SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS MEDIA NOTES GAME # 105 HOME GAME # 52 AWAY GAME # 53 FRIDAY, JULY 27, 2018 7:10PM SPRINGFIELD CARDINALS (14-20, 47-57) VS. NW ARKANSAS NATURALS (11-22, 46-57) St. Louis Cardinals Kansas City Royals Today’s Starters: Springfield – RHP Anthony Shew (5-5, 4.10) NW Arkansas – LHP Emilio Ogando (6-6, 6.41) Upcoming Probables: Saturday, 6:10pm – SPR RHP Matt Pearce (0-2, 3.60) vs. NWA TBA Sunday, 6:10pm – SPR RHP Casey Meisner (0-0, 0.00) vs. NWA RHP Scott Blewett (5-6, 5.67) The Book on Anthony Shew (5-5, 4.10)… High Strikeouts – 7 Most Hits Allowed – 10 Longest Outing – 7.0 Most Walks Allowed – 5 Shortest Outing – 4.0 HR Allowed (Season) – 8 Reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week for July 16-22, going 1-0, 0.69 ERA, 2 GS, 13.0 IP, 9 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 7 BB, 12 K Shut out the Travelers in last start on 7/22, going 6.0 innings with four hits and five walks while striking out five Has had a terrific month of July so far, going 1-2, 2.33 ERA, 4 GS, 27.0 IP, 19 H, 7 R, 7 BB, 25 K Has allowed three runs or fewer in seven of his last eight starts, going 3-3, 3.10 ERA, 52.1 IP, 47 H, 18 R, 15 BB, 43 K during that stretch Earned 2018 Florida State League Midseason All-Star honors, going 4-1, 2.11 ERA, 8GS, 42.2 IP, 40H, 14R, 10ER, 7BB, 34K with High-A Palm Beach At the time of his promotion on 5/22, ranked 5th in the Florida State League in ERA while leading all Cardinals Minor Leaguers Did not allow an earned run in five of his eight starts with High-A Palm Beach this year Rattled off 17.1 straight innings without an earned run from 4/28 – 5/17 with High-A Palm Beach With Low-A Peoria in 2017, tossed a career-high 8.0 innings on 8/28/17 vs. Kane County, allowing just one unearned run on two hits while striking out 7 Also with Low-A Peoria in 2017, set a career-high with 11 strikeouts in 7.1 one-run frames on 8/18/17 vs. Clinton Signed by St. Louis as a non-drafted free agent on 6/20/16 out of the University of San Francisco Transferred to the University of San Francisco in 2015 for his junior and senior seasons after two years at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, CA Cousin of Kansas City Royals pitcher Ian Kennedy Last Game: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 5 BB, 5 K (7/22 @ Arkansas) CARDINALS REGULAR SEASON BREAKDOWN CURRENT STREAK – .................................. 0-1 LONGEST WINNING STREAK –……………….......5-0 LAST 5 GAMES – ......................................... 4-1 LONGEST LOSING STREAK – ….……………........0-6 LAST 10 GAMES – ....................................... 7-3 BEST RECORD – ......................................................18-11 HOME RECORD – ....................................... 27-24 WORST RECORD – .................................................38-54 AWAY RECORD – ....................................... 20-33 2018 vs. NW ARKANSAS – ........................................13-8 Cardinals’ Chirps… Last game… The Naturals halted the Cardinals five-game winning streak with a 7-4 victory in the series opener on Thursday night. Northwest Arkansas broke the scoreless tie with single runs in the 4th and 5th, before opening the lead to 6-0 with a four-run rally in the 6th. Springfield got on th th the board with a solo shot by LF Johan Mieses in the 6 , but the Naturals got the run right back in the 7 to make it 7-1. Springfield refused to go down quietly with a two-run shot from 3B Andy Young and an RBI single from RF Randy Arozarena in the 9th, but the Naturals hung on for the 7-4 win. Naturals RHP Jace Vines tossed 7.1 innings with just one run, striking out seven to earn the win. Red-Hot Redbirds… Prior to falling on Thursday, the Cardinals closed their recent 5-2 road trip with a five-game winning streak. With wins in five of their last six games, the Cardinals have outscored their opponents by a resounding 50-21. With a 9-3 record in their last 12 games, the Cards have outscored their opponents, 87-51, during that stretch, firmly putting a 5-17 start to the 2nd Half behind them. Springfield has raced right back in the 2nd Half Standings, shaving an 11.5-game deficit behind Tulsa to just a 7.5-game deficit with 36 games left to play. 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 four 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 144 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. In his last three games alone, Young has gone 6x12 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 on a tear… OF Lane Thomas crushed the ball on the road trip and has hit in six of his last seven games overall, batting .419 (13x31) with four home runs, three triples, seven RBIs and eight runs during that stretch. With a homer in four of his last nine games, Thomas has moved into 1st in the league with 21 HRs on the year. One’s no fun… C Andrew Knizner extended his four-game hitting streak with a pair of singles on Thursday and has multiple hits in each of those four games, going 9x18 with three homers, a double and six RBIs. On a current eight-game on-base streak, he has scored a run in each of his last five games with eight runs during that stretch. 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 4 of last 6G – .450 (9x20), 2 HR, 5 RBI, 3 2B, 7 R… With Memphis this year - .238, 4 HR, 23 RBI, 11 2B, 66 G… 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 6G hit streak with RBI in last 4G – .391 (9x23), 1 2B, 7 RBI, 4 R… Current 16G on-base streak with hits in 12 of those games since 7/4 - .352 (19x54), 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 6G – .259 (7x27), 2 2B, 2 RBI, 7 R… At home - .258 (16x62), 1 2B, 3 RBI, 21 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 4G hit streak – 9x18, 3 HR, 1 2B, 6 RBI, 7 R… Hits in 19 of last 24G – .333 (30x90), 4 HR, 4 2B, 14 RBI, 16 R… Went season-high 4x4, 1 2B, 1 RBI on 6/23 vs.