Following are the highlights from the 18th and final day of St. Louis Cardinals minor league games in spring 2011, on Sunday, April 3. In a camp day, Memphis took on Springfield while Palm Beach opposed Quad Cities. The Redbirds and River Bandits each won.

The 2-2 result means the Cardinals system finished the spring with a combined 38-28-10 record. That includes a sharp 24-14-6 mark against external competition, the Marlins and Mets.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Memphis catcher Tony Cruz. He reached base every time, with a double, homer and walk in three plate appearances. The 40-man player scored twice and plated two. Honorable mention to Quad Cities hurlers Justin Smith, Andrew Moss and Keith Butler as they spun a shutout against Palm Beach.

The Cardinal Nation subscribers can see all four full-season rosters as camp breaks on Monday as well as players remaining behind for Extended Spring Training. They will be joined by 42 more players in EST. Again, TCN subscribers can view all the additional EST players’ names here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

A special thanks to the Cardinals for providing game stats all spring long.

Memphis (8-5-4) 4, Springfield (6-7-4) 3

Memphis pitching

Lance Lynn fanned nine Cardinals over seven innings. The big righty yielded three runs on four hits over seven innings. Lynn walked no one.

Eduardo Sanchez fanned one during his scoreless frame. Sanchez is our fifth-ranked Cardinals prospect for 2011.

Cory Rauschenberger gave up a hit and fanned one in his run-free frame.

Memphis hitting

Andrew Brown keeps on hitting, going 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a run scored.

Tony Cruz doubled, homered and walked in three plate appearances. The catcher scored twice and drove in two.

Pete Kozma singled and doubled, driving in one in two PAs.

Donovan Solano singled in three at-bats and scored one run.

Ramon Vazquez singled in two at-bats and collected an RBI.

Springfield pitching

Kevin Thomas started and yielded two runs in 5 1/3 innings. He gave up five hits and walk and fanned three.

Ramon Delgado fanned two in two scoreless, hitless and walkless innings.

Brett Zawacki had a rough 1/3 inning outing, as he allowed two hits and a walk. Two of them scored.

Casey Mulligan gave up a hit and a walk without getting an out.

Springfield hitting

Aaron Luna had a home run and two RBI in three at-bats.

Nick Derba tripled in three at-bats.

Chris Swauger singled in three at-bats. He scored and drove in one.

Xavier Scruggs doubled and scored in four at-bats.

Quad Cities (8-8-2) 8, Palm Beach (11-7) 0

Palm Beach pitching

John Gast was spanked for five earned runs in four innings. The lefty allowed four hits, three walks and fanned three.

Joe Kelly, like Gast a MLB camp invitee, yielded three runs in two innings on four hits and a walk.

Jose Rada pitched a perfect inning.

Jorge Rondon walked one and fanned two in a scoreless frame.

Hector Corpas worked a quiet inning.

Palm Beach hitting

Alan Ahmady was on base twice with a single and walk in two plate appearances.

Luis Mateo, Audry Perez and Zack Cox each had one hit.

Quad Cities pitching

Justin Smith gave up just one hit and three walks in 4 2/3 scoreless. He fanned seven.

Andrew Moss followed with 3 1/3 shutout frames of his own. Moss allowed three hits and a walk and struck out three.

Keith Butler had a scoreless inning, fanning one.

Quad Cities hitting

Nick Longmire singled and doubled in four PAs. He scored one run.

Victor Sanchez doubled twice and walked in four plate appearances. He scored twice.

Jonathan Rodriguez was also on base three times in four PAs with a double and a pair of walks. He scored twice.

Cody Stanley singled and drove in one in three at-bats.

Frederick Parejo singled and walked in four PAs. The outfielder scored one run.

Yunier Castillo had a single in four at-bats and drove in two.

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The Cardinals minor leaguers had their oddest split day of the spring. Memphis and Springfield played their Florida Marlins counterparts while Palm Beach and Quad Cities #1 took on the New York Mets A-ball squads. In addition, Quad Cities #2 stepped up in competition and opposed the Marlins A-Advanced team.

The 4-0-1 result was the best day of the spring for the Cardinals and their first undefeated afternoon. Only Springfield did not win though they pitched will in their tie.

The Cardinals system is now a combined 36-26-10 this spring and has guaranteed a winning Florida record. They finished with a sharp 24-14-6 mark against external competition, the Marlins and Mets.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Palm Beach starter Eric Fornataro. The 23-year-old right-hander yielded an unearned run in five innings. Fornataro allowed just three hits, walked no one and struck out three.

On Sunday, the Cardinals have their final spring action in a camp day. Memphis will against take on Springfield and Palm Beach will play Quad Cities. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (7-5-4) 8, New Orleans 5

Memphis pitching

Brandon Dickson yielded all five New Orleans’ runs. In 5 2/3 innings, he gave up six hits and five walks. Our system Pitcher of the Year in 2010 struck out two.

Jason Buursma allowed just one hit in 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Lefty Rich Rundles also gave up just one hit in his inning.

Blake King was touched for a pair of hits but was unscored upon. The 40-man roster righty fanned one.

Memphis hitting

Nick Stavinoha had two singles and a double in five at-bats. He scored and collected one RBI.

Free agent signee Ramon Vazquez also singled twice and doubled but also walked in five plate appearances. The infielder scored twice.

Shane Robinson singled, doubled and scored in five ABs.

Another former free agent infielder, Freddie Bynum, had a pair of extra base hits in five at-bats. Bynum drove in three with his double and home run.

Jim Rapoport singled twice in five at-bats and came around to score once.

Donovan Solano singled and walked twice.

Despite just going 1-for-3, Andrew Brown drove in two runs and scored twice.

Pete Kozma also singled and scored twice but had just one RBI.

Springfield (6-6-4) 1, Jacksonville 1

Springfield pitching

Scott Schneider allowed just seven baserunners in six innings and only one scored.

Richard Castillo have up a hit and fanned one in his lone inning of work.

Matt Frevert gave up a hit and a walk in his one inning, but neither scored.

Cory Rauschenberger retired his only batter faced.

Casey Mulligan collected two outs, including a strikeout.

Springfield hitting

Tyler Henley doubled and scored.

Chris Swauger singled and collected the only Springfield RBI.

Niko Vasquez was the only other Cardinals runner. He drew a walk.

Palm Beach (11-6) 3, St. Lucie 1

Palm Beach pitching

Eric Fornataro gave up just an unearned run on three hits and no walks in five innings. Fornataro fanned three.

Arquimedes Nieto scattered a pair of hits over two scoreless frames.

Jared Bradford yielded two hits and a walk in his one inning, but managed to keep them off home plate.

Chase Reid gave up two hits in his scoreless frame and fanned two.

Lefty Nick Greenwood surrendered one hit and struck out one in his scoreless inning.

Palm Beach hitting

Phil Cerreto had two doubles in four at-bats. He scored one and drove in one.

Alan Ahmady singled twice in four at-bats and collected an RBI.

Luis Mateo doubled and scored.

Jarred Bogany singled in his only at-bat.

Quad Cities #1 (7-8-2) 3, Savannah 1

Quad Cities #1 pitching

Kevin Siegrist yielded one earned run in four innings on six hits and a walk. He struck out three.

Boone Whiting and Justin Wright each spun two perfect frames. Whiting fanned three and Wright two.

Chris Corrigan gave up one hit and fanned one in his scoreless inning.

Quad Cities #1 hitting

Nick Longmire and Greg Garcia each had two singles in four at-bats.

Michael Swinson singled and doubled in two at-bats and scored once.

Roberto Espinoza singled and scored in his lone at-bat.

Cody Stanley singled in his only at-bat.

Oscar Taveras doubled, walked and drove in one.

Quad Cities #2 (5-1) 8, Jupiter (A-Advanced) 4

Quad Cities #2 pitching

Carlos Martinez yielded just one earned run in four innings on two hits and a walk. Pitching against these higher-level batters, the 19-year-old fanned nine, including seven in a row.

Cale Johnson walked a pair in his lone inning, but neither scored.

Tyrell Jenkins was victimized by a two-out error as three unearned runs crossed the plate. The 2010 supplemental first rounder yielded two hits and no walks in two innings.

Pat Daugherty and Aidan Lucas each gave up a hit and fanned one in their scoreless innings.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Romulo Ruiz singled twice and doubled in four at-bats. He drove in one and scored one.

Catcher Kevin Moscatel had two singles in four at-bats, scored twice and drove in one.

Pat Biserta and Matt Valaika each went 2-for-4. Biserta drove in two and Valaika plated one.

Cesar Valera singled and doubled in four at-bats and scored a run.

Colin Walsh was on base three times in four appearances with a single and two walks.

Adam Melker had a perfect day, with three walks and a double in four PAs.

Steven Ramos hit a solo home run.

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After the 2-2 day in which both upper-level clubs won, the Cardinals system is a combined 32-26-9 this spring. That includes a 20-14-5 mark against external competition, the Marlins and Mets.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Trevor Rosenthal (again). The 20-year-old right-hander tossed six shutout innings and fanned nine for Quad Cities. Honorable mention for the four Palm Beach pitchers, Maikel Cleto, Jesse Simpson, Aaron Terry and Jose Rada. They combined for a complete-game one-hitter.

On Saturday, the Cardinals have their final spring action against their New York Mets minor league neighbors. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (6-5-4) 3, Springfield (6-6-3) 2

Memphis pitching

P.J. Walters tossed six innings of two-run ball. The right-hander allowed just six baserunners, five hits and a walk. Walters fanned five.

Tyler Norrick had trouble with walks, giving out four free passes while collecting five outs, including two via the strikeout. No Springfield runs were allowed, though.

Eduardo Sanchez, one of the last players cut from St. Louis, fanned one in his inning of work.

Memphis hitting

Andrew Brown continues to have a hot week, with two singles and a double in four at-bats. He scored one.

Shane Robinson singled, doubled and scored in four at-bats.

Jim Rapoport and Tony Cruz were each on base three times in four plate appearances with a pair of singles and a walk. Cruz scored a run.

Ramon Vazquez singled and walked in four PAs and drove in one.

Pete Kozma was on base all four times, with a single and three walks. He also drove in one.

Donovan Solano walked and had a sacrifice fly.

Springfield pitching

Mike Blazek allowed all three Redbirds runs in 4 2/3 innings. Memphis had five hits and drew four walks against him. Blazek fanned three.

Five baserunners reached against Adam Reifer in just 1 1/3 innings, but none scored. Three hits and two walks occurred on his watch, same as…

Lefty Ryan Kulik who also struck out three in 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Springfield hitting

Jose Garcia was on base twice with a walk and a double. He scored one.

Jermaine Curtis stroked an RBI double.

Matt Adams had a single and RBI.

Nick Derba was on base twice in three plate appearances with a walk and a double. He scored one run.

Palm Beach (10-6) 4, Quad Cities (6-8-2) 1

Palm Beach pitching

Maikel Cleto had his strongest outing of the spring, allowing one earned run in five innings on just one hit and two walks. The 40-man roster righty struck out seven.

Jesse Simpson fanned two in a perfect inning.

Aaron Terry retired all six batters faced.

Jose Rada added a perfect inning of his own.

Palm Beach hitting

D’Marcus Ingram was on base twice in four appearances with a single and a walk. He scored one.

Curt Smith homered in three at-bats and drove in two.

Ryde Rodriguez made the most of his two plate appearances, walking and homering. The outfielder scored both times and drove in a pair.

Quad Cities pitching

Trevor Rosenthal has to be the pitcher of the camp. This time out, he allowed just one hit and no walks over six scoreless. Rosenthal fanned nine.

Ricky Martinez took the loss, yielding two runs in two innings. Though he gave up just one hit, he also walked two. Martinez struck out two.

Drew Benes scattered two hits in his scoreless inning.

Scott Bittle gave up the final pair of runs on one walk and one hit in 2/3 of an inning. He famed one.

Quad Cities hitting

Michael Swinson had his team’s only hit and RBI.

Greg Garcia walked and scored that sole run.

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After the 3-1-1 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 30-24-9 this spring. That includes a 20-14-5 mark against external competition, the Marlins and Mets.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Memphis reliever Chuckie Fick. The right-hander allowed just one baserunner in three scoreless innings and struck out four. Four starters receive honorable mention: the Redbirds’ Adam Ottavino, Palm Beach’s Shelby Miller, Quad Cities #1 starter Jordan Swagerty and QC #2 starter Hector Hernandez.

On Friday, the Cardinals have another camp day during which Memphis will take on Springfield and Palm Beach will oppose Quad Cities. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (5-5-4) 4, New Orleans 3

The Redbirds got to former major leaguer Sean West for all four runs in the first inning and held on for the win.

Memphis pitching

Adam Ottavino had his best outing of the spring and he works to prove his shoulder problems are behind him. The right-hander allowed one run in five innings on four hits and two walks. The former first-round pick struck out seven.

Chuckie Fick had a sterling relief stint. In three innings, he gave up just one hit and no walks. Fick fanned four.

Rich Rundles allowed a single to his only batter faced and that runner later scored.

Fernando Salas had a rare rough inning as he yielded two hits and two walks. One runner crossed the plate.

Memphis hitting

Nick Stavinoha, listed as a catcher on Memphis’ roster, singled and doubled in four at-bats. He drove in one and scored one.

Minor league free agent signee Freddie Bynum had three singles in four at-bats.

Versatile Andrew Brown was on base twice in four plate appearances on single and a walk. He plated a run and scored one.

Donovan Solano singled and drove in a pair.

Springfield (6-5-3) 8, Jacksonville 4

Springfield pitching

Deryk Hooker yielded three runs in five innings. The right-hander surrendered four hits and walked no one. Hooker fanned four.

Richard Castillo, now listed among the relievers, allowed three hits in two innings, but kept them away from home plate.

Ramon Delgado had a day of ones as he was charged with one earned run on one hit, one walk and yes, he struck out one.

Lefty Nick Greenwood allowed two baserunners and collected two outs, one via strikeout.

Casey Mulligan converted a one-out save with a strikeout.

Springfield hitting

Chris Swauger singled and hit a solo home run in five at-bats.

Third baseman Niko Vasquez singled three times in four at-bats and scored twice.

Roberto Espinoza had two doubles in four at-bats and drove in three.

Matt Adams and Jose Garcia both doubled and had an RBI.

Outfielder Aaron Luna singled and drove in one.

Jupiter 4, Palm Beach (9-6) 3

Palm Beach pitching

Shelby Miller had a nice four-inning day, as he struck out seven and allowed just one run. The system’s top prospect gave up just two hits and walked three.

Arquimedes Nieto, apparently still in the battle for a rotation spot, gave up one run in two innings on three hits. He fanned one.

Daniel Calhoun was touched for two runs in 1 2/3 frames. He yielded four hits and fanned one.

Jorge Rondon gave up just one scattered hit in 1 1/3 scoreless. He struck out one batter.

Palm Beach hitting

Curt Smith, Ryde Rodriguez and Phil Cerreto all had two singles and scored one in four at-bats.

Jarred Bogany doubled and plated two.

Quad Cities #1 (6-7-2) 1, Greensboro 1 (tie)

Quad Cities #1 pitching

Jordan Swagerty, a closer last season at Arizona State, will be starting in 2011. In five shutout innings, he allowed four hits and a walk, striking out three.

Angel DeJesus surrendered the only Greensboro run on two hits and two walks over his three-inning outing.

Jared Bradford gave up a pair of hits in his scoreless innings.

Quad Cities #1 hitting

Juan Castillo singled twice and drove in one in three at-bats.

Frederick Parejo was on base twice in three plate appearances with a single and a walk. He scored the lone Quad Cities run.

Quad Cities #2 (4-1) 3, Marlins fifth team 2

Quad Cities #2 pitching

Hector Hernandez had a strong four-inning shutout start. He yielded just one hit and three walks while fanning four.

Wilson Matos was charged with a lone run on four hits and a walk over two frames. Matos struck out two.

