To overlook the farm system on this final day (for me) of regular DFR turn I’d like to be a tad forward looking. While the Cardinals have been a frustratingly underachieving team, to the point that a manager with lesser credentials would have more than likely been held accountable by termination mid-season, there is still a substantial amount of games remaining on the schedule that one last surge is plausible.
Wins must begin to come in bunches, starting this weekend. While saying anything is a ‘must win’ is silly as long as there are still numbers left on that elimination column (or if you are Marv Levy, you have a different opinion about must wins), that bunch of wins has to start Friday. A sweep, the ultimate correction to this horrendous 2 week stretch, would move the Cardinals back to a 5 game deficit. The Reds would leave St. Louis to face one of their toughest remaining series, a four game set in Colorado while the Redbirds head to the land of brats and beer, Milwaukee. Any combination of Rockies wins equal to or greater than 2 and Cardinals wins of 3 in those two 4 game sets and the Cardinals find themselves back in a position where picking up a win a week for the remainder of the season gives them a chance.
By the time we talk again next week, we will know a lot more about how the picture for the Cardinals postseason hopes look. Having seen this team for the 120+ games they’ve played so far, my gut tells me that it won’t be a pretty picture. However, I also know this offense has to revert to the mean hard and soon. And when that happens, the runs will flow in a glorious fashion. Let’s hope the pitching decides to steady itself the rest of the month as well.
On to the DFR!
- Tyler Greene went 1-for-4.
- Daniel Descalso went 2-for-4.
- Mark Hamilton went 1-for-4.
- James Rapoport went 2-for-3.
- PJ Walters threw 107 pitches in 5.1 IP. He gave up 6 H and 2 ER but struckout 10 against 1 BB.
- Chuckie Fick went 2.0 IP with 2 H and 2 BB.
- Rich Rundels only get 2 outs (1 on a K) but picked up the comeback win.
- Josh Kinney logged yet another save.
- Springfield threw up a 5 spot in the first inning and still managed to give this game away.
- Daryl Jones returned to the leadoff spot and went 2-for-5 with a leadoff HR.
- Matt Carpenter and Andrew Brown both went 1-for-4.
- Xavier Scruggs went 1-for-4 with a 2B and 2 RBI.
- Jose Garcia went hit his 5th HR, a 3-run shot in the 1st inning.
- Nick Additon went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI.
- Nick Additon also gave up 5 ER in 5 IP. He was tagged with 7 H, 1 BB and 5 K.
- Ramon Delgado threw 2.0 scoreless innings, with a H, 2 BB and 1 K.
- Jason Buursma didn’t record an out, giving the game up with 4 ER on 3 H and a BB.
- Blake King walked 3 and struckout 1 in his inning.
Johnson City 20, Burlington Coat Factory 2
- It’s a rough night when you are outscored by 18 and outhit by 10.
- Greg Garcia went 2-for-5.
- Oscar Taveras went 2-for-4 with 2 RBI.
- Kleininger Teran went 3-for-5 with a 2B and 4 RBI.
- Phillip Cerreto went 1-for-3.
- Roberto Reyes went 2-for-4 with a HR and 3 RBI.
- Virgil Hill went 1-for-1 with a HR.
- Travis Tartamella went 2-for-5 with a 2B and HR for 3 RBI.
- Patrick Elkins went 3-for-4 with 2 2Bs and 3 RBI.
- Cesar Valera went 2-for-4 with a RBI.
- Cale Johnson went 6 innings, only yielding the 1 ER on 7 H, 1 BB and 5 K.
- Francisco Guzman went 2.0 IP with 2 H, 1 ER and 3 K.
- Robert Revesz walked 1 in his IP.
River Bandits 7, Wisconsin 4 (11 innings)
- Luis Mateo went 2-for-5.
- Edgar Lara went 1-for-3 with a HR.
- Robert Smith went 1-for-4 with a 2B and RBI.
- Michael Swinson went 1-for-5 with 2 RBI.
- SHELBY MILLER ALERT!!! Shelby threw 5 IP, giving up 5 H and 1 ER. His control was good with a 8:1 SO to BB ratio. He gave up the ER on a longball.
- Jorge Rondon picked up a Hold with 2 IP of 1 H, 1 R (UER), 2 BB and 2 K baseball.
- LaCurtis Mayes took the blown save getting only 2 outs while giving up 3 H and 2 ER.
