Following are the highlights from the first minor league games of 2011. A pair of intersquad games were held on Wednesday in preparation for Friday’s initial contests against external competition. Another pair of intersquad matchups will occur on Thursday.
As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch will be sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, but the comments mine.
Lineups for the day were previously posted here.
Working Group #2 9, Working Group #1 5
I spoke with P.J. Walters after his start, about which he was not particularly pleased. His fastball was up and he lacked control of his secondary pitches, which made for a rough outing. He allowed six runs, five earned on eight hits and a walk in four innings. Walters fanned four.
His 6-foot-8 younger brother Eric threw for the Cardinals on Wednesday, two days after having done so for Washington, but P.J. said Eric must go through the draft and is ineligible to sign at this time.
Other Group #1 Pitchers
Kevin Thomas, down from major league camp, yielded just one hit in two innings and fanned three.
Tyler Norrick completed an inning on eight pitches, including a strikeout
Ryan Kulik allowed three baserunners on a pair of hits and a walk with two runners scoring, one earned over his inning of work.
Cory Rauschenberger, back for a second stint as a minor leaguer after having retired once, surrendered three hits and one run in his mound inning.
Andrew Brown was batting third and playing third base (at least until Matt Carpenter appears, if he does), with Zack Cox batting cleanup in Group #2. Brown was on base all three times with a single, double, and a walk. He drove in one and scored once.
Other Group #1 Hitters
Donovan Solano flashed rare extra-base talent, with a double and triple in three plate appearances. He also had and RBI and a run scored.
Charles Cutler plated three on a home run.
Steven Hill was on base twice, with a single and walk.
Xavier Scruggs doubled and scored.
Aaron Luna, Ryan Jackson and Jose Martinez each had just one at-bat, but made the best of it, with singles.
Shelby Miller allowed three baserunners on a pair of hits and a walk, but none crossed the plate in two innings. He fanned a pair. Not surprisingly, #30 drew a large crowd of onlookers.
Other Group #2 Pitchers
The next three pitchers that followed Miller all allowed Group #1 to increase their scoring.
Scott McGregor allowed three baserunners in his inning and one came home.
Richard Castillo and Mark Diapoules went a pair of innings each and each allowed two runs. They totaled five strikeouts, three by Castillo.
Matt Frevert and Dean Kiekhefer each tossed shutout innings. The lefty Kiekhefer allowed two baserunners, but also fanned two.
Edgar Lara had three hits in four at-bats and scored twice to pace the Group #2 offense.
Other Group #2 Hitters
Greg Garcia singled and doubled in two plate appearances.
Frederick Parejo had a pair of extra base hits as he doubled and homered.
Zack Cox shot a solo home run to right field. Though the wind was not especially strong, if anything, he had that wind behind him. I didn’t see it, so I don’t know how hard it was stroked.
Roberto Espinoza and Ivan Castro each singled and walked
Working Group #3 2, Working Group #4 0 (10 innings)
The length of the game was decided by the pitchers that needed to see work as both runs were scored in the first inning.
Group #3 Pitchers
When I asked Vuch who made a good impression, the first name he mentioned was Seth Blair. It was the second-rounder’s first semi-official mound appearance as he did not pitch after signing last summer. He had two perfect innings with a pair of strikeouts.
Blair’s former Arizona State teammate Jordan Swagerty (pictured) followed with a pair of shutout frames of his own. He also fanned two, but also yielded two hits. After relieving in college, Swagerty is listed among the starters this spring.
Others who shared in the combined shutout: Andrew Moss (two innings) along with one-inning hurlers George Brown, Jesse Simpson, Kevin Siegrist (two strikeouts) and Scott Bittle.
The Cardinal Nation subscribers should look for an interview with Bittle, coming back from shoulder surgery, in the upcoming days. He has yet to pitch in an official game despite having been drafted in 2009.
Group #3 Hitters
Jonathan Rodriguez was the game’s hitting star as his bases-loaded single scored the game’s only runs. He did it with a two-strike count.
Yunier Castillo had a pair of hits.
Knuckleballer Houston Summers is listed among the Group #4 starters early in camp, but for rehab purposes as much as anything. There is no clear mandate that he will be changing roles in 2011. He allowed two runs, one earned, in two innings.
Other Group #4 Pitchers
Justin Edwards struck out three of the six straight batters faced and retired.
Justin Smith allowed four baserunners over two innings, but kept them off home plate. He fanned a pair.
Chase Reid, Nick McCully (two strikeouts), Charllan Jimenez and Ricky Martinez finished up with a scoreless inning each.
Group #4 Hitters
Colin Walsh’s double was the only extra base hit. No one in Group #4 had two or more hits.
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One less arm in Memphis this year- it was reported that Ian Snell has retired. On the topic of pitching:
http://www.foxsportsmidwest.com/msn/03/16/11/Wainwright-back-in-Florida-to-start-reha/landing_stlcardinals.html?blockID=441881&feedID=8745
It is hard having to sit on the sidelines and watch, esp. when an arm injury or surger leaves one feeling enfeebled. I dislocated my elbow in a rugby match sept. of 09 and had to sit out the entire fall and spring season. The worst parts were the rehab (very painfull) to get full range of motion back and not being able to get back into the games and contribute. It has to be more consuming if it is also your job you are trying to get back to.
Kansas, here is the link to my article about Snell from Tuesday.
Lots of good info. Thanks.
It seems like we are pretty far into Spring with no real trades anywhere in either league.
That’s a good point. It has been rather quiet, hasn’t it?
Is there anything of substance to go along with Jayson Stark’s rumor that the Phillies covet John Jay?
Couldn’t see the Cards moving him within the division unless the take is compelling.
For Cliff Lee right?