Tyler Lyons gave up the other run in his two-inning stint. He allowed one hit and fanned one.

Sean Watson, who I reported yesterday had signed his first professional contract, earned his first save. The 6-foot-9 left-hander allowed one hit in his scoreless ninth inning.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Adam Melker singled twice and scored both times in four at-bats.

Chris Edmondson pulled out his extra-base stick with a double and triple in four at-bats. He scored one run and drove in another.

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The 0-2-2 day was the Cardinals’ worst of the spring – their first winless day. The Cardinals system is a combined 27-23-8 this spring. That includes a 17-13-4 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Quad Cities starting pitcher Zack Russell. The 21-year-old right-hander and former 49^th round draft pick (not a typo) tossed five scoreless innings on three hits, walked no one and punched out six. Quad Cities third baseman Jonathan Rodriguez receives an honorable mention.

On Thursday, the Cardinals minor leaguers, all five rosters worth, will have their final games with their Marlins neighbors. Florida will be the home team, so the games will be on their side of the complex. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (4-5-4) 6, Buffalo 6

Buffalo outfielder Jason Pridie connected for a first-inning grand slam and the Bisons’ starter, Josh Stinson, shut out the Redbirds through five on just two hits. Memphis mounted a nice comeback in the later innings to pull even.

Memphis pitching

To get work and stay in routine for his Monday start for St. Louis, major leaguer Kyle Lohse remained behind in Florida and took the mound for the Redbirds. The right-hander did not have a good day to say the least, as he was gored by 11 Bison hits and a walk. All six runs Lohse allowed were earned. He fanned four in his five-inning appearance.

Jason Buursma yielded just one hit in two scoreless frames. He fanned one.

Blake King had a King-like outing. He was touched for two hits and walked a pair in two innings, but kept the opponent off the scoreboard. The 40-man roster reliever struck out one.

Memphis hitting

Andrew Brown singled and homered in four at-bats. The versatile corner infielder-outfielder collected three RBI.

Daryl Jones tripled and drove in a pair.

Adron Chambers, Freddie Bynum and Shane Robinson were each on base twice with a single and walk. They all scored one run.

Binghamton 3, Springfield (5-5-3) 1

Binghamton left-hander Robert Carson threw five shutout innings as the Cardinals scored their lone run in the sixth against reliever Ricky Brooks.

Springfield pitching

Nick Additon went 4 2/3 innings, yielding all three Binghamton runs on six hits and a walk. He fanned two.

Brett Zawacki had a nice two-inning stint, with no baserunners and a pair of punchouts.

Lefty Sam Freeman, returning from Tommy John surgery, walked one and struck out one in his scoreless inning.

Matt Frevert also tossed a shutout frame on one hit. He collected two strikeouts.

Springfield hitting

First baseman Matt Adams, fresh from some MLB face time Tuesday, singled and doubled in four at-bats.  He is bidding to jump from Quad Cities.

Back from his own Tommy John surgery, outfielder Tyler Henley doubled. Look for our interview to be posted for The Cardinal Nation subscribers later this week.

Tommy Pham was on base twice, having drawn a walk each time. The outfielder is The Cardinal Nation’s 19th-ranked prospect for 2011.

Jermaine Curtis walked and scored the lone Springfield tally.

St. Lucie 7, Palm Beach (9-5) 3

Palm Beach pitching

Major league camp invitee Joe Kelly was touched for four runs, three earned, in his four-inning start. Kelly allowed five hits and three walks. He also struck out four.

Jesse Simpson allowed a lone hit in his two shutout innings and fanned a pair.

Justin Wright gave up a walk in his scoreless frame.

Aaron Terry had a perfect inning of relief.

Jose Rada had a rough day at the office, giving up four hits and three earned runs while collecting just one out.

Palm Beach hitting

Alan Ahmady had two singles and double in four at-bats. He scored one and drove in one.

Ryde Rodriguez had a pair of singles in four at-bats and scored.

Jarred Bogany drew a pair of walks, scored one and drove in a run via a sacrifice fly.

Quad Cities (6-7-1) 4, Savannah 4

Quad Cities pitching

Zack Russell was sharp, tossing five scoreless innings on three hits. He walked no one and punched out six.

Chris Corrigan and Keith Butler each gave up a pair of hits and a run in their respective one inning stints. Corrigan’s run was unearned.

Cale Johnson allowed a harmless walk in his scoreless frame. He struck out two.

Hector Corpas yielded the final two Savannah runs on three ninth-inning hits.

Quad Cities hitting

Jonathan Rodriguez had a double, triple and walk in four plate appearances. He scored twice.

Packy Elkins homered. The infielder had just two in 169 plate appearances with Johnson City in 2010.

Oscar Taveras was on base twice in three appearances with a single and walk. Our #11 Cardinals prospect scored one run.

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In the default 2-2 day, everything was as it should be. Both higher level clubs prevailed. Palm Beach padded its system-best 9-4 record with another win. The Cardinals system is a combined 27-21-6 this spring. That includes a 17-11-2 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Memphis right-hander Lance Lynn. In 6 2/3 shutout innings, he gave up just four hits and three walks while fanning four.

On Wednesday, Memphis and Springfield are slated to play the Mets’ Triple-A and Double-A clubs at Port St. Lucie, while Palm Beach and Quad Cities take on their New York counterparts at home in Jupiter. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (4-5-3) 8, Springfield (5-4-3) 3

Memphis pitching

Lance Lynn showed he is ready for the season to begin as he allowed just seven baserunners in 6 2/3 innings. The big righty fanned four.

Adam Reifer struggled, yielding four hits and three earned runs in just one inning of work.

Eduardo Sanchez, fresh from major league camp, walked one and fanned one in his scoreless frame.

Memphis hitting

Pete Kozma and Shane Robinson both had two singles and a double in three plate appearances. The shortstop scored three and had an RBI while the outfielder drove in three.

Tony Cruz, Donovan Solano and Daryl Jones all had two singles in three at-bats.

Freddie Bynum singled in two at-bats, scored twice and drove in one.

Adron Chambers doubled in three at-bats.

Springfield pitching

Lefty Raul Valdes dropped down a level for the day and gave up two runs, one earned on three hits over four innings. He walked none and fanned three.

Ryan Kulik allowed three baserunners in his one inning, but none scored.

Cory Rauschenberger had a day to forget as he allowed eight baserunners in 2/3 of an inning, though just two crossed the plate.

Nick Greenwood worked a perfect inning, with all three outs on ground balls.

Casey Mulligan was spanked for four earned runs on five hits while getting just one out.

Springfield hitting

Ryan Jackson had a pair of singles in four at-bats.

Tyler Henley who later appeared in the MLB game, went 2-for-3 with an RBI

Big Matt Adams joined Henley, but before he left, he clubbed a two-run home run.

Alex Castellanos was on base twice via a double and a walk. He also scored one.

Aaron Luna and Niko Vasquez both singled and walked. Luna also scored.

Palm Beach (9-4) 4, Quad Cities (6-7) 3

Palm Beach pitching

Lefty John Gast, who received a long look in MLB camp, yielded just an unearned run over four innings. He gave up four hits, walked one and struck out five.

Eric Fornataro was touched for a pair of runs in his three innings. He yielded four hits and walked three. Fornataro, about whom pitching coordinator Dyar Miller told me earlier in camp has “major league stuff,” struck out a pair.

Chase Reid allowed a hit and two walks in two innings, but kept Quad Cities off the board. He fanned two and picked up the win.

Palm Beach hitting

Phil Cerreto’s two-run single in the ninth was the game-winner.

Zack Cox singled, doubled and had an RBI in four plate appearances.

Luis Mateo had two singles in two tries and scored once.

Nick Longmire doubled and scored.

Mike O’Neill was on base twice in four plate appearances with a walk and a single. He drove in one.

Quad Cities pitching

Anthony Ferrara had a nice outing, scattering four baserunners over four scoreless frames. He struck out five.

Drew Benes gave up a run on three hits in his two innings of work. He fanned four. Aidan Lucas tossed a perfect inning.

Ricky Martinez gave up a run in his inning on a pair of hits.

Lefty Dean Kiekhefer took the loss as he yielded three hits and a walk in his one inning, including Cerreto’s game-winner.

Quad Cities hitting

Michael Swinson had two singles and a hit-by-pitch in his three times up.

Adam Melker drew a pair of walks.

Jonathan Rodriguez had an RBI single in his lone at-bat.

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Originally, the games were scheduled to have been played at the opposite locations. It is not confirmed but I suspect getting convenient at-bats for rehabbing major leaguer Carlos Beltran was the motivation behind the site changes. Home cooking wins out.

After the 2-2 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 25-19-6 this spring. That includes a 17-11-2 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Palm Beach’s Alan Ahmady, who had three hits, including a home run, scored three and drove in four in his team’s victory. Teammate D’Marcus Ingram is a most honorable mention.

On Monday, the five Cardinals squads, including both Quad Cities clubs, will welcome the Marlins to their side of the Jupiter complex. The Springfield club will then head north for their Tuesday night home exhibition against St. Louis, weather permitting, before returning to Jupiter for Wednesday action. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Buffalo 11, Memphis (3-5-3) 3

Memphis pitching

P.J. Walters had a tough day as eight runs, five earned, crossed the plate during his five frames. The right-hander yielded five hits, walked four and struck out five.

Chuckie Fick was hit hard, giving up five hits and two earned runs while collecting just one out.

Blake King allowed two baserunners in his two innings, with one scoring. King fanned four.

Memphis hitting

Buffalo’s Dillon Gee fanned five Redbirds in five shutout innings as Memphis scored its runs in the latter frames. The Mets right-handed prospect is expected in New York sometime during the 2011 season.

Free agent middle infield signee Freddie Bynum had three singles in four at-bats. The 31-year-old ex-Cub played in Japan last season.

Luis Mateo had two hits and an RBI in four at-bats.

Catcher Bryan Anderson was on base twice in four plate appearances with a single and a walk. He scored once.

Like Anderson, shortstop Pete Kozma singled, walked and scored.

Mark Hamilton singled and drove in two. Last season, the big first baseman plated 60 in 72 games for the Redbirds.

Binghamton 1, Springfield (5-3-3) 0

Springfield pitching

Mike Blazek yielded the game’s lone run in four innings on just three hits. He fanned three and took the hard-luck loss.

Lefty Sam Freeman and righty Casey Mulligan allowed just one hit each in their scoreless innings.

Matt Frevert walked two and fanned two over two shutout frames.

Brett Zawacki spun a perfect inning, striking out two of three batters faced.

Springfield hitting

Charles Cutler had two singles in two at-bats.

Ryde Rodriguez had only one at-bat and he singled.

Jarred Bogany doubled and walked.

Alex Castellanos and Steven Hill doubled, so the Cardinals had at least three runs in scoring position, but couldn’t chase any home.

Palm Beach (8-4) 10, St. Lucie 4

Palm Beach pitching

Arquimedes Nieto yielded two runs on four hits and a walk in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out three.

Jorge Rondon was charged with the other two runs during a tough inning in which he allowed two hits and a walk. Two of his three outs collected were via strikeouts.

Jesse Simpson walked one batter and allowed no hits in two scoreless innings. He fanned three.

Aaron Terry yielded three hits and a run in his inning of work.

Palm Beach hitting

D’Marcus Ingram had a perfect day, with three singles and a triple in four at-bats. He scored twice and drove in one.

Alan Ahmady collected a pair of singles and a home run in his four at-bats. He crossed the plate all three times and plated four.

Mike O’Neill singled, walked and had an RBI.

Zack Cox was also on base twice as he singled, walked and scored.

Edgar Lara doubled, scored twice and drove in a run.

Greg Garcia singled, walked, scored and had an RBI.

Phil Cerreto doubled and had a sacrifice fly in two plate appearances. Both Garcia and Cerreto are bidding to make the leap from Johnson City.

Quad Cities (6-6) 3, Savannah 2

Quad Cities pitching

Carlos Martinez was scored upon again! The closely-watched Dominican yielded two runs, one earned over four innings. The 19-year-old gave up two hits, walked two and struck out three.

Chris Corrigan led the way as the pen tossed five scoreless innings. He started with one hit and one strikeout in his lone inning.

Justin Edwards was next, yielding a hit and a walk, but keeping them off home plate. Edwards fanned one in his one inning.

Cale Johnson had a nice two inning stint, giving up just one hit. He fanned one.

Tyler Lyons struck out two of the three batters he faced in the club’s final inning.

Quad Cities hitting

Outfielder Kyle Conley, coming back after a lost 2010, hit a solo home run. He had just 28 plate appearances with the River Bandits last season due to a wrist injury.

Catcher Cody Stanley drove in two of the three runs on a double.

Romulo Ruiz singled and scored.

Jonathan Rodriguez walked twice and scored a run.

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After the inherent 2-2 day in which both the lower level teams prevailed, the Cardinals system is a combined 23-17-6 this spring. That includes a 15-9-2 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of the Player of the Day, Quad Cities pitcher Trevor Rosenthal. The right-hander spun four shutout innings against Palm Beach. The Cardinal Nation subscribers should look for my interview with Rosenthal coming up next week.

On Sunday, Memphis and Springfield will welcome their Mets counterparts to the Jupiter complex while Palm Beach and Quad Cities players hop the bus to Port St. Lucie. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here. Update: On Sunday morning, the Redbirds official Twitter account noted the Memphis and Springfield games have been moved to Port St. Lucie, with Palm Beach and Quad Cities staying home.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Springfield (5-2-3) 4, Memphis (3-4-3) 0 (five innings)

Memphis pitching

Cory Rauschenberger was given the start and yielded a pair of runs in two innings. He gave up four hits and two walks and struck out two.

Adam Reifer was charged with a run on one hit in 2/3 of an inning.

Veteran lefty Rich Rundles gave up one hit and collected one out.

Memphis hitting

Adron Chambers’ double was the only hit for the Redbirds. The outfielder hit .273 with a .385 OBP in 18 spring games with St. Louis.

Springfield pitching

Richard Castillo allowed two baserunners in two innings. He fanned one.

Daniel Calhoun fanned two in a pair of perfect frames.

Springfield hitting

Shortstop and solid glove man Ryan Jackson had a good day at the plate with two singles in three at-bats and he scored once.

Chris Swauger singled and walked in two plate appearances. The outfielder scored one and collected an RBI.

Alex Castellanos homered, walked and scored twice. (Update: The Springfield News-Leader’s Kary Booher noted the home run came off a curveball thrown by Cuban tryout pitcher Rigoberto Arrebato.  More information on Arrebato can be found at The Cardinal Nation – subscriber article.)

Jarred Bogany doubled and drove in two.

Quad Cities (5-6) 4, Palm Beach (7-4) 1 (seven innings)

Palm Beach pitching

Maikel Cleto allowed five baserunners and fanned five in 3 2/3 innings. The 40-man roster righty was charged with two earned runs.

Andrew Moss gave up the other two runs during his 2 1/3 inning outing. He yielded three hits, walked one and fanned one.

Keith Butler fanned one in his perfect inning.

Palm Beach hitting

Infielder Luis Mateo muscled up with a solo home run in two at-bats. He has only 10 long balls in 741 career regular season plate appearances over three seasons.

Quad Cities pitching

Trevor Rosenthal started and scattered two hits and three walks over four innings, keeping Palm Beach off the scoreboard. Looking to make the leap from Johnson City, he struck out two.

Hector Corpas relieved, allowing one run in two innings on two hits. The 2010 Appalachian League All-Star fanned three.

Recovering right-hander Scott Bittle walked one in his lone inning of work. The Cardinal Nation subscribers should check out our interview, posted on Friday.

Quad Cities hitting

Virgil Hill doubled twice in three at-bats. The outfielder scored and collected an RBI.

Still a teenager, Dominican third baseman Roberto De La Cruz singled and scored in three at-bats.

Catcher Robert Stock singled twice in two at-bats.

Juan Castillo singled, scored and drove in one in two at-bats.

