Springfield Cardinals Media Notes Game # 106 Home Game # 53 Away Game # 53 Saturday, July 28, 2018 6:10Pm
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SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS MEDIA NOTES GAME # 106 HOME GAME # 53 AWAY GAME # 53 SATURDAY, JULY 28, 2018 6:10PM SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS (14-21, 47-58) VS. NW ARKANSAS NATURALS (12-22, 47-57) St. Louis Cardinals Kansas City Royals Today’s Starters: Springfield – RHP Matt Pearce (0-2, 3.60) NW Arkansas – LHP Eric Skoglund (MLB Rehab) Upcoming Probables: Sunday, 6:10pm – SPR RHP Casey Meisner (0-0, 0.00) vs. NWA RHP Scott Blewett (5-6, 5.67) Monday, 6:30pm – SPR LHP Evan Kruczynski (0-0, 0.00) vs. TUL TBA Tuesday, 6:30pm – SPR RHP Mike O’Reilly (3-5, 4.65) vs. TUL TBA Wednesday, 6:30pm – SPR RHP Anthony Shew (5-6, 4.37) vs. TUL TBA The Book on Matt Pearce (0-2, 3.60)… High Strikeouts – 5 Most Hits Allowed – 6 Longest Outing – 6.0 Most Walks Allowed – 3 Shortest Outing – 4.0 HR Allowed (Season) – 1 Returns from Disabled List tonight for first start since 6/14 vs. Arkansas Made his 2018 debut on 6/3 vs. SA, going 4.0 scoreless frames with three hits, three walks and four strikeouts Split 2017 between SPR (9-5, 3.11, 17GS) & AAA-Memphis (5-3, 6.00, 10GS), earning Texas League Midseason & Postseason All-Star honors Finished 2017 with AAA-Memphis and went 1-0, 3.48 ERA through two playoff starts, earning the W in the Redbirds PCL Title clinching game Named Texas League Player of the Month and STL Minor League Pitcher of the Month for May 2017, going 5-0, 0.69, 5GS, 2CG, 39.0 IP, 3ER Dealt consecutive 9-inning complete game performances on 5/21/17 and 5/26/17, including a complete-game shut out of the Missions on 5/26/17 Named TL Pitcher of Week for 5/15-5/21/17 - 2-0, 1.13 ERA, 16.0 IP, 16 H, 2 ER, 1BB, 13K with a 9-inning complete game on 5/21 vs. NWA Struck out a career-high 11 batters for Springfield on 8/23/16 vs. NW Arkansas, allowing just two runs on four hits with no walks in 8.0 innings Named a 2016 Florida State League Postseason All-Star, going 8-8, 2.37 ERA in 20 starts with Palm Beach before joining Springfield on 8/10/16 Named Florida State League Player of the Month and Cardinals Minor League Pitcher of the Month for July, 2016 – going 2-3, 1.93 ERA, 6GS Set a Palm Beach record and tied for MiLB lead in 2016 with four complete games (two 9-inning and two 6-inning) In 2015, led the Midwest League with a 2.43 ERA and ranked 5th in WHIP at 1.11 while with Low-A Peoria Set a Midwest League record with 54.1 consecutive innings without a walk from the 4th inning on 6/8/15 through the 2nd inning on 8/7/15 Selected by St. Louis in the 13th round of the 2014 June Draft out of Polk State (FL) College Last Game: 5.0 IP, 6H, 4R, 4ER, 1BB, 4K (6/14 vs. Arkansas) CARDINALS REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN CURRENT STREAK – .................................. 0-2 LONGEST WINNING STREAK –……………….......5-0 LAST 5 GAMES – ......................................... 3-2 LONGEST LOSING STREAK – ….……………........0-6 LAST 10 GAMES – ....................................... 6-4 BEST RECORD – ......................................................18-11 HOME RECORD – ....................................... 27-25 WORST RECORD – .................................................38-54 AWAY RECORD – ....................................... 20-33 2018 vs. NW ARKANSAS – ........................................13-9 Cardinals’ Chirps… Last game… The Naturals took game two of the set with a 10-0 win on Friday, locking down nothing short of a series split at Hammons Field. Both RHP Anthony Shew and Naturals LHP Emilio Ogando dueled back and forth through four scoreless frames to start, before the Naturals broke th through with a two-run homer from C Xavier Fernandez in the 5 . Northwest Arkansas then padded the lead with consecutive four-run rallies in the 6th and 7th, opening the advantage to the eventual final of 10-0. Diggin’ the long-ball… One of the top home run hitting teams in the league all year, the Cardinals have swatted 12 homers in their last five games, including a season-high six in the 16-5 blowout win in Tulsa on Tuesday, one shy of matching the club’s all-time record (7 HRs, 7/8/16 vs. CC). The Cards have already set a monthly team high this year with 35 homers in July and are up to 120 on the year, 2nd only to Tulsa’s 