in the seventh and Oscar Taveras hit a solo homer in the eighth as the Naturals went on to beat the Cardinals 6-3.

April 27 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Joe Gardner opened the series for Tulsa vs. Springfield and only allowed five hits, one earned run, one walk, and struck five out over six innings.  Scott Gorgen drove in the Cardinals only run of the game in the second inning.  Following an Audry Perez single that moved Greg Garcia to third, Gorgen singled to center.  After that Springfield went silent for the game.  Ben Paulson lead off the bottom of the second with a home run and the Drillers didn't get to Gorgen until the sixth.  Paulson lead off with a double and Mike Zuanich was hit by a pitch with two-outs.  Angelys Nina sacrifice to right to score Paulson and Kyle Conley committed a throwing error to help advance Zuanich.  Lars Davis walked and made it to second safetly as Zuanich stole third and Perez let a pitch get away.  Kiel Roling hit a ground rule double to plate two runs and he scored on a Josh Rutledge single to left.  Springfield bullpen held Tulsa from scoring for the final two innings but damage was done as the Drillers picked up the win 5-1.

April 28 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Tulsa got to top Springfield starter John Gast real quick in the second game of the series.  In the second, Kiel Roling singled to left and Kent Matthes followed with a home run.  In the fourth, Matthes drilled his second homer of the game to make it 3-0 Tulsa.  Edwar Cabrera started for Tulsa and pitched seven scoreless frames allowing just two hits, hit one batter, and struck seven out.  The Springfield offense finally put runs on the board in the eighth as Kolten Wong drove in Jake Shaffer and Kyle Conley knocked in Wong.  Tulsa did not allow another run as they went on to beat Springfield 3-2.

April 29 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Trevor Rosenthal and Dan Houston both came ready to pitch in game three between Springfield and Tulsa.  Both pitched five scoreless frames to open the game.  The Cardinals got on the scoreboard first as Kyle Conley hit a two-out solo homer in the sixth.  Nolan Arenado was hit by a pitch to begin the bottom of the sixth.  With one out, Kent Matthes singled to center and Rosenthal uncorked a wild pitch to move both runners over.  Tim Torres walked and Rosenthal was pulled for Eric Fornataro.  Lars Davis drove in Arenado on a single to left and Kiel Roling hit a two-out single to center to score Matthes and Torres.  Springfield managed just one more run in the eight on a Oscar Taveras homer and lost to Tulsa 3-2, again.

April 30 Springfield Official Site Post Game: Oscar Taveras doubled with two-out in the first inning and was knocked in by Kyle Conley to put Springfield out in front 1-0.  Mike Blazek pitched six scoreless innings only allowing two hits and two walks to keep the Cardinals out front.  Parker Frazier didn't pitch to bad either only allowing the one run in the first inning and going five innings.  Taveras drove in Audry Perez with two outs in the seventh as Springfield now held a 2-0 lead.  The game turned in the ninth as Jorge Rondon came on to close it out.  Rondon walked Kiel Roling, hit Kent Matthes, and coughed up a three-run shot to Mike Zuanich as the Cardinals went down for the third straight game 3-2.

Who's Hot:

Oscar Taveras has a six-game hitting streak to work on and collected four multi-hit and one multi-RBI games during this period.  The 19-year old left-handed hitter went 10-for-24 (.417) with two doubles, three home runs, five RBIs (four w/two-outs), four runs, three walks (one intentional), and two strikeouts.  He played six games in centerfield and one in right field.

Kyle Conley picked up three multi-hit, one multi-home run, one multi-RBI, and has a three-game hitting streak to work on.  The 24-year old right-handed hitter went 9-for-28 (.321) with one double, three home runs, six RBIs (four w/two-outs), three runs, two walks, ten strikeouts, and grounded into one double play.  He played three games in left field (one fielding error), three game in right field (one throwing error), and one as designated hitter.

Jake Shaffer had two multi-hit and one multi-RBI this past week.  The 24-year old left-handed hitter went 9-for-25 (.360) with two doubles, three RBIs (two w/two-outs), two runs, three walks (one intentional), one stolen base, and seven strikeouts.  He played four games in left field (one fielding error), two as designated hitter, and one as pinch hitter.

Kevin Thomas bounced back after be hit hard in the last report to make three scoreless appearances.  The 25-year old right-hander pitched on April 24, 26, and 28 for a total of three and two-thirds innings.  He allowed no hits, no runs, one walk, and struck one out.  The 2008 33rd  round (995th overall selection) had a combined pitch count of 49 with 30 registering for strikes, ground out-to-fly out ratio of 7-to-3, and kept both inherited runners on base.