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After the 3-2 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 21-15-6 this spring, including a 15-9-2 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of Player of the Day, Springfield outfielder Aaron Luna, who knocked two home runs and drove in four.

Palm Beach starting pitcher Shelby Miller receives a very honorable mention, with considerable detail on his outing, courtesy of Kary Booher of the Springfield News-Leader.

Miller struck out “six of the 13 batters he faced,” Booher reported from the game. Miller gave up a walk and a double leading off the fourth inning before settling down to finish with four innings total.

“Miller threw 54 pitches but relied heavily on his fastball, which sat between 91 and 92 mph,” Booher reported. “While Miller’s fastball was on, his off-speed pitchers were here and there. He threw eight curveballs, but only (one) for a strike, as the pitch tended not to bend as sharply as usual. Miller also mixed in only five change-ups.”

Saturday will be a camp day. Memphis will take on Springfield while Palm Beach and Quad Cities will face off at the Jupiter complex. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

New Orleans 5, Memphis (3-3-3) 4

Memphis pitching

Adam Ottavino started but allowed three earned runs in three innings. The right-hander gave up six hits and walked three. He fanned three also.

Tyler Norrick three 1 2/3 spotless innings. The lefty struck out one.

Chuckie Fick also had a nice two-inning outing. He allowed just one walk and struck out four.

Rich Rundles allowed two baserunners in his inning, but neither scored. The veteran lefty fanned one.

Jason Buursma took the tough loss as New Orleans scored two unearned runs with two out in the bottom of the ninth. He allowed two hits and a walk.

Memphis hitting

Pete Kozma had three singles in four at-bats and scored once.

Daryl Jones had a hit in three at-bats, stole a base and scored twice.

Jermaine Curtis was on base twice in three plate appearances with a double, a walk. He also swiped a base and scored a run.

Tony Cruz had an RBI single in two appearances.

Ramon Vazquez was on base three times in four plate appearances with a single and a pair of walks.

Springfield (4-2-3) 13, Jacksonville 9

Springfield pitching

Deryk Hooker, who received positive reviews from pitching coordinator Dyar Miller early in camp, had a rough outing. He allowed four earned runs on five hits and walk in 2 2/3 frames. Hooker fanned four.

Nick Additon yielded just one earned run on three hits in 3 1/3 frames. He struck out three.

Ryan Kulik tossed a scoreless inning, working around an error.

Ramon Delgado gave up a couple of hits and fanned one in his scoreless frame.

Jose Rada took it on the chin, allowing five hits and four earned runs in his lone, long inning.

Springfield hitting

Aaron Luna had a big day with two home runs in four at-bats. He scored three times and drove in four.

Steven Hill was on base four times in five appearances and scored every time. The catcher walked, singled, doubled, homered and drove in two.

Matt Adams had two singles in five at-bats. The big first baseman scored once and drove in one.

Ryan Jackson had two singles and homered in four at-bats. He also walked, scored twice and plated a pair of runs.

Tyler Henley, coming off an injury-plagued 2010, was on base three times in five PAs. He singled, doubled, walked and collected two RBI.

Chris Swauger doubled, walked and scored.

Ronald Ramirez, a winter free agent middle infield signee, doubled and scored twice.

Jupiter 6, Palm Beach (7-3) 5

Palm Beach pitching

Shelby Miller allowed just two baserunners and one earned run in four innings. He fanned six.

Joe Kelly was touched for a pair of earned runs in 2 2/3 innings on three hits and a walk. He struck out one.

Justin Wright allowed four baserunners in 1 1/3 frames, but none scored.

Chase Reid took the loss as he yielded three runs in the final inning, giving Jupiter the victory. He allowed three hits and fanned one.

Palm Beach hitting

ShortstopYunier Castillo had a pair of singles in four at-bats and scored once.

Zack Cox singled and homered in three at-bats and collected a pair of RBI.

Edgar Lara singled twice in four at-bats and drove in one.

Rainel Rosario had two singles in three at-bats.

Curt Smith singled and doubled in three plate appearances.

Alan Ahmady and Nick Longmire made their one at-bats valuable as they had RBI singles. Ahmady also came around to score.

Quad Cities #1 (4-6) 1, Greensboro 4

Quad Cities #1 pitching

Seth Blair yielded two runs, one earned in 2 1/3 innings. He gave up three hits, three walks and fanned three.

Jordan Swagerty was stretched out to a four-inning outing. The 2010 draft pick was charged with one earned run on three hits. He did walk three as well, and fanned one.

Justin Edwards fanned one in his scoreless inning.

Ricky Martinez had four baserunners on during his one inning and one crossed the plate.

Quad Cites #1 hitting

Ted Obregon had a pair of singles in four at-bats.

Matt Valaika had a two-run double and came around to score.

Joey Bergman and Romulo Ruiz both doubled and scored

Kyle Conley, another outfielder coming off an injury-ruined season, walked twice and scored both times.

Chris Edmondson singled, walked and scored a run.

Adam Melker singled, walked and collected an RBI.

Quad Cities #2 (3-1) 6, Marlins 5^th club 3

Quad Cities #2 pitching

Wilson Matos tossed three scoreless frames on just two hits. He fanned three.

Cale Johnson allowed just one baserunner in two innings on a walk. He had one strikeout. Lefty Dean Kiekhefer had a rough day. He yielded three runs, two earned in 1 1/3 innings. The Fish had five hits and drew a walk. Kiekhefer had one strikeout.

Drew Benes surrendered just one hit in 1 2/3 innings. He fanned one.

Aidan Lucas gave up just one walk in his lone frame.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Colin Walsh had two singles and a double in four at-bats. He scored once.

Roberto DeLaCruz did even better with a pair of singles and a triple in four ABs. He scored one run and drove in another.

Note: The Cardinal Nation subscribers can read all about two Cuban tryout pitchers who have joined minor league camp.

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After the 2-1-1 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 18-13-6 this spring, including a 12-7-2 mark against external competition.

Today’s photo is of Player of the Day, Nick Longmire. The outfielder struck a bases-loaded double for three RBI with Palm Beach.

On Friday, the players on the Cardinals’ five rosters will walk over to the Florida Marlins side of the Jupiter complex. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (3-2-3) 2, Buffalo 2 (tie)

Memphis pitching

Lance Lynn, fresh from an extended look in major league camp, allowed eight baserunners and two earned runs over 4 1/3 innings. He fanned one.

Veteran lefty Raul Valdes, who spent part of 2010 with Buffalo, was dealing. He punched out six in 2 1/3 innings. Valdes allowed one hit and one walk.

Blake King, also down from St. Louis, had a typical outing. The right-hander struck out two while allowing a pair of baserunners as well in his lone inning.

Adam Reifer walked one and fanned one to finish up and protect the tie.

Memphis hitting

Donovan Solano, who would later appear in the MLB game, had two singles in two at-bats.

Nick Stavinoha also suited up for St. Louis, but in this game had two hits in three at-bats. He also scored once.

Mark Hamilton was on base three times in five plate appearances on a single, walk and hit by pitch.

Andrew Brown, the day after starting for St. Louis, showed a good eye. He drew three walks and singled in five plate appearances.

Adron Chambers walked and had a tying two-out RBI single in the final inning. He would have also plated the lead run, but the runner was thrown out at the plate.

Binghamton 6, Springfield (3-2-3) 5

Springfield pitching

Brett Zawacki yielded two runs, one earned in 1 2/3 innings. He game up two hits and struck out one.

Lefty Nick Greenwood scattered three hits over two scoreless innings. He fanned one.

Matt Frevert allowed four baserunners in his two innings, but kept them off home plate.

Sam Freeman was the victim of three errors, as two unearned runs crossed the plate in his 2/3 of an inning. The lefty, who missed 2010, yielded just one hit.

Twos were not kind to Casey Mulligan as he was touched for two runs in 2/3 inning on two hits and two walks.

Springfield hitting

Niko Vasquez (RBI) and minor league free agent signee Ronald Ramirez (2 RBI) each went 3-for-4.

Aaron Luna singled and tripled in four at-bats.

Alex Castellanos doubled and scored twice.

Steven Hill smacked a solo home run, just like in his brief MLB debut last season.

Palm Beach (7-2) 7, St. Lucie 3

Palm Beach pitching

John Gast pitched well, striking out seven in three innings and picked off another runner. Unfortunately, Jaime Garcia tried that move in the major league game and was called for a balk.

Palm Beach hitting

Edgar Lara singled twice in four at-bats and scored.

Nick Longmire stroked a bases-loaded double good for three RBI.

Curt Smith singled and doubled in four at-bats. He drove in one and scored.

Ivan Castro had two singles in two chances.

Luis Mateo tripled in three at-bats.

Quad Cities (3-6) 7, Savannah 5

Quad Cities pitching

Zach Russell yielded two runs in three innings on three hits and three walks. He fanned two.

Anthony Ferrara allowed a pair of runs in four innings. He allowed five baserunners. Tryout lefty Sean Watson gave up one run in one frame.

Aaron Terry kept the Mets club off the board on one hit in his inning of work.

Quad Cities hitting

Jonathan Rodriguez had three singles and an RBI in four at-bats.

Victor Sanchez singled and doubled in four at-bats. He drove in two and scored.

Frederick Parejo and Ronny Gil both scored twice and went 1-for-3 at the plate.

Virgil Hill was on base via a triple and walk and scored both times. He also collected an RBI.

Cody Stanley singled and walked.

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Springfield took their first loss of the spring while Palm Beach padded their organization-best spring record with their sixth win in eight tries. After the default 2-2 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 16-12-5 this spring.

Today’s photo is of Player of the Day, Memphis starting pitcher Brandon Dickson. Look for his spring training interview posted on Thursday morning for The Cardinal Nation subscribers.

On Thursday, the Cards and Mets face off. Memphis and Springfield rosters will take the bus ride to Port St. Lucie, while Palm Beach and Quad Cities will entertain their New York counterparts at home. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (3-2-2) 8, Springfield (3-1-3) 1 (5 ½ innings)

Memphis Pitching

Brandon Dickson, fresh from major league camp, had a strong outing. He went 4 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits, no walks and one run. Dickson fanned five.

Jason Buursma took the final inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Memphis hitting

Matt Carpenter, trying to improve his versatility by starting at shortstop, singled and doubled in three at-bats and drove in two.

Shane Robinson had an identical line to Carpenter, but he played in the outfield.

Tony Cruz had two singles in two plate appearances and plated a pair.

Pete Kozma scored twice.

Aaron Luna had one of his specialties, a hit by pitch. He also doubled in two at-bats and scored two runs. I have a report that Luna has been working out at second base again, but his game action has been in the outfield.

Springfield Pitching

Scott Schneider allowed the first five Redbirds runs in 3 1/3 innings, though only three were earned. He gave up five hits and fanned four.

Daniel Calhoun allowed six baserunners in 1 2/3 innings, and three came around to score.

Springfield hitting

No Springfield players reached base more than once.

Chris Swauger’s sacrifice fly plated Tommy Pham with their only run.

Palm Beach (6-2) 5, Quad Cities (2-6) 0

Palm Beach Pitching

Richard Castillo started and allowed just two hits in three shutout innings. He fanned three. Despite repeating Palm Beach in 2010, our former #18-ranked prospect had a rough season. The right-hander from Venezuela is still just 21 years of age.

Justin Smith yielded no hits or walks in two innings and also struck out three.

Palm Beach hitting

Alan Ahmady doubled and scored in two at-bats.

Edgar Lara and Nick Longmire both doubled in two at-bats. Longmire scored a run.

Curt Smith and Joey Bergman made the best of limited time as each singled and scored in their only at-bats.

Robert Stock was one base twice with a single and a walk.

Quad Cities Pitching

Hector Hernandez allowed six baserunners in 2 2/3 innings and five of them scored. He did strike out five, however.

Hector Corpas scatted two hits over 1 1/3 scoreless.

Scott Bittle, back from shoulder surgery, tossed a scoreless inning. He issued a walk and struck out one.

Quad Cities hitting

Packy Elkins doubled in his only at-bat.

Juan Castillo singled in his lone plate appearance.

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Today’s photo is of Player of the Day, Springfield first baseman Matt Adams. Note: The latest working rosters by level have been posted for The Cardinal Nation subscribers here.

On Wednesday, the Cardinals have another camp day at the Jupiter complex during which Memphis will play Springfield and Palm Beach will oppose Quad Cities. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

New Orleans 12, Memphis (2-2-2) 5

Memphis pitching

Kevin Thomas had the start for the Redbirds, but struggled. He allowed six baserunners in two innings and they all scored.

Ramon Delgado, a Florida State League All-Star and participant in the Arizona Fall League Rising Stars Showcase last year, yielded four men on base in 1 2/3 innings and two of them crossed the plate.

Tyler Norrick struggled to find the strike zone. The lefty walked four, but only one scored during his inning of work.

Cory Rauschenberger gave up three hits in his two innings, but was the only Memphis hurler to not yield a run.

Veteran lefty Rich Rundles was touched for four hits, a walk and three runs in the final inning.

Memphis hitting

Donovan Solano singled and doubled twice in four at-bats and drove in two.

Adron Chambers tripled and scored twice.

Amaury Cazana doubled and plated two.

Tyler Henley was on base twice via a single and walk.

Springfield (3-0-3) 7, Jacksonville 6

Springfield pitching

Mike Blazek had a very effective four-inning scoreless outing, allowing just two hits while fanning four.

Arquimedes Nieto was touched for three runs, two earned in three frames. He allowed four hits and a walk and struck out one.

Jose Rada almost lost the lead, yielding three runs in one inning, though two of his three outs were via strikeouts.

Adam Reifer, on loan from Memphis, picked up the save with a perfect inning.

Springfield hitting

Matt Adams went 4-for-5 including a home run and two RBI. The big first baseman also made what was called a “great diving play down the line to save a run.”

Alex Castellanos singled, doubled and drove in two.

Nick Derba singled and walked in three plate appearances.

Palm Beach (5-2) 14, Jupiter 4

Palm Beach pitching

Andrew Moss yielded a run on three hits over two innings. He also struck out three.

Lefty Nick Greenwood was touched for two runs in two innings, but both were unearned. He allowed three hits and fanned one.

Justin Edwards and Keith Butler each spun two shutout innings.

Aaron Terry was charged with one run in his inning.

Palm Beach hitting

Adam Melker had three singles in five at-bats and scored twice.

Rainel Rosario singled and homered in three at-bats. He scored twice and drove in two.

Zack Cox, just dropped down from Springfield, had two singles in three at-bats, scored twice and plated one. Jermaine Curtis and Niko Vazquez are currently immediately ahead of Cox.

Catcher Ivan Castro singled and doubled in two at-bats, scored and had an RBI.

Nick Longmire went deep.

Curt Smith doubled.

Greensboro 4, Quad Cities (2-5) 2

Quad Cities #1 Pitching

Supplemental first rounder Tyrell Jenkins showed his limited pro experience as he gave up three earned runs in 1 2/3 innings on four hits and a walk.

Kevin Siegrist put four runners on base in 2 1/3 innings, but only one scored.

Tyler Lyons had a good news, bad news day. Three of his four outs were collected by strikeout, but he also yielded two hits and three walks. Amazingly none of them crossed the plate.

Lefty Dean Kiekhefer scattered a pair of harmless walks over two innings. He fanned one.

Quad Cities #1 hitting

Catcher Audry Perez singled and homered in three at-bats.

Multi-tooled outfielder Oscar Taveras singled twice in three at-bats and swiped two bases.

Coming back after having missed most of 2010, outfielder Kyle Conley doubled and scored a run.

Packy Elkins singled and drove in one.

Quad Cities #2 (2-1) 6, Marlins 5^th team 3

Quad Cities #2 Pitching

Angel DeJesus gave up all three Marlins runs in 2 1/3 innings in four hits and two walks. He fanned two.

Boone Whiting scattered just three hits over 3 2/3 scoreless. He fanned four.