145 round-trippers. Oh to be Young… After clobbering the ball on Tuesday with a 4x5 night with two home runs and six RBIs, 2B Andy Young provided the go-ahead two-run single in the 10th on Wednesday and then added a two-run home run in the 9th on Thursday. On his current four-game hitting streak, Young has gone 7x16 with three homers and 10 RBIs. His big night on Tuesday matched career highs with four hits and six RBIs, and came within one of tying Springfield’s all-time single game records in hits (5) and RBIs (7), while matching the record with his two blasts. Thomas at the top… OF Lane Thomas slid up to the leadoff spot for the first time this season last Sunday and has excelled at the top of the order, hitting safely in four of the six games he’s played as the leadoff hitter and batting .321 (9x28) with three homers, two triples, five RBIs and six runs. He has also added three walks in the top spot, posting a .387 on-base percentage. With four homers in his last eight games overall, he is now tied for the league lead with a career-high 21 home runs. Back from the Future… C Andrew Knizner has been red hot with hits in six of his eight games since returning from the MLB All-Star Futures Game at Nationals Park on July 15, batting .367 (11x30) with three homers, six RBIs and nine runs during that stretch. Even hotter during his current five-game hitting streak, Knizner is batting a torrid .476 (10x21) with three homers and six RBIs. Comings and goings… The St. Louis Cardinals announced numerous transactions on Friday, with RHP Connor Jones and LHP Austin Warner being transferred to AAA-Memphis. RHP Matt Pearce has been activated from the DL, while Springfield receives a pair of starters from High-A Palm Beach in RHP Casey Meisner (5-3, 3.64, 15 GS) and LHP Evan Kruczynski (5-3, 4.03, 15 GS). Bird Seed… RANDY AROZARENA – Hits in 5 of last 7G – .478 (11x23), 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R… Hits in 17 of 20 games with SPR with 10 multi-hit games… With Memphis this year - .238, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 11 2B, 66 G… First stint with SPR from 5/5-5/17, hits in 12 of 13G - .385 (20x52), 4 HR, 13 RBI, 2 2B, 12 R, 5 SB… In SPR season debut on 5/5 vs. TUL, went 2x4 with a grand slam and career-high 5 RBIs… Earned 2017 Florida State League Midseason All-Star honors and tied for FSL Home Run Derby Title… Entered season ranked by both MLB.com and Baseball America as Cardinals #11 prospect… Signed by St. Louis out of the Mexican League on July 26, 2016 CHRIS CHINEA – Hits in 11 of last 18G since 6/28 – .288 (17x59), 4 HR, 2 2B, 7 RBI, 9 R … Named TL Player of Week for 6/25-7/1 – 7x15, 3 HR, 4 RBI, 4 R, 4 G… Led the team with 5 HRs in June - .269 (21x78), 5 HR, 11 RBI, 14 R, 22 G… Hits in 22 of last 33G – .286 (32x112), 7 HR, 4 2B, 15 RBI, 20 R… Has reached base in 51 of his 69G this season… Hit first-career Double-A home run (solo) in first at-bat of the year on 4/7/18 in MID… .260, 6 HR, 48 RBIs, 24 2B in High-A Palm Beach in 2017… 17th round pick in 2015 out of Louisiana State BLAKE DRAKE – Current 7G hit streak with RBI in 4 of last 5G – .370 (10x27), 1 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R… Current 17G on-base streak with hits in 13 of those games since 7/4 - .345 (20x58), 1 HR, 5 2B, 12 RBI, 14 R… Joined SPR from extended spring training on 4/26/18… Led Florida State League in 2017 with 13 outfield assists… Rated as having the “Best Outfield Arm” in the FSL last year by Baseball America… Double-A debut on 6/7/16 and hit .254, 5 HR, 8 2B, 26 RBI, 27 R in 58G with SPR that year… 18th rounder in 2014 out of Concordia (OR) Univ… Native of Ramona, CA LUKE DYKSTRA – Hits in 5 of last 7G – .226 (7x31), 2 2B, 2 RBI, 7 R… At home - .242 (16x66), 1 2B, 3 RBI, 22 G… Spent 2017 with High-A Palm Beach - .250, 2 HR, 27 RBI, 9 2B, 81G… Acquired by STL from Atlanta with RHP John Gant and RHP Chris Ellis in exchange for LHP Jaime Garcia on 12/1/16… 7th round pick in 2014 by Braves out of Westlake (CA) HS… Son of former Major League outfielder Lenny Dykstra (Mets, Phillies)… has a brother, Cutter, who was drafted by the Brewers in 2008 and also played in the Nationals system ANDREW KNIZNER – Current 5G hit streak – .476 (10x21), 3 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 7 R… Hits in 20 of last 25G – .333 (31x93), 4 HR, 4 2B, 14 RBI, 16 R… Went season-high 4x4, 1 2B, 1 RBI on 6/23 vs.