Keith Butler, like Thomas, came through with three scoreless appearances for the Cardinals.  The 23-year old right-hander pitched on April 25, 29, and 30 for a total of four innings.  He allowed one hit, no runs, one walk, and struck two out and even picked up his third hold of the season.  The 2009 24th round (729th overall selection) had a combined 46 pitched with 28 as strikes and a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 7-to-1.

Who's Not:

Adam Melker started off the season on a good note and just went into a major slump in the past week.  The 24-year old left-handed hitter went 1-for-25 (.040) with one walk, three walks, and one caught stealing.  He played two games at first base (assisted in three double plays), one game in centerfield, and three games off the bench as a pinch hitter.

Nick Derba not only struggled at the plate but also behind it.  The 26-year old right-handed hitter went 1-for-12 (.083) with one run, one walk, and four strikeouts.  He played three games at catcher where he committed one pickoff and one fielding error, had one passed ball, and threw out one of three base runners.

Rainel Rosario will look to end a three-game hitless streak.  The 23-year old right-handed hitter went 1-for-18 (.056) with two runs, one walk, and 11 strikeouts.  He played four games in right field (two outfield assists) and two as a pinch hitter.

Tyler Lyons had his worst start of the season this past period.  The 24-year old pitched on April 26 allowing ten hits, five earned runs, one home run, two walks, and struck two out for the losing decision (0-3).  He had a pitch count of 87 with 56 for strikes and a ground out-to-fly out ratio of 9-to-4.

Jorge Rondon made two scoreless appearances but blew a save that could of ended the Springfield losing streak.  The 24-year old left-hander pitched on April 24 and 28 for a combined one and two-thirds innings where he allowed no hits, no runs, and struck one out.  Then on April 30, he gave up one hit, three earned runs, one home run, one walk, hit one batter, and struck one out for the blown save (1) and losing decision (0-1).  He made a total of 33 pitches with 20 going for strikes, ground out-to-fly out ratio of 5-to-3, and kept his only inherited runner on base.

Notes:

2008 13th round (395th overall selection) Mitch Harris was turned down on an early release from the Navy.

Jorge Rondon was dealing with some back soreness and Tommy Pham has season ending shoulder surgery according to the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

Xavier Scruggs talks about the Springfield Cardinals losing streak in his latest blog post.

2012 Texas League Stats:

The Springfield Cardinals are batting .247 (5th) with a .315 OBP (6th), .381 SLG (6th), and .696 OPS (6th).  They ranks second in strikeouts; third in triples, fourth in doubles and walks; fifth in hits; sixth in runs, home runs(tied), RBIs, and total bases; seventh in stolen bases and caught stealing (tied) in the eight-team division.

The Cardinals have a 4.44 ERA (6th) and 1.36 WHIP (5th).  They ranks tied for first in hit batters; second in losses; third in earned runs, walks, and holds (tied); fourth in hits allowed and home runs allowed; fifth in saves (tied) and runs allowed; tied for sixth in shutouts; seventh in wins and strikeouts in the eight-team division.

Oscar Taveras ranks fifth in AVG, first in hits, tied for third in doubles, tied for seventh in triples, second in home runs, first in RBIs, first in total bases, first in SLG, and first in OPS.
Kolten Wong ranks eighth in AVG, tied for third in runs, tied for third in triples, and seventh in OBP.
Greg Garcia ranks tied for seventh in triples and tied for eighth in walks.
Xavier Scruggs ranks second strikeouts.
Adam Melker ranks tied for fifth in caught stealing.
John Gast ranks sixth in ERA, tied for third in wins, tied for tenth in losses, third in innings pitched, tied for ninth in home runs allowed, tied for sixth in strikeouts, and fourth in WHIP.
Tyler Lyons ranks tied for first in losses.
Trevor Rosenthal ranks tied for first in losses and second in walks.
Mike Blazek ranks tied for tenth in losses, fourth in hits allowed, second in earned runs, tied for ninth in home runs allowed, tied for seventh in hit batters, and third in walks.
Sam Freeman ranks tied for tenth in losses, tied for first in holds, and eighth in game finishes.
Scott Gorgen ranks tied for tenth in losses and tied for third in hit batters.
Jorge Rondon ranks tied for sixth in saves, tied for seventh in hit batters, and tied for sixth in game finishes.
Scott Schneider is tied for seventh in hit batters.
Keith Butler ranks tied fifth in holds.

Up Next:

May 1-4: NW Arkansas
May 5-8: Arkansas