Charllan Jimenez allowed just one baserunner over two shutout frames.

Wilson Matos fanned two in a perfect inning.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Kleininger Teran had two singles in three at-bats, added a sacrifice fly and ended with three RBI.

Steven Ramos singled, walked, scored twice and drove in one.

Colin Walsh was on base three times with a single and two walks in four plate appearances. He scored twice and drove in one.

Virgil Hill tripled and scored in two at-bats.

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In addition, the Cardinals Quad Cities #2 squad played their annual game against the Gildea’s Raiders traveling team, defeating them on a five-inning no hitter for the 20^th time in 21 years, avenging a 2010 loss. After the 4-1 day, the Cardinals system is a combined 11-8-5 this spring.

Today’s photo is of Player of the Day Trevor Rosenthal. The right-hander struck out nine of his 12 batters retired over four perfect innings. If there is an emerging prospect I missed last winter, it is Rosenthal. Look for our interview coming for The Cardinal Nation subscribers.

On Tuesday, the Cardinals face the Marlins in five games on the home side of the Jupiter complex. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is sharing game highlights with this site and several others with interest in Cardinals prospects. As always, the raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Memphis (2-1-2) 2, Buffalo 0

Memphis pitching

Pitching was the name of the game. Shaking off the likely disappointment of getting just one “A” game appearance in spring camp, P.J. Walters tossed six scoreless innings. He allowed five baserunners and fanned five.

Nick Additon fanned one in two scoreless.

Jason Buursma allowed one hit in one inning, but he was erased on a double-play grounder.

Memphis hitting

Yesterday’s Player of the Day Andrew Brown doubled twice and scored in three at-bats.

Bryan Anderson stroked a bases-empty home run.

Tommy Pham and Ramon Vazquez each doubled.

Springfield (2-0-3) 3, Binghamton 2

Springfield Pitching

Deryk Hooker fanned one in two scoreless innings. Pitching coordinator Dyar Miller told me that Hooker was throwing especially well in early camp.

Brett Zawacki yielded a pair of runs in two innings, though only one was earned. He allowed three hits and fanned two.

Ryan Kulik allowed two hits and fanned one in two clean frames.

Jesse Simpson, Samuel Freeman and Casey Mulligan finished up with a scoreless inning each.

Springfield hitting

D’Marcus Ingram singled, doubled, stole a base, scored twice, including the winning run on a wild pitch in four at-bats.

Ryan Jackson singled, tripled, scored, and drove in one in four at-bats.

Palm Beach (4-2) 6, St. Lucie 3

Palm Beach pitching

Maikel Cleto went 2 2/3 on just one hit and two walks. The 40-man roster hurler allowed one run and fanned four.

Jorge Rondon yielded just one run on two hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. He struck out three.

Chris Corrigan gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings despite giving up just one hit. He fanned one.

Justin Wright (1 K), Chase Reid (2 K’s) and Matt Frevert (1 K) covered the final 2 2/3 shutout innings.

Palm Beach hitting

Edgar Lara singled and homered with two RBIs in two at-bats.

C.J. Beatty was on base all four times with two singles and two walks. He scored and drove in two. It was a good enough performance to earn Player of the Day honors most days.

Travis Tartamella singled, doubled and scored twice.

Devin Goodwin singled and drove in two.

Frederick Parejo tripled.

Francisco Rivera doubled.

Savannah 14, Quad Cities (2-4) 5

Quad Cities #1 pitching

Heralded prospect Carlos Martinez is human. He allowed one run in 2 1/3 innings on four hits and a walk. The 19-year-old struck out two.

Two runs scored against Nick McCully over two innings, but only one was earned. He struck out three.

Ricky Martinez allowed five baserunners and two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Palm Beach pitching coach Dennis Martinez’ son fanned one.

Drew Benes had a very rough day at the office, allowing five runs in just 1/3 inning as the close game got away.

Cale Johnson also struggled, getting touched for four runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Quad Cities #1 hitting

Jonathan Rodriguez doubled, homered and scored twice in four at-bats.

Cody Stanley singled, doubled, and drove in two in three at-bats.

Victor Sanchez and Chris Edmondson doubled.

Quad Cities #2 (1-1) 4, Gildea’s Raiders 0 (5 innings)

Quad Cities #2 pitching

Trevor Rosenthal fanned nine in four perfect innings.

Aidan Lucas walked a batter during his inning and fanned two.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Roberto DeLaCruz singled twice in three at-bats.

Starlin Rodriguez singled, walked, was hit by a pitch and scored three runs.

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Today’s photo is of Player of the Day Andrew Brown.

On Monday, the Cardinals face the Mets. The top two teams will play in Jupiter while Palm Beach and Quad Cities board the buses to travel to Port St. Lucie. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is 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.

Memphis (1-1-2) 5, Springfield (1-0-3) 5 (5 inning game)

Memphis pitching

Adam Ottavino had a rough day as he was touched for all five Springfield runs in two innings. He yielded five hits and two walks, but fanned four.

Chuckie Fick and Rich Rundles combined for 2 2/3 shutout innings on a total of three hits and three strikeouts.

Memphis hitting

Andrew Brown had a single and two doubles in three at-bats, scored twice, and starred with the glove, too. He made a diving play at first base to save a run. The versatile Brown can also play third base and the outfield.

Freddie Bynum, a shortstop signed to a minor league deal in the off-season, had a pair of singles in three at-bats.

Ramon Vazquez, also signed from the outside and is down from MLB camp, walked twice and doubled in three plate appearances. He scored and collected an RBI.

Daryl Jones, a former system player of the year, but an almost forgotten man, singled in two at-bats and plated two.

Tyler Henley singled and had an RBI.

Springfield pitching

Shelby Miller, the top prospect in the system, was far from perfect. He allowed two runs on three hits and a walk in 1 2/3 innings. Miller fanned three.

Eric Fornataro yielded three hits and a run in 1 2/3 frames.

Aaron Terry was the only Springfield pitcher to keep Memphis off the board, striking out one in his inning of work.

Jose Rada yielded a run on three baserunners allowed in just 2/3 inning.

Springfield hitting

Jarred Bogany singled and tripled in two at-bats and drove in two.

Matt Adams singled and doubled in three at-bats. He scored and collected an RBI.

Chris Swauger (RBI) and Zack Cox (run) each went 2-for-3.

D’Marcus Ingram walked, stole a base and scored.

Quad Cities (2-3) 3, Palm Beach (3-2) 2 (6 innings)

Palm Beach pitching

Seth Blair yielded two runs, one earned in 1 2/3 innings on one hit, but three walks. The 2010 supplemental first-rounder fanned four.

Keith Butler allowed just one hit and no runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Sean Watson, tryout player, allowed one earned run in two innings.

Palm Beach hitting

Edgar Lara doubled and scored.

Yunier Castillo singled and scored in two at-bats.

Michael Swinson collected a two-out RBI single.

Quad Cities pitching

Jordan Swagerty is getting stretched out, allowing one earned run in three innings. The former Arizona State closer and college teammate of his mound opponent Blair yielded three hits and a walk and fanned three.

Daniel Calhoun gave up one run in two innings despite yielding just one hit. He struck out three.

Josh Squatrito walked two and struck out one in 2/3 inning.

Quad Cities hitting

Starlin Rodriguez, who spent most of 2010 in the Gulf Coast League, doubled and scored. So did Matt Valaika.

Jonathan Rodriguez doubled.

Mike O’Neill walked and scored

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Today’s photo is of Player of the Day Zach Russell.

On Sunday, the Cardinals have another camp day. The top two teams will play each other as will Palm Beach and Quad Cities. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is 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.

Palm Beach 6, Jupiter 5

Palm Beach pitching

Apparently to get some work, Memphis reliever Adam Reifer was given the start. He fanned one in his inning of work.

Richard Castillo, who pitched for Palm Beach last year, went two innings and fanned one and yielded just one hit.

Andrew Moss yielded two runs in two innings and Justin Smth fared even worse, giving up three earned runs in 1 1/3 frames.

Nick Greenwood fanned four in 1 2/3 innings and Matt Frevert bookended Reifer with an identical outing, but also earned the save.

Palm Beach hitting

Nick Longmire had a pair of singles and scored once in four at-bats.

Francisco Rivera was on base twice with a single and a base on balls.

Alan Ahmady doubled, walked and scored.

Edgar Lara, a young man that has the physical appearance of a player, hit a long two-run home run.

Quad Cities #1 6, Greensboro 5

Quad Cities #1 pitching

Anthony Ferrera started and yielded all five Greensboro runs on eight hits and two walks in 1 2/3 innings. He did fan two.

Zach Russell came in next and collected seven outs without allowing a baserunner. He collected five groundouts and two strikeouts.

Justin Edwards had a pair of scoreless frames and Cale Johnson, Chase Reid and Dean Kiekhefer (two strikeouts) each spun a shutout inning.

Quad Cities #1 hitting

Romulo Ruiz and Jonathan Rodriguez singled, doubled and walked. Ruiz crossed the plate twice and Rodriguez scored the game-winner on a passed ball.

Matt Valaika singled, doubled and drove in one.

Adam Melker singled and walked twice.

Victor Sanchez doubled, walked, scored and had an RBI.

Chrisr Edmondson singled and plated two.

Virgil Hill singled, walked and scored.

Jamestown 9, Quad Cities #2 5

Quad Cities #2 pitching

Hector Hernandez started and fanned two in his two innings.

Boone Whiting yielded five runs in his 1 2/3 frames on five hits and a walk.

Scott Bittle, coming off shoulder surgery, allowed four baserunners, three of whom scored in just 2/3 of an inning.

Wilson Matos gave up six hits and two runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Drew Benes finished with a one-hit inning.

Quad Cities #2 hitting

Steven Ramos had three singles, a double, and an RBI on a sacrifice fly in five plate appearances.

Roberto DeLaCruz doubled and collected a pair of RBI

Ross Smith had a pair of singles in four at-bats.

German Medina singled, walked, scored and plated two.

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Today’s photo is of Player of the Day Tyler Henley, who was on base four times.

On Saturday, the Cardinals’ top two teams will not play due to the major league split squad games. Quad Cities is being divided into two squads. Those clubs plus Palm Beach remain at home in Jupiter but move to the Marlins’ side of the complex to take on their Florida counterparts. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is 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.

Memphis 7, Buffalo 3

Memphis Pitching

After Nick Additon opened with two scoreless innings with just two baserunners, Deryk Hooker struggled. He allowed all three earned runs in 1 2/3 frames.

Cory Rauschenberger (1 1/3 IP), Sam Freeman (1 IP), Ryan Kulik (2 IP) and Tyler Norrick (1 IP) held Buffalo scoreless the remainder of the way on just two hits, while fanning five.

Memphis Hitting

Tyler Henley was the hitting star, reaching base four times with three singles, a walk and two runs batted in. Henley missed much of the 2010 season due to Tommy John surgery. Look for an upcoming interview at The Cardinal Nation.

RBIs: Jose Garcia, Andrew Brown, Xavier Scruggs, Steven Hill (two)

Runs scored: Garcia, Brown (twice), Jim Rapoport, Freddie Bynum, Daryl Jones

Doubles: Garcia, Brown, Rapoport, Jones

Two hits: Garcia

Springfield 5, Binghamton 5

Springfield Pitching

Ten hits were allowed

Arquimedes Nieto, Jorge Rondon and Chris Corrigan each went two innings, yielding one run each.

George Brown followed, giving up two earned runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Jesse Simpson finished up with 1 1/3 shutout innings.

Springfield Hitting

Curt Smith and Jermaine Curtis each hit solo home runs.

Ryde Rodriguez singled and doubled in two plate appearances.

Zack Cox had two singles in two at-bats.

Antonio DeJesus tripled.

St. Lucie 7, Palm Beach 6

Palm Beach Pitching

Justin Wright and Keith Butler split the first four innings. Each allowed one earned run, Wright fanned four.

Ryan Copeland followed and was charged with three earned runs in 2 IP.

Kevin Siegrist and Ricky Martinez each registered scoreless innings.

Charllan Jimenez had a rocky inning, giving up the final two St. Lucie runs.

Palm Beach Hitting

Rainel Rosario singled and had a 3-run home run in four at-bats.

Edgar Lara had two singles and an RBI in two appearances.

Travis Tartamella also went 2-for-2.

Alan Ahmady singled, walked and scored twice.

Francisco Rivera doubled and walked in his two appearances.

Nick Longmire doubled.

Savannah 4, Quad Cities 2

Quad Cities Pitching

Houston Summers allowed five baserunners in two innings, but only one scored.

Angel DeJesus and Bob Revesz each tossed two scoreless.

Tyler Lyons fanned three in his pair of innings, though one unearned run scored.

Nick McCully pitched the final inning with the two winning runs scoring on a 2-out, 2-run double.

Quad Cities Hitting

Adam Melker had three hits in four at-bats and scored once.

Mike O’Neill singled and walked twice in four PAs. He also scored.

Victor Sanchez had two singles in four at-bats.

Oscar Taveras doubled.

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Today’s photo is of Player of the Day Carlos Martinez, who excelled for Group #3. The Cardinal Nation subscribers should look for my exclusive interview with Martinez to be posted on Friday morning.

On Friday, the Mets’ top two teams will host Groups 1 and 2 in Port St. Lucie, while Groups 3 and 4 remain at home in Jupiter to take on their Mets counterparts. For the full state of minor league spring training schedules, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can click here.

As he has been doing the last few seasons, Cardinals farm director John Vuch is 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.

Working Group #1 1, Working Group #2 1 (tie)

Group 1 pitchers

Adam Ottavino started and yielded the one run on three hits. He fanned a pair.

Scott Schneider followed and posted an impressive two frames on just one hit. He struck out four.

Chuckie Fick and Ramon Delgado each tossed a perfect inning

Jason Buursma followed with a feast or famine frame, albeit scoreless. He allowed three baserunners on two hits and a walk and also striking out two.

Casey Mulligan finished up with a hit and a strikeout in his scoreless inning.

Group 1 hitters

Jarred Bogany picked up the only RBI on a single.

Two-base hits were collected by Pete Kozma, Aaron Luna, Nick Derba and Charles Cutler.

Xavier Scruggs was on base twice with a single and a walk plus he scored the lone run.

Group 2 pitchers

Mike Blazek and Daniel Calhoun each went two innings, allowing a pair of baserunners each, but none crossed the plate.

40-man roster righty Maikel Cleto fanned three in two perfect innings.

Eric Fornataro also went two innings, yielding a run, but also fanning three.

Brett Zawacki struck out the side in his lone inning.

Group 2 hitters

D’Marcus Ingram singled and tripled in three plate appearances.

Rainel Rosario’s sacrifice fly scored Ingram with the only run.

Working Group #3 1, Working Group #4 0 (seven innings)

Group #4 has yet to cross the plate in 17 spring innings while facing their more advanced pitching counterparts. Group #3 pitchers tossed five 1-2-3 innings in an impressive showing that included just two hits and a walk allowed.

Group 3 pitchers

Ho hum. Carlos Martinez threw a pair of perfect innings, with four of his six outs coming on strikeouts and the other two being grounders. In other words, the ball didn’t get out of the infield. Oh yeah, he struck out the side to end his day.

Cale Johnson fanned three in his pair of scoreless frames. He allowed three baserunners.

Nick Greenwood (two) and Hector Corpas (one) finished the game with a total of three perfect innings, making a nice bookend to Martinez.

Group 3 hitters

Jonathan Rodriguez tripled in two at-bats.

Alan Ahmady’s sacrifice fly plated Rodriguez for the game’s only run.

Kyle Conley and Nick Longmire each doubled in two plate appearances, but didn’t reach home.

Group 4 Pitchers

Trevor Rosenthal took the hard-luck loss, having yielded just two baserunners in two innings. He fanned three. Look for an upcoming Rosenthal interview at The Cardinal Nation.

Jose Rada (two innings), Aaron Terry and Drew Benes combined for four shutout frames.

