On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ five minor league clubs faced their Miami Marlins counterparts for the final time of the spring, just as did the major league clubs. The farm team games were held on the Marlins side of the Roger Dean Stadium complex.
Springfield and Quad Cities White claimed wins on the day, while Memphis, Palm Beach and Quad Cities Red were defeated. The Cardinals’ spring record against external minor league competition sits at 17-16-4.
Thursday’s Player of the Day: Springfield infielder Greg Garcia had a perfect outing at the plate, walking twice, singling twice, scoring twice and driving in one. The 22-year-old was sixth in the entire system in OBP last season at .384. On this day, it was 1.000.
Thursday’s Pitcher of the Day: Anthony Ferrara threw five shutout innings for Palm Beach, allowing just four baserunners on three hits and a walk. The 22-year-old lefty logged 13 wins as a member of Quad Cities’ rotation in 2011.
As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game stats with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw numbers are his, but the comments mine.
On Friday, the Cardinals’ two lower-level clubs, Palm Beach and Quad Cities, will travel to the New York Mets’ home at Port St. Lucie while Memphis and Springfield remain home at the Roger Dean Stadium complex to face the Mets’ Triple-A and Double-A clubs.
The Cardinal Nation subscribers can check out the full minor league schedule and spring training working rosters. The entire system view by level and position is available via the Roster Matrix, right here at The Cardinal Nation Blog.
New Orleans 4, Memphis 1
| Memphis pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Shelby Miller | 5 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Not a dominating spring for #1 prospect |
| Sam Freeman | 1 | 1 | 0 | One unearned run against lefty | ||
| Chuckie Fick | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 40-man roster reliever |
| Maikel Cleto | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Conversion to reliever is permanent |
| Eduardo Sanchez | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | One unearned run for our #7 prospect |
| Memphis hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Amaury Cazana | 1 | The legend continues | |||||||
| Mark Hamilton | 1 | 1 | |||||||
| Pete Kozma | 1 | 1 | Two-out RBI hit | ||||||
| Jermaine Curtis | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| Jeremy Patton | 3 | 1 | MO native had .825 OPS with Batavia in 2011 | ||||||
| Adron Chambers | 4 | 1 | First appearance in this report after being w/StL | ||||||
| Chris Swauger | 4 | 1 |
Springfield 8, Jacksonville 7
| Springfield pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Michael Blazek | 4.1 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 5 | Made 24 Double-A starts in 11 and looks to be back |
| Deryk Hooker | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | Only threw 65 1/3 IP last season due to injury | |
| Scott Schneider | 0.1 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | Started 20 and relieved in 15 for 2011 S-Cards |
| Springfield hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Kolten Wong | 5 | 1 | 3 | A regular in this report this spring | |||||
| Oscar Taveras | 4 | 1 | 2 | Springfield jump looks real | |||||
| Greg Garcia | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Folks had better remember his name | |||
| Jose Garcia | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Also had solid Memphis trial last season | ||
| Adam Melker | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Nick Derba | 1 | 2 | 1 | 90 RBI in 924 career ABs over five seasons | |||||
| Tommy Pham | 1 | 1 | Injury last week was just a stinger |
Jupiter 2, Palm Beach 0
| Palm Beach pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Anthony Ferrara | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | PB would be his fifth level in 5 seasons – at QC in 11 |
| Jesse Simpson | 2 | 2 | ERA four runs higher at Springfield vs. PB last year | |||
| Shooter Hunt | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | At least the line was symmetric |
| Willy Paulino | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Palm Beach hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Charlie Tilson | 4 | 2 | Could he make a full season club? | ||||||
| Mike O’Neill | 1 | 2 | OF moved wherever needed in 2011 | ||||||
| Vance Albitz | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| Travis Tartamella | 2 | 1 | |||||||
| Packy Elkins | 3 | 1 |
Greensboro 8, Quad Cities (Red) 2
| Quad Cities Red pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Hector Hernandez | 3 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 1 | No one escaped unscathed on this day |
| Dyllon Nuernberg | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 53 Ks in 48 2/3 career innings |
| Bradley Watson | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | Our 2011 GCL Cardinals Starter of the Year | |
| Brandon Creath | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 11.84 K/9 IP 2nd among GCL relievers in 2011 |
| Quad Cities Red hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Roberto Reyes | 4 | 2 | 1 | OF has .233 career BA over four seasons | |||||
| Virgil Hill | 4 | 2 | 32-for-49 in steals over first three summers | ||||||
| Nick Martini | 1 | ||||||||
| Luis Mateo | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Colin Walsh | 2 | 1 | 1 | ||||||
| Garrett Wittels | 2 | 2 | College hit king for Florida International |
Quad Cities (White) 5, Jamestown 3
| Quad Cities White pitching | IP | H | ER | BB | K | Notes |
| Kyle Hald | 4 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 5 | Lefty was 2011 Appy League All-Star with 1.84 ERA |
| Nick Gillung | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1.73 ERA for 2011 Johnson City champs |
| Kevin Jacob | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | Fanned 18 but walked 20 in 17 2/3 IP for Batavia |
| Corey Baker | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Quad Cities White hitting | AB | R | H | RBI | 2B | 3B | HR | BB | Notes |
| Kolby Byrd | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 13th rounder in 11 began with Johnson City | ||||
| Gerwuins Velazco | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 20 y/o Venezuelan made US debut in 11 GCL | ||||
| Neil Pritchard | 3 | 1 | |||||||
| Adam Ehrlich | 3 | 1 | |||||||
| David Bergin | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | Hit .284 in 67 AB pro debut with JC last season | |||
| Gary Apelian | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |||||
| Anthony Bryant | 4 | 1 |
Subscribers to the main site, TheCardinalNation.com, should continue to check out my extensive spring training content over the upcoming days. Today’s addition is a 25-minute in-depth interview with John Vuch.