I doubt the Phils would be willing to part with any of their starters, except maybe Joe Blanton.
Speaking of quiet, where has every body been? This place has been like a ghost town for almost a week.
Vazquez was reassigned to minor league camp today, along with Cazana. Anderson and Chambers were optioned to Memphis.
Mo came out and said the 25th spot on the roster is going to boil down to Descalso and MC. And he wouldn’t hesitate to put MC on the 40 man roster. MC would also get every opportunity in the remaining games to continue to prove he deserves a spot.
Here is the link to my summary article.
Sometimes, I feel like Mo and I got interchanged at the hospital, when new borns.
Its a good story from Mo about Carpenter vs. Descalso. It plays to us masses. We shall see what happens. It may be marketing or it could turn out that way.
I am happy to be wrong about Vasquez. He didn’t impress me at all.
I would like it to be Carpenter but Descalso would make more sense. Interesting dilemma.
A lot hinges on Freese and secondarily on Punto.
If you do not trust Freese’ feet, you want a real 3B and that is Carpenter, not Descalso.
If the role is a month of backup until mighty Punto returns, Descalso would be better, because we want Carpenter to play a lot, if not in the majors, at AAA. Descalso is more like Punto.
If TLR and Mo are dubious about Freese being able to play a lot at 3B, then Carpenter makes more sense. We want to get out of the blocks. This is an important season. Its probably Carpenter. Descalso is only a phone call away if we need him. And if we need Descalso, its going to be a long season.
With Descalso, the situation would be that somebody without significant MLB 3rd base experience, or any recent 3rd base experience, will be the starter 40-50 games.
With MCarp, there would be only 3 guys capable of playing a middle infield position. Two of which are probably marginal major league starters coming off bad seasons, and the other is a minor leaguer who has basically failed in the MLB caameos he’s had.
Both are shitty situations. Not at all the kind of thing Tony would want to do.
The roster at the start of the year is merely the roster at the start of the year. If somebody gets hurt or is lousy, we make changes. We can add Descalso or Vasquez or Solano anytime we want. No big deal.
Freese is only good for 100 games according to Dr. Paletta, which probably means 50 games in real life. We have a lot of playing time available at 3B. That is where the gaping hole is, not 4th middle infielder.
In an ideal world, Carpenter could spend this whole season at Memphis. But sometime you go to war with the best you have available. That would be Matt Carpenter.
Punto will be out for what, a month? So, keep Carpenter for that time and then when Punto comes back, depending on the MI situation, they can send him to Memphis.
Freese is already playing semi-regularly in Spring training with no reports of discomfort. As long as he continues on this path there is no justification for treating him as if he wont be the regular full time 3rd baseman.
I can’t see Tony reducing his flexibility by being saddled with a 3B only reserve.
Mo may talk cheap about Carpenter and the 40 man roster spot but I dont see them adding him to cover 10 games at 3rd while Punto is out.
Carioca: Dr. Paletta may have swiped your password. Perhaps in his graciousness, Brian can issue you a new one, so we can feel confident that we are hearing your honest thoughts and not a pale imposter!
bb — Don’t look now, but that ‘marginal’ guy starting at 2B, who had a bad season last year, (last time I checked) is hitting over .400 (leading the team in ST) and hadn’t made an error.
I’m looking for a big year from Skip, who got off to a rough start at the plate last year but hit well after that. He did have a rough 2010 in the field… made almost as many errors as a certain much-vaunted, not-quite-GG-caliber SS… who got traded to Seattle.
Ah, the omnipotent one returneth.
I hope Skip has a fantastic year. We need it desparately.
Hmmmm, How is that much vaunted better offensive SS replacement of ours doing so far?
crdswmn — Just potent, not omnipotent…
As for the replacement… better than the replaced, last I looked.
Oooh that .162 BA is better. What was I thinking? I’ll bet that never will be anywhere close to GC caliber defense will knock everyone’s socks off too.
It is good to see Skip having a good ST. I hope he returns to .300, and can improve a bit in the field. Reynolds’ answer on the other thread seems accurate.
Reynolds skews to defense. Admittedly, Skip isn’t the defender either Phillips or Weeks is. But he’s a better hitter. Lifetime BA in MLB… Schumaker .291, Phillips .267, Weeks .253.
On character alone, I’d take Skip over either of those two… all day long… and twice on Sunday!
Reynolds probably gives more weight to 2010 than to previous years. Quite reasonable.
Skip is a stand up guy, no question.
I wouldn’t give a box of used urinal cakes for Phillips.
Skip can’t hold a candle to Weeks offensively. OF course, if one is too stubborn to look beyond BA it would seem simple to come to misguided conclusions.
Who was the last guy to totally skip AAA and play a significant part of a season for the Cards?
Steven Hill doesn’t count.
Albert’s 3 games disqualifies him.
Kyle McClellan.
McClellan was good, but the team also had a slot into which he could advance.
Carpenter could enjoy the same good luck of an opening, owing to the fragility of Freese.
It has been crazy here at work. I think it is the unusually large (close?) full moon set for this weekend.
That reply was for Crswmn when she said it’s been quiet here. I guess it didn’t post under her comment.
Stark lives in Philadelphia and is pretty connected there.
The Phillies and the Cards aren’t in the same division anymore…
We are not going to give Jay up cheap. We need him, so we will have to bribed big time. Thus, such a deal is unlikely at this time of year.
Trading Jay to the Phillies to fill their needs would then put us in need of the same thing. No quality backup CF. The Phillies would have to make a Godfather offer ;D
bah, I meant
Prophecy: Bryan Anderson is on the trading block. TLR has showed his colors and kept Tony Cruz in camp longer. If Anderson is behind Cruz, he could use a change of scenery.