Tryout player, 6-foot-9 Sean Watson struck out the side in his one inning.

Group 4 hitters

Packy Elkins and Pat Biserta doubled.

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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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I have not enjoyed being wrong this spring any more than today. On my schedule, Saturday was the last day of spring play for St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers before they headed to their initial 2010 regular season assignments. Turns out that only Springfield had a Sunday morning flight out, so the other four clubs once again hit the fields in Jupiter, Florida for intrasquad action.

So, consider this unexpected bonus coverage!

Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights as he has all along. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Once the regular season begins, check out our daily Cardinals Major League and Minor League Notebooks at TheCardinalNation.com, each returning for the new year.

Team summary: As an equalizer, teams “generally” faced their own pitchers in the Memphis-Palm Beach game, but Memphis still won. I am not sure what to make of that. The extended spring training club spanked young Shelby Miller and Quad Cities. I surely don’t know what to make of that, either.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 2-2 once again. Final (I think) spring totals are 31-37-8 (.456) overall and 19-25-4 (.432) versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Quad Cities’ Jesse Simpson collected seven outs, five of them on strikeouts. He did not allow a hit in his 2 1/3 innings.

My Hitter of the Day:  Shane Robinson of Memphis (pictured) had two triples, a single and three RBI. No word if he played in centerfield or second base or perhaps both.

Monday’s schedule: Players will be boarding planes for Memphis and Quad Cities for open house, meet the fans and similar events early in the week. The Cardinal Nation subscribers can access the most recent working rosters on the main site, but be aware they will not be final until Thursday.

Memphis (5-9-3) defeated Palm Beach (8-8-1), 6-3 (pitchers generally faced their own club)

Memphis Pitching

Rich Hill – 4.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 4 BB, 8 K’s – Does the gaudy strikeout total obscure the walks?
Scott McGregor – 2.1 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K’s – A strong outing.
Kevin Thomas – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 K

Memphis Hitting

Shane Robinson – 3-for-4 with two triples and 3 RBIs – Player of the Day. Despite good speed, Robinson has just ten career triples in 1,159 regular-season at-bats.
Tyler Greene – 3-for-4 with a solo HR – Good to see Tyler hitting again. He batted just .194 in major league camp earlier.
Luis DeLaCruz – doubled, walked, scored twice and had an RBI – Memphis’ catcher for a day is listed on the Palm Beach working roster.
Mark Shorey – singled, walked and scored a run – Multiple mentions this week for career .287 hitter with a lifetime .799 OPS.
Amaury Cazana – singled and scored a run – Will he stay with Memphis? Passport problem has him there to start season.
Daniel Descalso – singled and walked

“Palm Beach” Pitching

Adam Ottavino – 4.1 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K’s – Hmmm. Only allowed the same total of three earned runs in 11 1/3 innings in major league camp earlier.
Brandon Dickson – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB – Solid outing.
Tyler Norrick – 1 IP, 1 H
Matt Scherer – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER
Josh Kinney – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K – May be coming around.

Palm Beach Hitting

Rich Racobaldo – 2-for-3
Tommy Pham – 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI – Doing so well this spring that getting on base twice seems like a bad day…
Jermaine Curtis and Xavier Scruggs – each doubled and scored a run
Alex Castellanos – singled and walked
Jose Martinez – RBI double and walked – May need to earn back a starting job after missing 2009.

Extended Spring Training (formerly QC2) (4-4-1) defeated Quad Cities (6-10), 3-0 (pitchers from various clubs)

Quad Cities Pitching

Shelby Miller – 3.2 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s – See specifics in the hitters report below.
Jesse Simpson – 2.1 IP, 0 H, 5 K’s – The top pitching performance of the day.
Kyle Heim – one perfect inning
Michael Thompson – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K’s
David Carpenter – one perfect inning with 2 K’s – Very nice outing for QCs closer last year.

Quad Cities Hitting

Jason Stidham – tripled – Had two three-base hits in 211 at-bats during his debut last year.
Luis Mateo, Ivan Castro and D’Marcus Ingram – each singled for QC’s only other hits

EST Pitching

Deryk Hooker – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 4 K’s – Should not be part of the group left behind in Jupiter.
Scott Schneider – three perfect innings with 1 K – Could easily be the pitching line of the day. Sorry, Scott!
Ramon Delgado – one perfect inning with a K
Matt Frevert – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB
Joel Pichardo – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 2 K’s

EST Hitting

Three run rally off Shelby Miller in the second inning – Roberto DeLaCruz singled, Romulo Ruiz RBI double, C.J. Beatty RBI double, Ted Obregon RBI single
Ross Smith – singled in his only AB

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“All good things must come to an end…”

Saturday provides the final day of spring play for St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers before they hop Sunday and Monday flights to their initial 2010 regular season assignments (except for the Palm Beach team and extended spring training players who remain in Jupiter, Florida).

In this, the last game report of the spring, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares daily highlights as he has all along. Special thanks are in order to him for all the work on our behalf. The raw data that follows is his, with the comments mine.

Once the regular season begins, check out our daily Cardinals Major League and Minor League Notebooks at TheCardinalNation.com, each returning for the new year.

Team summary: Memphis took another defeat while Springfield won against their Marlins counterparts. It is also fair to note a number of Triple-A players are in Minneapolis with the major league club. Quad Cities reversed the tables on Palm Beach after losing to them on Friday.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 2-2 once again. Final spring totals are 29-35-8 (.453) overall and 19-25-4 (.432) versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Reliever Casey Mulligan of Palm Beach (pictured) completed his fourth consecutive scoreless outing of one inning each.

My Hitter of the Day:  Nine total bases for the repeat top hitter of the day, Palm Beach’s Xavier Scruggs. A double, triple, home run and two RBI on top of three hits on Friday is a big week for some.

Sunday’s schedule: Players will be boarding planes for Memphis, Springfield and Quad Cities for open house, meet the fans and similar events early in the week. While some versions of rosters are starting to appear, represented as season opening done-deals, don’t necessarily accept them as final because they are probably not. There may be changes between now and Thursday, when the minor league seasons open. Even so, later on Saturday, I will be posting the most recent working rosters on the main site for subscribers.

Memphis (4-9-3) lost to New Orleans, 6-4

Memphis Pitching

Lance Lynn – 5 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 0 BB, 5 K’s – I hope the 2009 Pitcher of the Year in the system gets this out of his system in Florida.
Eduardo Sanchez – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 BB – Pitching every other day. Third straight scoreless outing after a rough game last Saturday.
Adam Reifer – 1 IP, 1 K – Also getting into a regular groove.
Pete Parise and Blake King – each threw a perfect inning with 1 K

Memphis Hitting

Ruben Gotay – 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI – His importance as insurance to the organization increased when Julio Lugo was dealt to Baltimore.
Jon Jay and Kevin Howard – RBI singles
Tyler Greene – doubled – Interesting that Donovan Solano went to Minneapolis and Greene did not.

Springfield (7-6-3) defeated Jacksonville, 7-4

Springfield Pitching

Nick Additon – 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 6 K’s – Has a career ERA of 2.79 in three pro seasons.
David Kopp – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 3 K’s – Second-rounder in 2007 working to remain healthy and demonstrate his potential.
Ryan Kulik – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K’s
Chuckie Fick – 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R
Thomas Eager – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K – Cards’ fifth-rounder in 2007 moved to relief last season. Tied for the Florida State League lead in holds with ten and was second with 52 appearances.

Springfield Hitting

Adron Chambers – 3 hits, including an RBI triple and scored 3 runs – Chambers’ 16 triples last season not only led the Cardinals system, it was tops in all of the minor leagues… and the major leagues, too! You can look it up!
Daryl Jones – home run and sacrifice fly
Andrew Brown – two hits, including a long 2-run HR – Getting hot again as camp closes.
Pete Kozma – doubled and tripled – Had 20 doubles and three triples among his 111 hits between Palm Beach and Quad Cities last season.

Quad Cities (6-9) defeated Palm Beach (8-7-1),

Palm Beach Pitching

Brian Broderick – 4 IP, 5 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 6 K’s
Richard Castillo – 4 IP, 5 H, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K – Tough outing for our #18-ranked Cardinals prospect.
Casey Mulligan – 1 IP, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Four consecutive scoreless outings after a rough opener on the 20th allows me to tag a reliever as Pitcher of the Day..

Palm Beach Hitting

I swear this list is the same characters from the day before, including…

Xavier Scruggs – 3-for-4 with double, triple, HR and 2 RBIs – Second consecutive Player of the Day nod.
Luis DeLaCruz – 2-for-3 with a double
Osvaldo Morales – 2-for-4 with a double – Tied for third among Cardinals minor league hitters with 15 home runs last season and his 82 RBI was #2 in the system.
Rich Racobaldo – 2-for-4 with an RBI
Matt Carpenter – hit a solo HR – Had only two home runs in his 251 first professional at-bats.
Jose Garcia – doubled and walked – His 27 steals in 2009 was second in the system.
Tommy Pham – 1-for-2 with a walk and two runs scored – My unofficial Spring MVP.

Quad Cities Pitching

Eric Fornataro – 5 IP, 7 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Sixth-rounder in 2008 has career 3.03 ERA, including an 0-5, 5.24 introduction to Quad Cities last summer. Looks to improve on the latter numbers.
Chris Notti – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB
Chris Corrigan – 1 IP, 2 K’s – Poised to improve upon 28-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio with Batavia last season.
LaCurtis Mayes – 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 K’s

Quad Cities Hitting

Frederick Parejo – doubled, homered and had 4 RBIs – Has a real case to the Player of the Day. Has just 62 career RBI in 666 at-bats.
Ryde Rodriguez – singled, homered and had 2 RBIs – Supposed power prospect has five home runs in 523 professional at-bats, all in 2009.
Devin Shepherd – 3-for-4 with two doubles – Did not play in 2009 and his only six extra base hits in 2008 were doubles.
Matt Adams and Robert Stock – each hit solo HR’s – Adams hit ten home runs in 245 at-bats in his first pro season last year while Stock had seven, all at Johnson City in 170 total ABs.
Ryan Jackson – doubled

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Friday brought another camp day in Jupiter during which intersquad games were held. As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary:  5-1 was the operative score of the day, as Springfield beat their big brothers from Memphis (the ones that aren’t in Minneapolis) and Palm Beach topped Quad Cities. The Florida State League club clinched the best minor league record of the spring as Springfield evened their mark once again. Both of Saturday’s losers, Memphis and Quad Cities, will break camp with losing records this spring.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were… you guessed it, 2-2. Spring totals are now 27-33-8 overall and 18-24-4 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Shaun Garceau, pitching for Springfield, tossed six shutout innings at Memphis, scattering six hits and just one walk.

My Hitter of the Day:  Palm Beach’s Xavier Scruggs (pictured) went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. His 59 RBI last season between Batavia and Quad Cities ranked ninth in the organization.

Saturday’s schedule: The final day of formal competition will occur as the three northern clubs prepare to break camp and head out for the regular season. Memphis and Quad Cities play their Marlins counterparts while Springfield and Palm Beach are apparently done with game action for the spring.

Springfield (6-6-3) defeated Memphis (4-8-3), 5-1 (in “7-ish” innings)

Memphis Pitching

Evan MacLane – 6.2 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Veteran lefty decided to return to the organization for 2010.

Memphis Hitting

Charles Cutler – 2-for-2 with a walk and RBI – Is he the best hitting catcher in the system? By how much?
Mark Shorey – 2-for-2 with a double, walk and run scored – Has been coming on strong lately.
Jon Jay – 2-for-3 – Here’s hoping he sees ample time in centerfield this season.

Springfield Pitching

Shaun Garceau – 6 IP, 6 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K – The Pitcher of the Day coming off a couple of less encouraging outings. Only pitched 30 1/3 innings in 2009.
Matt Meyer – 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Springfield Hitting

Jim Rapoport – 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored
Andrew Brown – 2-for-4 with a double and run scored – Was very hot earlier in camp.
Daryl Jones – doubled and scored – Hope he will turn it on when the season begins.
Curt Smith – singled and walked – Led Palm Beach in all three Triple Crown categories last season.
Colt Sedbrook – singled and scored – Was fourth in walks (52) in the system in 2009.
Steven Hill – singled, scored and had an RBI – With Springfield last season, made 40 starts at catcher, 30 in the outfield and 25 at first base. Also spent part of 2008 in Double-A.

Palm Beach (8-6-1) defeated Quad Cities (5-9), 5-1

Palm Beach Pitching

Jared Bradford – 4 IP, 5 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s – What looks to be a very effective outing was almost good enough to make him Pitcher of the Day.
Mark Diapoules – 2 IP, 2 H, 2 K’s – Solid relief from both who followed Bradford.
Jason Buursma – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 K

Palm Beach Hitting

Xavier Scruggs – 3-for-4 with a double and RBI – Player of the Day. Good to see you, Xavier. Where have you been?
Tommy Pham – 2-for-3 with a double and run scored – Running out of superlatives to describe his spring with the bat.
Francisco Rivera – 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI – A lot of 1B/3B love on this team today.
Roberto Espinoza – 2-for-4 – Catcher is a career .200 hitter in four professional seasons.
Chris Swauger – RBI double
Rich Racobaldo – singled and scored
Jermaine Curtis – singled, scored twice and had an RBI – Fifth-rounder in 2008 is another who hasn’t been a regular in these reports this spring.

Quad Cities Pitching

Aaron Terry – 1 IP, 2 H, 0 R
Daniel Calhoun – 4 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 1 K
Joe Kelly – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s – Continuing to look good and is definitely a player to watch in 2010.

Quad Cities Hitting

Niko Vasquez – 2-for-4 with a double and run scored – Is he borrowing Tommy Pham’s bat? He has six hits in last three days including three doubles.
Matt Adams – 2-for-3 with an RBI – Two consecutive days here after having been quiet prior.
Jason Stidham – doubled

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On Thursday, the Cardinals’ five squads remained home as the Marlins walked across from their side of the complex. As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary:  With camp nearing its end, the Cardinals had by far their best day of the spring as all five clubs won, from top to bottom. Prior to Thursday, their best afternoon was 3-1-1 on the 27^th, also against the Marlins. Palm Beach pulled over .500, the only one of the five to accomplish that.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 5-0. Spring totals are now 25-31-8 overall and 18-24-4 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Matt Frevert of Columbia, MO did not allow a baserunner and fanned three in two scoreless innings of work for Springfield. I bet the family will be traveling to see him this summer.

My Hitter of the Day:  Springfield outfielder Adron Chambers (pictured) hit a home run, tripled, scored twice and collected two RBI. Batted .365, third in the Colombian League this past winter – the country, not the city mentioned just above!

Friday’s schedule: Another camp day in Jupiter is planned during which intersquad games will be held. Saturday will be the final day of formal competition as the three northern clubs get ready to head out. Bus rides are done – for the spring, anyway!

Memphis (4-7-3) defeated New Orleans, 7-5

Memphis Pitching

Trey Hearne – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 K
Kevin Thomas – 3.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Tossed three scoreless for Palm Beach last time out, but far fewer baserunners this time.
Josh Kinney – perfect inning with 2 K’s – Much better this time out after having a rough spring.
Matt Scherer – perfect inning with 1 K – Improvement here, too.
Tyler Norrick – 1 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K

Memphis Hitting

Tyler Greene – 3-for-5 with a run scored and RBI – I wonder if he heard about the Lugo trade? (grin)
Jon Jay – doubled twice, walked and scored a run – Needs to create a need for his services in St. Louis.
Amaury Cazana – doubled in his only AB
Daniel Descalso – walked and scored a run in his only PA
Kevin Howard – singled, walked, scored a run and had an RBI – The minor league vet brings his bat every day.
Mark Shorey – double, walked and scored twice – A semi-regular in these highlights.
Charles Cutler – doubled, scored a run and had 2 RBIs – Has always hit regardless of the level. Career .317 batter in two professional seasons.
Shane Robinson – tripled

Springfield (5-6-3) defeated Jacksonville, 8-4

Springfield Pitching

Gary Daley – 2.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – A couple of runs, but just one walk.
Blake King – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s – A very strong outing. Maybe this is the year…
Thomas Eager – 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s
Adam Reifer – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Eduardo Sanchez – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K – Finished them off. Had ten saves for Springfield last season. Yielded three runs in 3 1/3 innings with St. Louis earlier in the spring.