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Why do you say the Cleto move is permanent?
Tilson seems to be making a strong case to be on a full season club.
Jacobs seems to still have the high K levels this SPring but without the walks.
Hey, CC…Tilson might start out in QC, PMB? Or wind up there eventually this season?
CC, in the strictest sense, “permanent” cannot be stated without an ability to tell the future, but one can state with confidence that starting isn’t in the plans for him in Memphis or St. Louis. Please read this article I wrote about Cleto last week for details (subscriber content).
I guess I took “in the short term” to mean that the door was still open for him to return to starting if not this season then next.
“Never say never!”
Goold also says the Cleto to the pen move is permanent. In his ‘backfield report’ column.
Exciting that Taveras will be playing double A ball.
I’ve been impressed with Wong since he signed.
On another topic–Am I correct that Cards/ Marlins game on April 4th will NOT be televised nationally?
7pm EST on ESPN. Last time I checked.
T8Ball has it correct.
No rosters are set yet, but Springfield should be fun to watch if Rosenthal, Taveras, Wong all start there.
I will definitely go to some games in Springfield if that happens. Would make up for my failed attempt to see Shelby Miller pitch in Springfield last season.
thanks!
Hummel’s ‘Descalso’ story today is the first I’ve heard of MOtheny backpeddling about Greene. DD the opening day 2B and leadoff hitter. Well I never . . . ”
It is going to take some getting used to, this business of factoring in recent performance.
And he’s batting Descalso at the top of the order when Brian said he was a bottom of the order hitter. Well I never either………….
Everyone knows that when predicting what someone might do tomorrow, what they did three years ago has more predictive value than what they’ve been doing the last month. Where has everyone been the last sixteen years? Somebody slap some sense into Mike and Mo.
Let’s see how long Raphy Mendoza stays in the lineup.
Let’s hope that Raphy doesn’t Mendoza for much longer.
It’s FurDoza
couple of comedians
Just saw on Twitter where Adam Ottavino has been placed on waivers. Hope that wasn’t done to make room for Eugenio Velez.
Gad. Furcal has been raking compared to Valez.
Perhaps something should be read into Marte being on the pitching schedule today.
I don’t twit, so keep us informed if you don’t mind, and have the time. And thanks for the scoop, you sports journalist.
Won’t be able to this afternoon. I will be away from Twitter for a while starting in about half an hour. Brian will probably be on it soon.
The Anderson for Molina in the bottom of the forth…….teaming Lohse and Anderson for a few is a very calculated move………… an opportunity taken advantage of……….thats one to watch….. could be a surprise coming up…………
Goold says Skip is on the travel squad for Springfield. If he’s close to back in the saddle, that argues against Valez.
And Otto got me thinking of waiver guys. Andrew Brown’s line for the Rockies this Spring:
.350/.409/.800/1.209
He appeared in16 games with 20 ABs. Not on their 40 man.
Nice two inning save by the non-prospect.
Pitchers could learn to like Anderson. He’d learn a lot about calling a game up here as Yadi’s understudy. Probably has already this spring. Carp can lump it, he’s a big boy.
I’m back from my sojourn with 9th graders. I see no sign of Brian on the Ottavino thing.
Goold tweeted that Anderson, Velez and Marte have been sent to Memphis. So that means Cruz, Carpenter and Komatsu made the team.
Maybe the Ottavino thing is opening up a spot just in case. Or maybe Ottavino just wants to go somewhere else.
Left out Robinson. Guess he made it too. Craig must be going on the DL. Skip must be going to Springfield for moral support.
I’m relieved……………. I take that as a positive thing for the organization that nothing unusual happened with Anderson………………. the kid can hit……… he needs a position………………… Now the race begins for the survivor on the 10th…………….. I hope Matt C. catches on ……………. Lohse saw all the finges today………….. thats a good thing……………. he needs 4 runs on Wednesday………. hope they come early…………… The entire BP should be available ……….he just needs a good 6…………. We don’t win a game in which we only score 1 or 2 runs………………..
I posted a hot news on Ottavino hours ago – after Rick Hummel broke the story.
Skip may be DAS in Springfield – designated autograph signer.
Where did you post this hot news? Clearly not here, where it counts