Springfield and Memphis recaps first thing in the morning — I need to catch up on some sleep. 
Sometimes I wonder if these poor kids get any sleep. They play till midnight and then have to hop on buses to drive to away games at times. All for a chance to beat the odds and make it to the bigs.
- Skip Schumaker and Brendan Ryan combined to 5-for-10 from the 1 and 2 slots yet they only scored 1 run.
- Nick Stavinoha had a very good night hidden in an ordinary looking box score: 1-for-3 with a HR, BB, HBP, 2 runs scored and 2RBI.
- The failed Troy Cate experiment continues. He went 5 innings allowing 11 hits which included 3 HRs. I guess Memphis doesn’t really have any better option to trot out every 5 days since the organization is so slow at promoting college pitchers. I wonder if Ottavino could skip Springfield all the way up to Memphis? Probably not. Cate also struck out 3 while allowing 8 runs.
Springfield 3, Arkansas 5 (Game 1: 7 innings)
- Joe Mather gets a hit. Joe Mather hits a HR. Me Joe Mather. Me smash. Sorry, the kid is a giant and he has now crushed 17 HRs.
- The failed Kevin Ool experiment continues. In 5IP, he allowed 9 hits and walked 3. He may have only allowed 2 runs but that WHIP over 2 suggests he got very lucky since their were baserunners all over the place.
- Dear Cardinals,
Despite recent success with converting relievers to starters at the major league level, not every reliever in the system is capable of starting. Please stop punting games by trying to force the issue. Promote some of the “polished” and “experienced” college pitchers that you love to draft to Springfield and Memphis. They may not be fireballers but Kevin Ool is not a starter.
Thank you,
AZ
- Dear Cardinals,
- Michael Cooper and his 7+ ERA blew a save by allowing 2 runs in the 7th. It was a walk off home run none the less.
Springfield 5, Arkansas 2 (Game 2: 7 innings)
- Colby Rasmus went 1-for-4. He’s slumping a little. In his last 10 games he’s gone 7-for-36 with 4 walks and 10Ks. He did steal his 9th base last night.
- Mike Ferris hit a homerun and took 2 walks.
- In what appears to be his second start of the season, Jose Garcia pitched 4 innings allowing 2 runs. Threes were wild as he allowed 3 hits, walked 3 and struck out 3.
- Chris Perez saved his 15th game striking out 1 in a scoreless (walkless) frame.
- Allen Craig went 2-for-4 with a double and a HR.
- Mark Hamilton went 2-for-3 with a double, a HR and a HBP.
- Ian Church went 3-for-4 with a double.
- Adam Daniels was dominant throwing 7 innings with 5 hits, 1 walk, 1K for 1 run. 14 of 18 outs on balls in play were via the groundball.
- Brandon Buckman went yard.
- Wilmer Alvarado hit a double but had 3 throwing errors.
- PJ Walters threw 4 scoreless innings striking out 5.
- Elvis Hernandez struck out 5 in 3.1 innings but allowed a run for a BS.
- Kenny Maiques allowed an unearned run taking the loss.
Filed under: Daily Farm Reports
erik
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Looks like Adam Daniels is just begging to be promoted (and Ool is the only guy in his way)….but then someone would have to be promoted for QC and it would ruin the tandem starter system!!!!! oh no. Also, Joe Mather also needs to be promoted which would start a chain re-action of 1B promotions (Mather, then Hamilton or Craig, then Buckman).
On Mather. I saw him play last Sunday in the double header. Coming into that game, I wasn’t a Mather fan. Old for his age, feasting on lesser talent, blah, blah. I walked away impressed. I know he hit a home run in one of the games, and it was a impressive blast. The minute it left the bat, you knew it was gone. Also, I think he hit a gap double as well. He worked counts pretty well, even on his outs.
His defense at both first base and right field was more than adequate. He took proper routes to balls hit to him the field.
I’m not saying he’s Evan Longoria, who we saw a couple nights later, but I would be content to give him a shot at a fourth outfielder slot. The outfield jam at Memphis probably limits his call up, because he needs time in the OF as Albert ain’t going anywhere at first.
Also, on his size. He’s a legit six and half at least. But, I think he could stand to add some bulk to his frame, to get him more in line with Duncan’s size. (Duncan I think is a fair comp, BTW.) The kid is lanky.
One last thing about time these guys put in. Mather must have signed 150 plus autographs, before each game and after the second game as well. I’ve never seen guys sign AFTER a game. Every kid that begged for an autograph from Mather, who IS the local hero, got one. A kid didn’t even have to ask twice, and Joe ran over and signed away until every kid that came racing got one. I was really impressed by that.
A bunch of other guys signed as well, I’m not knocking them. As a team, they signed more autographs than I’ve ever seen signed in one game. But, as the local STAR, Mather was the get for most kids.
Brock20 - I agree about Mather, he still has room to add muscle (not that he necessarily needs too but I think he could). He and Brandon Buckman up in QC really tower above the rest of the field.
I’d like for the Cardinals to figure out their OF logjam of marginal players in Memphis. Players like Tagg Bozied and Rico Washington who don’t have a future in the organization just need to be released. I truly do not understand the point of holding onto that roster filler material at the AAA level when you have prospects pushing for a higher level of competition.
If the STL Cardinals want to field some marginal OFs (Preston Wilson) they’re better off looking inside the organization than out. Rodriguez/Ankiel/Stavinoha should all get a look at the OF next year in the bigs, imo.
Anyone know when Percival is suppose to start throwing?
And I had such high hopes for Troy Cate…
SleepyCA - I still think that Cate will be an average reliever against left handers in a worst case scenario. Having to cut down on his velocity to last 5-6 innings isn’t helping the fact that Cate doesn’t have the diverse arsenal he needs to get batters out multiple times. I’m hopeful the Cardinals move Randy Flores in a trade and put Cate in his spot. Tyler Johnson is obviously the #1 lefty in the pen right now and Flores is a servicable reliever that certain clubs (the Tigers come to mind) could use.