Springfield Hitting

Adron Chambers – tripled, homered, scored twice and had two RBIs – The Player of the Day
Steven Hill – 2-for-4 with a double, homer, 3 RBIs and two runs scored – Has a very strong case, too.
Curt Smith – 3-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored – How many first basemen get triples? Smith had four last season between Palm Beach and Springfield. His .286 average ranked eighth in the Florida State League in 2009. How is that for a pitcher’s league? His 65 RBI last season was fourth-highest total in the Cardinals system.
Andrew Brown – single and triple – Well, no triples for first basemen besides these two, that is! Brown has three triples in the last two seasons combined after collecting seven in his 2007 debut with Batavia.
Pete Kozma – two hits and a walk, scored a run – Greater expectations for the former first-rounder in his expected return to Springfield.
Aaron Luna – two-run double

Palm Beach (7-6-1) defeated Jupiter, 3-2

Palm Beach Pitching

Arquimedes Nieto – 3 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 3 BB
Ramon Delgado – 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Matt Frevert – two perfect innings with 3 K’s – The Pitcher of the Day
Joel Pichardo – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 K’s
David Carpenter – 1 IP, 2 K’s – Same exact line as Tuesday and third consecutive scoreless stint. What more could one ask?

Palm Beach Hitting

Chris Swauger – 2-for-4 with a double and run scored – Was our TCN Player of the Month last August based on his play with Palm Beach. Finished in the top ten in the system last year in many offensive categories (runs, hits doubles, triples, RBI, slugging).
Matt Carpenter – doubled, walked and had an RBI
Rich Racobaldo – double and a run scored – Had an 11-game hitting streak with Johnson City last summer.
Francisco Rivera – game-winning RBI single vs. a lefty
Jose Garcia – single, walk and run scored – Does the little things well as his 14 sacrifice bunts last year lead the system. His 27 stolen bases between Palm Beach and Quad Cities was second-most in the organization in 2009.
Luis DeLaCruz – RBI single

Quad Cities 1 (5-8) defeated Greensboro, 7-3

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Jorge Rondon – 3 IP, 8 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Kept a lot of baserunners from scoring at least.
Mike Blazek – 4 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 3 K’s – A serious contender for Pitcher of the Day.
Jesse Simpson – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R
Jason Novak – 1 IP, 1 K – By my count, this is Novak’s fifth consecutive scoreless outing. Need to show love to single-inning guys, too!

Quad Cities 1 Hitting

Niko Vasquez – 3-for-4 with a double, 2 RBIs and a run scored – Also doubled Wednesday. Hitting more like a third baseman.
Frederick Parejo – 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI – Back in the highlights after a big weekend past.
Matt Adams – RBI double – Some readers were worried about you, Matt. Welcome!
Jason Stidham – singled, scored a run and had a sac fly – Like Parejo, had a good weekend.
Devin Shepherd – walked and singled
Luis Mateo – RBI single, good baserunning to advance on throw and scored a run
Ryan Jackson – singled and walked – Shortstop needs to grow offensively this year.
Ivan Castro – walked and scored a run

Extended Spring Training (formerly Quad Cities 2) (3-4-1) defeated Marlins 5^th club, 3-2

EST Pitching

Anthony Ferrara – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 2 K’s – A good day at the office for the 2008 seventh rounder.
Cale Johnson – 2 IP, 1 H, 1 K – 5.2 strikeout to walk ratio last year was fourth-best among all Cardinals minor leaguers.
Travis Lawler – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 unearned run, 1 BB, 3 K’s
Kyle Heim – one perfect inning – Was scored on last two times out, so this is good to see.
Andrew Moss – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s
LaCurtis Mayes – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 K’s

EST Hitting

Ross Smith – 2-for-3, double and 2 RBIs – Haven’t seen a lot of Smith this spring. Maybe this is the start.
Yunier Castillo, Jon Edwards and Rainel Rosario – each doubled
Roberto DeLaCruz and Devin Goodwin – singled and scored a run
Michael Swinson – singled in his only AB

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On Wednesday, the Cardinals had a camp day in Jupiter in which intersquad games were held. As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary:  As one would expect, the two higher-level clubs defeated their little brothers, though the Memphis-Springfield game was tight as the Redbirds barely picked up their third win of the spring. Palm Beach had their way with Quad Cities pitching.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were of course 2-2. Spring totals are now 20-31-8 overall and 13-24-4 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Shelby Miller (pictured), pitching for Quad Cities, tossed three perfect innings at Palm Beach, fanning six.

My Hitter of the Day:  Quad Cities’ Francisco Rivera collected a triple, home run, scored twice and added three RBI.

Thursday’s schedule: The Cardinals five squads will remain home as the Marlins walk across from their side of the complex.

Memphis (3-7-3) defeated Springfield (4-6-3), 4-3 (7 ½ innings)

Memphis Pitching

Brandon Dickson – 5 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Ryan Kulik – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s

Memphis Hitting

Ruben Gotay – 3-run home run – Batted just .200 (4-for-20) in MLB camp but one of those hits was a home run, too. Has 12 MLB home runs in 811 career plate appearances. Also, he lost his #3 jersey to Felipe Lopez.
Daniel Descalso – RBI triple and a walk in his two plate appearances – Then went over the to MLB game where he was hit by a pitch and scored a run.
Mark Shorey – doubled
Tyler Henley – tripled and scored a run – Was a late-game substitution in the MLB game in centerfield but did not get an at-bat.
Kevin Howard – 1-for-2 with a walk and run scored – 28-year-old has a career .287/.354/.421 line in seven minor league seasons for CIN, NYY, LAD, PHI, SEA, TOR and SD. That would make StL his eighth organization.

Springfield Pitching

Scott Gorgen – 4 IP, 3 H, 4 ER, 3 BB, 4 K’s – His strikeout to walk ratio has eroded at each stop.
Chuckie Fick – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K’s – On a non-Shelby day, this outing was good enough to be the Pitcher of the Day, so here’s an honorable mention for the son of Cardinals professional scout Chuck.
Matt Meyer – 1 IP, 1 H – Minor league Rule 5 signee from Cleveland serves as left-handed relief

Springfield Hitting

Jim Rapoport – 3-for-4 with a triple, stolen base and run scored – Has stolen 90 and caught 24 times in 398 career games. Lifetime batting average is just .245, but on-base mark is .322. Slugs less at .317. Surely knows what he needs to do.
Charles Cutler – 2-for-3 with a double and run scored – Catching opportunity upward right now. His combined .322 average last season between Palm Beach and Quad Cities was second highest in the Cardinals system and fifth highest among all minor league catchers.
Mike Folli – solo HR
Aaron Luna – doubled

Palm Beach (6-6-1) defeated Quad Cities 1 (5-8), 10-2

Palm Beach Pitching

Scott McGregor – 5 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s – In two seasons, the Cardinals’ 15^th round pick in 2008 is 11-11, 4.55.
Jason Buursma – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER
Casey Mulligan – 1 IP, 1 K – Not a closing situation, but didn’t let down. Good.

Palm Beach Hitting

Francisco Rivera – 2-for-3 with a triple, homer, two runs scored and 3 RBIs – The Hitter of the Day.
Tommy Pham – 2-for-2 with a double, walk, 3 runs scored and two RBIs – I guess I should create a Hitter of the Spring Award just for Pham. Amazing consistency.
Rich Racobaldo – 1-for-3 with a single, RBI and a run scored
Matt Carpenter – 1-for-4 with an RBI
Osvaldo Morales – singled, scored a run and had an RBI

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Shelby Miller – three perfect innings with 6 K’s – He doesn’t want to pitch in the Quad Cities early spring cold and is making his case for a Palm Beach assignment on the mound. Impressive.
Chris Notti – 1.2 IP, 6 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – Ouch. Career 6-5, 3.50 ERA in two seasons.
Jose Rada – 1.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Chris Corrigan – 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER – Fanned 28 and walked 20 in 47 1/3 innings in his pro debut with Batavia last season.

Quad Cities 1 Hitting

Frederick Parejo – 1-for-2 with a triple, run scored and RBI – Was the starting centerfielder in the 2008 New York-Penn League All-Star Game, but had a quieter 2009 at Quad Cities. Still just 19 until July.
Niko Vasquez – doubled and scored a run – Third round selection in 2008 wants to put a rough 2009 behind him.
Travis Tartamella – singled in his only AB

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After a rain-soaked day on Monday in which the pitchers were able to throw on the side, but the five games against the Marlins were washed out due to wet grounds, the St. Louis Cardinals again faced their New York Mets counterparts on Tuesday.

Just like the major league Cardinals, the Memphis and Springfield teams boarded buses for Port St. Lucie while the two A-level clubs entertained the Mets in Jupiter.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: Any time any club can hang seven earned runs on a two-time Cy Young Award winner and four-time All-Star, it is a great day, let alone when it is a Triple A club doing the damage. That’s right – Memphis inflicted that pain on the Mets’ Johan Santana, assigned to Triple A Buffalo for the afternoon to get his work in prior to starting for New York on opening day.

(I readily admit that this photo of Santana was from another spring game, but it seemed too appropriate to let pass.)

Mets star Jose Reyes joined Santana as a Bison-for-a-day on Tuesday. Out the entire spring to-date due to a thyroid condition, the two-time All-Star shortstop managed just one hit, a double that could have been a triple, in five plate appearances.

The other three Cardinals teams ran into some good pitching, managing just three runs among them. Springfield encountered a two-hitter by the opposition and was shut out, Palm Beach collected two tallies while Quad Cities scored just once.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 0-3-1. Spring totals are now 18-29-8 overall and 13-24-4 versus external competition. None of the five clubs, including Quad Cities 2 at 2-4-1, currently has an above-.500 record.

My Co-Pitchers of the Day: Springfield’s Brian Broderick and Quad Cities Scott Schneider each allowed just three baserunners in three scoreless innings.

My Hitter of the Day: Memphis Tyler Henley tripled, walked, scored twice and had two RBI, but I could easily give the award to his entire offense as eight different Redbirds collected and RBI and eight of them scored.

Wednesday’s schedule: The Cardinals have a camp day in which intersquad games will be held. I am hearing there will be an 11 a.m. start.

Memphis (2-7-3) tied with Buffalo, 9-9

Memphis Pitching

Adam Ottavino – 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – First outing since being sent down from St. Louis could have been better.
Rich Rundles – 1.2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K – Veteran lefty was the only Redbirds pitcher to keep Buffalo off the board.
Tyler Norrick – 2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Josh Kinney – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – Continues to get beaten up. If he is healthy, there could be a real problem.
Fernando Salas – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER – Needs to stand out in case he is under consideration to replace Blake Hawksworth due to injury. A shutout inning would have been better.
Matt Scherer – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – Once was on the 40-man roster, but was never called up.

Memphis Hitting

Bryan Anderson – 2-for-3 with a run scored and RBI – Remember him? Injuries in St. Louis could open the door a crack after he received just one at-bat in MLB spring training.
Amaury Cazana – 2-for-4 with a double, RBI and run scored – Where will he play this year? I am not talking position, I mean which country?
Daniel Descalso – 2-for-5 with a double, run scored and RBI – Had the game-winning walkoff home run for St. Louis on Monday.
Shane Robinson – 2-for-4 with a run scored – Just keeps producing. Seeing some time at second base.
Tyler Henley – tripled, walked, scored twice and had two RBIs – Hitter of the Day
Mark Shorey – doubled, walked, scored a run and had an RBI – Not giving any ground in outfield battle.
Tony Cruz – doubled and had an RBI – Catcher is having a nice spring and may get to stay in Triple A for awhile to continue to prove his mettle.
Kevin Howard – RBI single – Minor league veteran may be playing a lot at third for the Redbirds this season.
Tyler Greene and Jon Jay – singled, scored a run and had an RBI

Check out the following video of the Memphis battery of Adam Ottavino and Tony Cruz doing battle against Reyes.

Springfield (4-5-3) lost to Binghamton, 1-0

Springfield Pitching

David Kopp – 3 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K – Comeback from injury continuing well.
Brian Broderick – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB – Co-Pitcher of the Day.
Blake King – 1 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 1 K – The walks didn’t stay away long.
Adam Reifer – 1 IP, 1 BB – Not sure if we should read anything into the order with Reifer apparently pitching the eighth and Sanchez the ninth.
Eduardo Sanchez – 1 IP, 1 BB – Identical line to Reifer. Francisco Samuel out with shoulder pain.

Springfield Hitting

Adron Chambers – singled and stole a base – Has stolen 40 but caught 25 times over three professional seasons.
Aaron Luna – had the only other Springfield hit
Pete Kozma, Matt Carpenter, Daryl Jones, Andrew Brown and Jim Rapoport – all walked – A’s for effort

Palm Beach (5-6-1) lost to St. Lucie, 4-2

Palm Beach Pitching

Rich Hill – 4.2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 5 K’s – Major leaguer facing A-level hitters. Hmmm…
Ramon Delgado – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s
Joel Pichardo – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 ER, 1 K
Matt Frevert – 1 IP, 2 K’s – 28^th rounder in 2009 quietly ranked in the top ten in the system in WHIP (6^th at 0.99), strikeouts per nine innings (6^th with 11.21) and strikeout to walk ratio (tied for 9^th at 4.40). Sleeper alert!
David Carpenter – 1 IP, 2 K’s – Only starting his second full season on the mound and doing nicely.

Palm Beach Hitting

Tommy Pham – 2-run HR – Owner of one of the Cardinals hottest sticks this spring.
Osvaldo Morales – 2-for-3 with a double
Jose Garcia – tripled and scored a run – Had five of his career eight triples in four pro seasons last summer.
Ryan Jackson – singled in his only AB

Quad Cities 1 (5-7) lost to Savannah, 8-1

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Deryk Hooker 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s – Not terrible, but I keep expecting Hooker to dominate at this level.
Scott Schneider – 3 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 K – My Co-Pitcher of the Day was our Batavia Pitcher of the Year for 2009.
Zach Russell – 1.1 IP, 4 H, 4 ER, 1BB – Bumpy outing for the former 49^th rounder in 2007.
Michael Thompson – 0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Aaron Terry – 1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER

Quad Cities 1 Hitting

Jon Edwards – 2-for-2 with a double – Has always been streaky, but needs longer, more consistent play to realize great potential.
Ted Obregon – doubled – An oft-forgotten middle infielder.
Michael Swinson – walked twice and scored a run – Keep an eye on him…

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On Sunday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ enter their final week of camp by once again facing the Mets. This time, Memphis and Springfield boarded the bus for Port St. Lucie while the A-level clubs stayed home.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: It was a tie day all around as each pair of clubs split in both game locations. Behind an offensive explosion, Springfield won on Mets soil while Palm Beach took a home victory. Both clubs pulled their organization spring-best records to .500 with the wins.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 2-2. Spring totals are now 18-26-7 overall and 13-21-3 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Quad Cites 1’s Aaron Terry spun two perfect innings.

My Hitter of the Day: Springfield’s Chris Swauger (pictured) apparently liked twos on the day as he had two singles, two doubles, two RBI and two runs scored in five at-bats.

Monday’s schedule: The Cardinals five squads are “visitors” to their Florida Marlins counterparts as they take the short walk over from their side of the Jupiter complex.