- Aaron Terry threw 1.1 IP with 2 H.
- Daniel Calhoun picked up his 9th win with 2 IP of 1 H, 2 K work.
- Victor Sanchez went 1-for-5 with a 2B.
- Jon Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with his 12th HR.
- Geoffrey Klein and Patrick Biserta both hit 2Bs.
- Justin Edwards took the loss giving up 5 ER on 7 H and 3 BB. He struckout 6 in 5 IP.
- Chase Reid threw 2 IP with 1 H, 1 BB and 1 K.
- David Kington worked 2 IP, striking out 2 and walking 1.
Palm Beach 2, Fort Meyers 5 (10 innings)
- Ryan Jackson went 2-for-4 with a 2B.
- Nico Vasquez went 1-for-5 with a 2B and RBI.
- Richard Racobaldo went 1-for-3 with a RBI.
- Kevin Thomas gave up 2 R (1 ER) in 4 IP. He did it on 5 H, 1 BB and 3 K.
- Jesse Simpson threw 2 IP with 2 H, 1 BB and 3 K.
- Matthew Frevert gave up a H and got a K in his 1 IP.
- Casey Mulligan handed out 2 BB and 3 K in 2 IP.
- Joel Pichardo took the loss, only getting 1 out before giving up a 3-run HR for the loss. He gave up 2 H, 3 ER and 1 BB.
Entries (RSS)
Once again I note that Steven Hill doesn’t play for Johnson City but Virgil Hill does.
Also it is Ross Smith, not Robert Smith for QC
That win put JC in the Appy League finals.
Jon Rodriguez at Batavia may be the best hitter in the system as I type. At just 20, he was being ticketed for QC during Spring training when he went down with a shoulder injury. When he came back he was assigned to Batavia where he struggled initially (.452 OPS in June, .628 OPS in July). By August he had caught fire with a 1.034 OPS and he has started Sept on fire with 3 HR in his first 10 AB’s. (he has 9 in 110 AB’s since the first of August). He should finish the season with around an .850 OPS and over 1.000 for his second half. Batavia and the NY-Penn league is not a HR heaven either. His BB rate is around 10% and his K rate a little less than 20%.
Rodriguez was a 3B who had played 1B in Junior College due to an injury. Last year in the GCL and at JC he played mostly 1B and a smattering of 3B. This year he has played primarily 3B (particularly the last month). If he stays at 3B (or anywhere other than 1B) his bat will play.
Having just turned 21 last month, he will play most of next year as a 21 year old and I expect to see him at PB by the end of the year.
It’s ok to be excited about a guy…but the best hitter in the system? you are talking about a rookie ball, short A ball hitter. There is /are some vast differences from level to level. Does he have a chance to be good? Sure! But to say the best hitter in the system? Really?
Fair criticism. How about if I qualify it and say for his age? Probably should have said “the guy hitting the best in the system in right now” which could be true.
At the end of the regular season, Shelby Miller has thrown 104 innings in 24 starts, giving up 97 hits, 140 K’s, and 33 BBs. His ERA for the year was 3.62, though only 2.86 since the A-level all-star break (and the break they gave Miller mid-season). Though he’ll add some more innings in the playoffs, that inning count is probably about what the Cards were looking for. So, I suppose for next year, the plan will be 130-140 innings.
Wouldn’t Oscar Tavares be considered the best hitter in the system for his age
I’d say arguable either way. Is Tavares the 1.000+ OPS hitter of July or the .700 OPS hitter of August? Is Rodriguez the guy that had a .177 BA through July or the guy who is OPSing nearly 1.100 in Aug/Sep?
I drove down yesterday from Daytona to see the PB cards game against the Miracles.
May I say, I was in total shock. Two teams fighting to survive for a playoff spot and the Cards lose the game due to an Unfair call made by the Home Umpire! Ridiculous! It was about 10:30 the 10th inning one out and 2 man on base, batter with 2 strikes. Batter hits a hard fly homerun ball over to left side. However, the fly ball stayed outside Foul territory on the left side of the yellow pole. The home umpire called it a fair homerun. Thats just wrong!
Congrats to Coach Aguayo for being selected to the FSL Allstar team. He truly deserve it. I also felt that some of his PB players should of been given the recognition. This team impressed me, they stayed in 1st place the entire 2nd half, even after losing good pitchers & players to promotions. I applaud them.
Well off to Springfield…to check out Matt Carpenter and Luna…