Memphis (2-7-2) lost to Buffalo, 7-2

Memphis Pitching

Evan MacLane – 4 IP, 4 H, four unearned runs, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Our 2009 Memphis Starting Pitcher of the Year came back for the PCL title defense.
Oneli Perez – 2.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – That makes 7 runs, six earned, yielded in his last 4 2/3 innings. He fared better in big league camp (in very limited action – two ER in 3 1/3 innings pitched).
Rich Rundles – 1.2 IP, 1 H, no runs, 2 K’s
Matt Scherer – one perfect inning

Memphis Hitting

Mark Shorey – 2-for-4 with a double and run scored – Has to continue to hit like this to keep in the crowded outfield hunt. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter was named the MVP of the Colombian winter league playoffs.
Shane Robinson – 2-for-4 with a triple, run scored and RBI – Three triples in two days is the same total as he had all last season. Robinson has ten three-baggers in his four-year professional career.
Tony Cruz – 2-for-4 with an RBI – On fire. Four for his last seven on Saturday and Sunday.
Jon Jay – doubled and walked – Good to see. Obviously not sulking over being sent down.
Tyler Henley – singled and scored

Springfield (4-4-3) defeated Binghamton, 11-6

Springfield Pitching

Shaun Garceau – 3.2 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – Yielded 2 ER in 3 IP last time out.
Chuckie Fick – 3.1 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s
Blake King – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – No walks is a good thing. Only had one in his last outing of two innings.
Jason Buursma – 1 IP, 1 BB – Had an 11-1 strikeout to walk ratio with Quad Cities to start last season, but it dropped to 20-15 after he joined Palm Beach.

Springfield Hitting

Adron Chambers – 3-for-5 with an RBI and run scored – Was Shorey’s Colombian teammate, finishing third in the winter league in average, .365, first in triples with 6, second in hits, and fourth in slugging at .529.
Chris Swauger – 4-for-5 with two doubles, two RBIs and two runs scored – The Player of the Day and another Colombian league player this past winter.
Pete Kozma – 2-for-5 with a run scored and RBI
Antonio DeJesus – 2-for-4 with a double, walk, two runs scored and an RBI
Matt Carpenter – 2-for-4 with three runs scored – Four for his last seven and hit a home run the day before that!
Colt Sedbrook – 2-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored – Second consecutive day he was on base twice.
Daryl Jones – 2-for-5
Steven Hill – doubled and had two RBIs
Curt Smith – singled and walked

Palm Beach (5-5-1) defeated St. Lucie, 7-5

Palm Beach Pitching

Kevin Thomas – 3 IP, 5 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s – Kept those baserunners from crossing the plate.
Houston Summers – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 3 BB – Last knuckleballer remaining after Charlie Zink was released.
Jose Rada – 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 K
Joel Pichardo – 1 IP, 1 K
Matt Frevert – 1 IP, 2 H, one unearned run, 1 BB

Palm Beach Hitting

Tommy Pham – 2-for-3 with a double, two walks, three runs scored and RBI – On base in four of five plate appearances. His career OBP is just .294, so here is hoping there is more where that came from.
Francisco Rivera – 2-for-2
Rich Racobaldo – 2-for-4 with 2 RBIs – On base six times over the last three days and collected four RBI in the process. Drove in 42 in 249 at-bats in 2009 between Johnson City and Quad Cities.
Ryde Rodriguez – doubled and scored a run
Jason Stidham – doubled, walked, and scored a run – On base six times the last three days also and scored each day.
Osvaldo Morales – doubled
Jesus Montero – game-winning RBI triple in his only AB
Jose Garcia – double and RBI

Quad Cities 1 (5-6) lost to Savannah, 11-4

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Anthony Ferrara – 2.2 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 6 ER, 2 BB, 3 K’s – Rough day at the office.
Jesse Simpson – 2.1 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s
Jorge Rondon – 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Aaron Terry – two perfect innings – Maybe he should have started… Struck out 37 and walked nine in 28 innings of relief between Johnson City and Batavia in his 2009 professional debut.

Quad Cities #1 Hitting

Frederick Parejo – 2-for-3 with a double, RBI and run scored – RBIs in each of the last three days. Home run on Friday and on base twice each of the next two days.
Niko Vasquez – 2-for-4 with a run scored and 2 RBIs
D’Marcus Ingram – doubled and scored a run
Jon Edwards – double and RBI
Devin Shepherd – singled in his only AB

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On Saturday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ five squads were “home” as their Florida Marlins counterparts take the short walk over from their side of the Jupiter complex.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: The Cardinals had just their second winning day of the spring and their best overall to date. Memphis finally collected their second win in camp whiile Palm Beach and Quad Cities 1 were also victorious. Quad Cities 2 tied their Marlins counterpart. Completing the table-turning, the Cardinals’ winningest team this spring, Springfield, was the only one to take a loss on Saturday as their pitching blew a gasket. The other clubs rode their strong pitching to success.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 3-1-1. Spring totals are now 16-24-7 overall and 11-19-3 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Gary Daley, pitching for Memphis, allowed just two baserunners in four shutout innings. How can one not root for a turnaround by the Cards’ third-round selection in 2006 who has 202 strikeouts with 188 walks in 247 1/3 career innings and mid-90’s heat?

My Hitter of the Day: Memphis’ centerfielder Shane Robinson (pictured) was on base four times, including via a pair of triples. Let’s see… The major league team needs a reserve centerfielder and it is Robinson’s natural position. He went 4-for-11 (.374) in big league camp, including two doubles. Shane also walked three times, drove in three and was hit twice by pitches. Maybe he is trying to suggest he deserved more of a chance?

Sunday’s schedule: The Cardinals enter their final week of camp by facing the Mets. This time, Memphis and Springfield board the bus for Port St. Lucie while the A-level clubs stay home.

Memphis (2-6-2) defeated New Orleans, 9-2

Memphis Pitching

Gary Daley – four shutout innings on one hit, one walk and one strikeout – The Pitcher of the Day.
Trey Hearne – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K
Josh Kinney – 1.2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB – Needs to start putting up goose eggs.
Tyler Norrick – 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Fernando Salas – one perfect inning with 2 K’s – Pitched better in big league camp this spring than some still there (9 Ks to 1 BB, 2.45 ERA).

Memphis Hitting

Shane Robinson – 3-for-3 including two triples, a walk, 2 runs and an RBI
Tony Cruz – 2-for-3 with a double, a HBP, two runs and two RBIs – If he keeps hitting like this, it will be tough to send him back down to Springfield when the Molina-Pagnozzi dominoes eventually fall.
Amaury Cazana – 2-run HR – Will he return to Mexico? Will he ever play for Memphis again?
Mark Shorey – doubled and scored
Donovan Solano – 1-for-2 with a walk and RBI
Mike Folli – 1-for-2 with an RBI
Tyler Henley – singled and scored – Note Henley is with Memphis while Jones is with Springfield.

Springfield (3-4-3) lost to Jacksonville, 13-3

Springfield Pitching

Scott Gorgen – 4 IP, 8 H, 6 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Rough outing for the 2009 Arizona Fall League participant.
Ryan Kulik 3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 1 K – After a 43-10 strikeout to walk ratio in 2008, it zoomed up to 71-46 last season. Not a positive trend.
Thomas Eager – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 1 K – Fifth-round pick in 2007 has yet to turn the corner.
Eduardo Sanchez – 1 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 K’s – Not what one would hope to see from a legitimate closer candidate.

Springfield Hitting

Andrew Brown – 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI – Getting listed here more days than not this spring.
Matt Carpenter – 2-for-3 with a walk
Curt Smith – RBI double
Daryl Jones and Colt Sedbrook – singled, walked and scored – Since being sent down from big league camp (1-for-5), Mr. Jones, the organization’s 2008 Player of the Year, has been quiet. (Nothing against Jones, but our pick that year was David Freese.)
Aaron Luna – single, walk, RBI
Tommy Pham – walked twice

Palm Beach (4-5-1) defeated Jupiter, 7-2

Palm Beach Pitching

Mark Diapoules – 4 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Nice showing. Last season, he made 15 appearances with Palm Beach before injury and return to Quad Cities. In the Florida State League, he posted a 5.72 ERA as walks were a problem (28 in 39 1/3 innings).
Arquimedes Nieto – 2.2 IP, 2 H, 1 unearned run, 1 BB, 4 K’s – His 116 strikeouts last season was fourth-highest among all Cardinals minor leaguers. His 22 starts between Quad Cities and Palm Beach ranked ninth in the system.
Ramon Delgado – 1.1 perfect innings with a K
David Carpenter – one hitless inning, one walk, one K – Tied for seventh in appearances in the organization with 52 at Quad Cities despite it being only his first full season after converting from catcher.

Palm Beach Hitting

Rich Racobaldo – 2-for-2 with a double, two runs, RBI
Jason Stidham – two hits, run, two RBIs – Did you know the 22-year-old was born at Lakenheath, United Kingdom? I didn’t.
Domnit Bolivar – two hits, run – To be in the know, work on pronunciation of the 20-year-old Venezuelan shortstop’s name – “DUG-nee BO-lee-var”.
Jose Garcia – tripled and scored
Frederick Parejo – single, walk, RBI
Osvaldo Morales – RBI single

Quad Cities 1 (5-5) defeated Greensboro, 1-0 (10 innings)

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Kevin Siegrist – four hitless innings, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Could mount a very strong argument for repeating as Pitcher of the Day (also won on 3/22). Seven shutout innings over his last two outings. Impressive. Has a 3.07 ERA in his first two seasons. Was with Batavia in 2009.
Mike Blazek – 4 IP, 4 H, 0 BB, 5 K’s – A shame this fine outing is almost lost among the other standout performances. Blazek led the New York-Penn League with 13 wild pitches last season, but seemed to be right on the mark on this day.
Andrew Moss and David Kington – 1 IP, 1 H each

Quad Cities #1 Hitting

Niko Vasquez – singled and scored the game’s only run
Jonathan Rodriguez – singled and walked
Devin Goodwin – doubled and walked in his two plate appearances – Second baseman taken in 33^rd round in 2009 looking for playing time.
Travis Tartamella – singled in his only AB – 22-year-old catcher batted just .183 in his rookie season at Johnson City.

Quad Cities 2 (2-4-1) tied Marlins 5^th club, 1-1

Quad Cities 2 Pitching

Cale Johnson – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 K – Last season, he was fourth among Cardinals relievers with a 5.2 to 1 strikeout to walk ratio.
Hector Hernandez – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Chris Corrigan – two hitless innings, two walks, one K
Keith Butler – 2 IP, 1 H, 1 BB, 2 K’s – His 1.02 WHIP in 2009 ranked as eighth-best in the system.

Quad Cities 2 Hitting

Rainel Rosario – 2-for-4 with an RBI – 21-year-old Dominican had a .758 OPS with Johnson City last season, his second in the US.
Anthony Garcia – doubled in his only AB – Seems to be doing well with the bat in his playing time.
Jesus Montero – singled and walked in two plate appearances
Yunier Castillo – singled and scored a run – Encouraging to see the defensive standout appearing again among the offensive highlights.

Roster move: Adam Ottavino was optioned to Memphis on Saturday.

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On Friday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ top four clubs once again faced each other as Memphis took on Springfield and Palm Beach opposed Quad Cities.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: Memphis missed getting their second win of the spring as they tied Springfield in a shortened, five-inning game. As they should, Palm Beach defeated Quad Cities in the other intersquad contest behind 2009 top draft pick Shelby Miller and a big day from a pair of outfielders.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 1-1-2. Spring totals are now 13-23-6 overall and 7-18-2 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Palm Beach’s Justin Edwards tossed a pair of perfect innings and added a strikeout as well.

My Hitter of the Day: Palm Beach’s Kyle Conley (pictured) had a double, home run and four RBI.

Saturday’s schedule: The Cardinals’ five squads are “home” as their Marlins counterparts take the short walk over from their side of the Jupiter complex.

Memphis (1-6-2) and Springfield (3-3-3) tied 1-1, 5 innings

Memphis Pitching

Matt Meyer – 0 2 IP, 1H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K’s
Rich Rundles – struck out the side
Matt Scherer – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s
Casey Mulligan – one scoreless inning with two walks

Memphis Hitting

Shane Robinson – doubled and scored a run
Jim Rapoport – RBI single – Led the system with 71 walks last year, but his OBP of .358 did not crack the top ten.
Daniel Descalso – singled and walked in two plate appearances

Springfield Pitching

Blake King – two hitless innings with a walk and a strikeout – Will this be the year he puts it together?
Jason Buursma – 2 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Adam Reifer – one perfect inning – This is very important to see. It will be very interesting to see who closes for both Memphis and Springfield this season as there are a number of candidates. Surely Reifer is among them.

Springfield Hitting

Adron Chambers – walked twice and HBP in his three plate appearances
Matt Carpenter – solo home run – A sort of under-the-radar prospect was pushed in his first season at 24. Wouldn’t be the first to struggle a bit at Palm Beach only to rebound.

Palm Beach (3-5-1) defeated Quad Cities (4-5), 7-4

Palm Beach Pitching

Shelby Miller – 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Touched by a solo home run. Other than that, he had what looks to be a good outing.
Justin Edwards – two perfect innings, 1 K – Allowed just one home run in 221 batters faced last season.
Pat Daugherty – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 1 K
Jason Novak – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K

Palm Beach Hitting

Ryde Rodriguez – 3-for-4 with a run scored and RBI – Ryde, where have you been?
Kyle Conley – doubled, homered and had 4 RBIs – Ditto for you, Kyle. Great to see these two in the highlights. Conley was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Month last August.
Alex Castellanos – 2-for-4 with a run scored and RBI – Continues to appear in these reports almost daily
Frederick Parejo – 2-run HR – Still just 19 years old. Very young for this level.
Jose Garcia – singled, walked and scored two runs – An organizational favorite is another under-the-radar guy.
Xavier Scruggs – RBI single and was HBP
Rich Racobaldo – singled and walked and had an RBI
Luis De La Cruz and Jason Stidham – singled, walked and scored – Last season, De La Cruz had a major league camp invite and was selected to the New York-Penn League All-Star Game. The 20-year-old needs to stay healthy to restore his prospect luster at a position that needs standouts.

Quad Cities Pitching

Scott McGregor – 2.1 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Rough day for Scott.
Chris Notti – 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 4 K’s
LaCurtis Mayes – 1 IP, 1 H – A guy to watch, especially if he can continue to keep the walks under control.
Miguel Tapia – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB

Quad Cities Hitting

Devin Shepherd – 2-run HR in his only AB
Niko Vasquez – solo HR (off Miller) – Former shortstop has seven minor league home runs in 704 career at-bats. Would be nice to see a third baseman with power.
Ted Obregon – singled in his only AB – Another shortstop to be considered among those at this position, deep at these levels.
Ivan Castro – 1-for-2 with a run scored

Releases and other news: On Friday, the  Cardinals announced their second group of minor league player releases for the spring. The most prominent of the ten now ex-Cardinals is former second-round draft pick Brad Furnish. The others are pitchers Tyler Lavigne, Randy Santos, Adam Veres, Santo Maertz, Charlie Zink, Pedro Rodriguez and Yoffri Martinez along with outfielders Travis Mitchell and Edwin Gomez. The Cardinal Nation subscribers can read up on all ten players here.

In addition, after their day off changing clubhouses, Tyler Greene and Jon Jay should be appearing in the Memphis highlights later this weekend as the two were cut from the big club on Friday.

The Roster Matrix is up to date on all players, though team assignments will not be changed until the full-season rosters are finalized around April 4. 287 players are currently under contract.

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On Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ top four clubs once again found the Mets as their primary opponent with Memphis and Springfield entertaining their New York opponents in Jupiter, while Palm Beach and Quad Cities 1 again took the short drive to the Mets’ home in Port St. Lucie.

Quad Cities 2 welcomed the World Free Agent Spring Training club.  WFAST is a 17-day spring camp for free agents, offering instruction from independent league coaches and of course, game competition for young men looking for professional contracts. The Cardinals minor leaguers play a game against WFAST each spring.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: Memphis and Springfield fell while Palm Beach worked a tie and both Quad Cities clubs outscored their competition.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 2-2-1. Spring totals are now 12-22-4 overall and 7-18-2 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Randy Santos of Quad Cities 2 spun three shutout innings, striking out four.

My Hitter of the Day: Quad Cities 1’s Jarred Bogany (pictured) singled, doubled, drove in two and scored.

Friday’s schedule: Once again, the Cardinals have no external opponents to play. As such, we are pretty much guaranteed to have a 2-2 day as Memphis will take on Springfield and Palm Beach will face Quad Cities.

Memphis (1-6-1) lost to New Orleans, 8-1

Memphis Pitching

Brandon Dickson – 4 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – opposite field solo HR
Brad Furnish – 1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 3 K’s – Rough outing for the lefty.
Oneli Perez – 2.1 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s – Could be on the bump with more outings like this.
Pete Parise – 1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER – May not get to close to start this year depending on who else makes the team.

Memphis Hitting

Bryan Anderson – 2-for-3, solo HR – Will presumably see more time for Memphis if Pags starts with St. Louis due to Yadier Molina’s injury.
Shane Robinson and Daniel Descalso – singled and walked – Not much else to say about a team that has not been winning so far this spring.

Springfield (3-3-2) lost to Binghamton, 3-2

Springfield Pitching

David Kopp – 3 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 1 K – Continuing his comeback from imjury.
Brian Broderick – 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER
Richard Castillo – 2 IP, 1 H, 2 BB, 2 K’s
Chuckie Fick – 2 perfect innings, 2 K’s – Almost the Pitcher of the Day.

Springfield Hitting

Aaron Luna – 2-for-3 – Has been hitting all spring.
Andrew Brown – double – Ditto. His offense may be ready for Memphis, but third base experiment is still early.
Antonio DeJesus – single, HBP, scored – Good to see him here. Is a .252 career hitter, but batted just .229 with Springfield last season.
Tommy Pham – RBI single in his only AB – Another hot bat.

Palm Beach (2-5-1) tied with St. Lucie, 4-4

Palm Beach Pitching

Jared Bradford – 3 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – Had a 14-to-2 strikeout to walk ratio last season between Gulf Coast League and Palm Beach.
Scott Schneider – 2 IP, 0 R, 1 H, 2 K’s – Our 2009 Batavia Starting Pitcher of the Year. His 0.91 WHIP last season was second-best in the entire system.
Yoffri Martinez – 1 IP, 0 R
Houston Summers – 1 IP, 1 H, 1 unearned run, 1 BB – Knuckleballer has a much better outing.
Jose Rada – one perfect inning – Led the Appalachian League with 23 appearances in 2009 and posted a nice 1.76 ERA, too.
Joel Pichardo – one perfect inning with a strikeout

Palm Beach Hitting

D’Marcus Ingram – 2-for-5, run, stolen base – His 25 swipes in 32 attempts last season ranked fourth in the organization.
Frederick Parejo – 3-run HR – 19-year-old has just three home runs in 666 professional at-bats during the regular season.
Alex Castellanos – RBI double, scored
Oliver Marmol – single, HBP in two plate appearances
Rich Racobaldo – single, walk, stolen base

Quad Cities 1 (4-4) defeated Savannah, 8-6

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Deryk Hooker – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 BB, 3 K’s – Another solid outing. The first time around, Hooker reached Quad Cities for four starts in 2008 and was very strong (1.61 ERA).  Still just 20 years old.
Zach Russell – 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 3 K’s – In 61 career innings, he has 61 walks and 67 strikeouts, but no free passes on this day.
Jesse Simpson – two perfect innings, 2 K’s – His 1.01 WHIP in 2009 ranked seventh in the system.
Aaron Terry – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER
Jorge Rondon – 0.1 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
David Carpenter 0.2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s – His 12 saves last season with Quad Cities was the sixth-most in the organization.

Quad Cities 1 Hitting

Jarred Bogany – 2-for-3, double, two RBIs, run – Only a .250 hitter in his first two seasons, but seems to be hot this spring.
Luis Mateo – 2-for-4, double, 2 RBIs – 19-year-old 2B quietly posted a .912 OPS in 93 at-bats with Johnson City last season.
C.J. Beatty – 2-for-2, run, RBI – Can’t do much better than that!
Travis Tartamella – doubled in his only AB
Jonathan Rodriguez – doubled
Michael Swinson and Devin Shepherd – both singled, walked, scored

Quad Cities #2 (2-4) defeated WFAST, 7-3 (six innings)

Quad Cities #2 Pitching

Randy Santos – 3 IP, 1 H, no runs, 1 BB, 4 K’s – A stellar performance. His 15 wild pitches led the Appalachian League last season, so he needs a good backstop.
Nick McCully – 2 IP, 2 H, 3 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Brett Zawacki – one perfect inning – Great to see him out there after a pair of knee surgeries last summer.

Quad Cities #2 Hitting

Travis Mitchell – two hits
Romulo Ruiz – walked twice, scored twice – A much better player than his career line of .167/.229/.269 would indicate.
Rainel Rosario – singled, scored twice, RBI
Cesar Valera – 2-run triple, walk, scored
David Washington – single, two walks in three plate appearances – Looking to rebound from a rough introduction in the Gulf Coast League in 2009 (.165 in 85 at-bats).
Hector Alvarez – 3-run HR

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On Wednesday, the St. Louis Cardinals’ five clubs made the shortest of walking road trips over to the Florida Marlins’ side of the Roger Dean Stadium complex.

As always, Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch shares game highlights. The raw data is his, with the comments mine.

Team summary: Only Quad Cities 1 was able to collect a victory, while Springfield tied. The other three clubs, Memphis, Palm Beach and Quad Cities 2 were defeated on the scoreboard.

Combined records: The Cardinals records on the day were 1-3-1. Spring totals are now 10-20-3 overall and 6-16-1 versus external competition.

My Pitcher of the Day: Springfield’s Scott Gorgen fanned five in two scoreless innings of work.

My Hitter of the Day: Memphis’ Kevin Howard (pictured) collected eight total bases, three RBI and scored twice.

Thursday’s schedule: Once again, the Mets are the primary opponent with Memphis and Springfield entertaining their New York opponents in Jupiter, while Palm Beach and Quad Cities 1 again take the short drive to the Mets’ home in Port St. Lucie.

Quad Cities 2 will take on World Free Agent Spring Training.  WFAST is a 17-day spring camp for free agents, offering instruction from independent league coaches and of course, game competition for young men looking for professional contracts. The Cardinals minor leaguers play a game against WFAST each spring.

Memphis (1-5-1) lost to New Orleans, 9-8

Memphis Pitching

Lance Lynn – 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K’s – Uncharacteristic tough outing for the reigning Minor League Pitcher of the Year.
Charlie Zink – 0.2 IP, 1 H, 4 ER, 4 BB – Can anyone catch his knuckleball?
Tyler Norrick – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 K – Quietly effective
Josh Kinney and Fernando Salas – one perfect inning with two K’s each – Two guys we may see in St. Louis before too long.

Memphis Hitting

Kevin Howard – three hits – single, triple and homer – 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored – Just the Player of the Day!
Donovan Solano – three hits including a double, run, RBI – Provided a pleasant surprise in limited action in big league camp – 11-for-19 (.571), though ten were singles.
Shane Robinson – two hits, an RBI and run scored – Another nice limited-time showing with St. Louis – 4-for-11 (.364) with two doubles and three RBI.
Mike Folli – tripled
Daniel Descalso – double, walk in two plate appearances
Matt Pagnozzi, Tyler Henley and Mark Shorey – singled and scored

Springfield (3-2-2) tied Jacksonville, 4-4

Springfield Pitching

Nick Additon – 2.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Ryan Kulik – 3 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Scott Gorgen – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 5 K’s – Pitcher of the Day
Thomas Eager – 1 IP, 1 H, no runs – Cards’ 2007 fifth-rounder had a very quiet 2009.
Eduardo Sanchez – 1 IP, no hits, no runs, 2 BB – Needs to find that elusive control.

Springfield Hitting

Steven Hill – double, triple, RBI and scored – Hill can hit anywhere. Where to play him?
Aaron Luna – three hits – single, double and triple – OBP is always fine, but an improved average could be a difference-maker.
Daryl Jones – 2-for-4, run – Needs to continue the bounceback.
Colt Sedbrook – single, walk

Palm Beach (2-5) lost to Jupiter, 6-4

Palm Beach Pitching

Justin Smith – 2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER
Pedro Rodriguez – 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 2 K’s
Matt Frevert – 2.2 IP, 1 H, no runs, 0 BB, 3 K’s – Very nice line that was next on my list for Pitcher of the Day. Was ranked in the top ten in the system in strikeout to walk ratio last season at 4.40.
Andrew Moss – 1 IP, 2 H, no runs
Ramon Delgado – 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K – Sixth in the system with 53 game appearances in 2009.
Michael Thompson – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 0 BB, 2 K’s

Palm Beach Hitting

Oliver Marmol – 2-for-3, HBP, 2 runs – Sixth-rounder in 2007 has a career .200 batting average.
Domnit Bolivar – 2-for-4 with a double
Rich Racobaldo – 2-run HR

Quad Cities 1 (3-4) defeated Greensboro, 4-2

Quad Cities 1 Pitching

Eric Fornataro – 3 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 4 K’s
Anthony Ferrara – two scoreless innings, no hits, 2 BB’s, 1 K
Joe Kelly – 3 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 1 K – Another very strong line from a player getting a lot of kudos in camp. Last season, retired 138 opposing hitters without yielding a home run.
Daniel Calhoun – 2 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K’s – Also a strong performance. His 0.95 WHIP last season was fourth-best in the entire system.

Quad Cities 1 Hitting

Jarred Bogany – 3-for-4, run
Ted Obregon – 2-for-2, game-winning 3-run double
Robert Stock – single, run
Travis Mitchell – single, walk and scored two runs – Local St. Louis product making noise.

Quad Cities #2 (2-6) lost to Marlins 5^th club, 6-1

Quad Cities #2 Pitching

Angel DeJesus – two perfect innings
Tyler Lavigne – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
Kyle Heim – 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB
Keith Butler – 1.1 IP, 1 K – Did not allow a home run to any of 122 batters faced last season.
David Kington – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 1 K
Chris Corrigan – one perfect inning

Quad Cities #2 Hitting

Cesar Valera – 2-for-3
Hector Alvarez – single, walk, run
Anthony Garcia – RBI single – 18^th-rounder in 2009 recently turned 18. Being a Puerto Rican catcher is especially good in this system.

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On Tuesday, it was a camp day as the St. Louis Cardinals’ Memphis and Springfield clubs were scheduled to face off while the Palm Beach and Quad Cities 1 clubs worked out but did not play.

In addition, Quad Cities 2 had external competition in Gildea’s Raiders. Gildea’s is a traveling team that regularly makes the rounds of Florida spring camps. They have visited the Cardinals yearly for at least the last decade.

Cardinals director of minor league operations John Vuch continues to share game highlights. As always, the raw data is his, but the comments mine.

Team summary: Springfield’s hitters got healthy, but it was at the expense of Memphis’ staff. Quad Cities 2 were victims of the traveling Raiders.

Combined records: Records on the day were 1-2. Spring totals are now 9-17-2.

My Pitcher of the Day: Quad Cities 2’s Hector Hernandez spun two perfect innings, striking out three.

My Hitter of the Day: Springfield’s Curt Smith (pictured) drove in six runs on three hits, including a grand slam. What? No triple?

Wednesday’s schedule: The Cardinals’ five clubs have a walking road trip over to the Marlins’ side of the Roger Dean Stadium complex.

Memphis (1-4-1) lost to Springfield (3-2-1), 15-4

(this game went 11 ½ innings to enable all scheduled pitchers to get their work in)

Memphis Pitching

Evan MacLane – 3 IP, 1 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 2 K’s – First outing in minor league camp since being sent down. Allowed four runs on 4 2/3 innings with St. Louis and a rough “B” game outing.
Gary Daley – 2 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 1 K – Continues to exhibit steady progress and was the only Memphis hurler on the day to put a zero on the scoreboard.
Trey Hearne – 2 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 1 K
Santo Maertz – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB
Matt Meyer – 1 IP, 2H, 1 ER, 1 K
Matt Scherer – 1 IP, 3H, 2 ER, 2 K’s
Rich Rundles – 1 IP, 2 H, 1 unearned run
Adam Reifer – 0.2 IP, 2 H, 4 ER, 2 BB – Rough outing for our 20^th-ranked Cardinals prospect. Also had an up and down Arizona Fall League stint in which his control was shaky and his ERA was 7.59.

Memphis Hitting

Steven Hill – 2-for-2, HR, 2 RBIs – Can’t do much better than that, but where could he play defensively for a Memphis roster that appears set at his positions?
Kevin Howard and Colt Sedbrook – doubled
Bryan Anderson – RBI single

Springfield Pitching

Shaun Garceau – 3 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 1 K – The comeback continues…
Mark Diapoules – 3 IP, 3 H, 1 ER
Kevin Thomas – 3 IP, no hits, 1 ER, 3 BB, 1 K – Has walked 50 in 153 1/3 professional innings in 2008 and 2009.
LaCurtis Mayes – 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB – 21-year-old reliever fanned 33 and walked 13 in 25 1/3 Batavia innings last summer.
Jason Buursma – 1 IP, 1 K

Springfield Hitting

Tommy Pham – 3-for-4 with triple, RBI, two runs, two walks – Extending his strong hitting this spring.
Curt Smith – three hits including 2-run double, grand slam = 6 RBI – Player of the Day!
Andrew Brown – 2-for-5 with double, two walks, two runs, RBI – Continues to produce and will be especially intriguing if third base experiment is successful.
Charlie Cutler – two doubles in 3 ABs, 4 RBI – All the catcher does is hit, but has Pags, Anderson, Hill and Cruz blocking him.
Matt Carpenter – double – 24-year-old 3B slowed considerably after mid-season arrival in Palm Beach. It was his third level in 2009.
Pete Kozma – single and two walks – Stole a base and scored a run in major league camp despite getting just one official at-bat.

Palm Beach (2-4) and Quad Cities 1 (2-4)

Both clubs worked out Tuesday, but did not play a game.

Quad Cities #2 (2-5) lost to Gildea’s Raiders, 8-3

(this game went 12 innings to enable all scheduled pitchers to get their work in)

Quad Cities #2 Pitching

Hector Hernandez – 2 perfect innings with 3 K’s – Pitcher of the Day
Travis Lawler – 2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 2 K’s
Trevor Rosenthal – 2 IP, 3 H, an unearned run, 2 K’s – Fanned 26 in 24 innings in pro debut in Gulf Coast League pen in 2009.
Cale Johnson – 2 IP, 3 H, 3 ER, 1 BB, 3 K’s

Pitching then combined for four perfect innings with 10 K’s to finish the game.

Jason Novak – 1 IP, 2 K’s
Miguel Tapia – 1 IP, 2 K’s
Casey Mulligan and Blake King – each struck out the side in their inning of work – I don’t know about you, but I think these two are definitely ringers!

Quad Cities #2 Hitting

Jason Stidham – 2-for-2 with double, two walks, run – Middle infielder posted a .700 OPS with Quad Cities in his professional debut in 2009. Was the Cards’ eighth-round pick.
Romulo Ruiz – two-run double
Cesar Valera – double, run
Jesus Montero – double – 18-year-old making first US appearance after two VSL and one DSL seasons. Challenge is .605 career OPS.
Edgar Lara – single, walk, run – Starting fifth year in the system and should contend for Quad Cities after two seasons with Johnson City.
Anthony Garcia – RBI single in only AB – Puerto Rican catcher was taken in the 18^th round last June. Batted .235 in 51 GCL at-bats.

Releases: Earlier in the day, the Cardinals released seven minor leaguers, pitchers Justin Fiske, Andres Rosales, Jonathan Gonzalez, Reynier Gonzalez and Marco Gonzalez, first baseman Matt Arburr and catcher Blake Murphy.

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