Poncedeleon is missing bats and generating groundballs at an exceptionally rate. Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation
The Cardinals’ ninth-round selection from 2014, right-hander Daniel Poncedeleon, is just making hitters in the Midwest League look foolish. He turned in yet another stellar performance today, handily tossing aside the Clinton LumberKings in the second game of their series.
Poncedeleon lasted 6 scoreless innings for the Chiefs in Clinton. He scattered 6 singles over his 6 innings of work and walked 1 batter. He struck out 8 batters on the day and got 8 groundouts.
With 5 starts under his belt, Poncedeleon now has 29.1 innings in the Midwest League. He’s struck out 30 batters (25.4% K rate) and walked 6 (5.1% BB rate). He’s generating a ton of groundouts when he isn’t getting batters to swing and miss. He’s given up just 1 home run and has a WHIP of 1.02. With just 3 runs on his record, his ERA is sitting at 1.23. There doesn’t seem to be much of anything left for Poncedeleon to prove in Peoria. Now, he just needs a spot in Palm Beach.
Colorado Springs Sky Sox 5
Memphis Redbirds 6
Game Highlights
The Redbirds won in a hugely dramatic walkoff fashion. Memphis took the early lead in this contest. But first, Memphis took an early lead. Rafael Ortega led off the game with a walk, and Ed Easley followed suit. Stephen Piscotty‘s 6-4-3 double play put Ortega on third, and Dan Johnson‘s double to right scored him. In the 2nd, Ty Kelly drew a walk and stole second base. Starting pitcher John Gast got a walk as well. Ortega lined a single to right to score Kelly. Easley loaded the bases on a walk before Piscotty scored Gast with a sac fly. The 9th inning rolled around with the Redbirds down by 2. Ortega singled to left field to lead off. Easley got an infield single. Johnson sent everyone home launching a home run to right.
Gast threw his best outing of the year so far. He turned in 6 innings of work giving up 2 runs on 7 hits and 2 walks while picking up 4 strikeouts. Dean Kiekhefer cost the Redbirds the lead in the 7th. He gave up a run on 2 hits in his inning of work. After Keith Butler turned in a scoreless 8th, Sam Tuivailala gave up 2 runs on 2 hits and walk with a strikeout but walked away a winner on Johnson’s heroics.
Player Highlights
CF Ortega 3-for-4, 2 R, RBI, BB, SB
C Easley 1-for-3, 2 BB
RF Piscotty 0-for-3, RBI, BB
1B Johnson 3-for-5, 2B, 4 RBI, 3-run HR
LF Scruggs 1-for-3, BB
3B Kelly 0-for-2, R, 2 BB, SB
Gast 6 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 2 BB, 4 K
Kiekhefer (BS, 1) 1 IP, 2 H, 1 R
Butler 1 IP, 1 BB, 1 K
Tuivailala (W, 1-0) 1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 K
Northwest Arkansas Naturals 8
Springfield Cardinals 4
Game Highlights
Nick Petree has yet to find his groove in Springfield, and he suffered his third loss of the year. Petree gave up 4 runs on 8 hits and a walk. Only 3 of the runs were earned. He also struck out 4 over 6 innings. Chris Thomas allowed 4 runs on 6 hits in 2 innings of work while striking out 1.
The Cardinals were held silent until the 7th inning, but then the power showed up. David Washington led off the 7th with a single to center, and Anthony Garica hit his first home run of the year. In the 8th, Mike Ohlman reached based on an error at third by Hunter Dozier. Then, it was Washington’s turn as he hit his third homer of the year.
Player Highlights
2B Breyvic Valera 2-for-5, 2B
C Ohlman 2-for-4, R
DH Washington 2-for-4, 2 R, 2-run HR
LF Garcia 1-for-4, 2-run HR
Petree (L, 0-3) 6 IP, 8 H, 4 R (3 ER), 1 BB, 4 K
Thomas 2 IP, 6 H, 4 R, 1 K
Justin Wright 1 IP, 1 BB
Palm Beach Cardinals 3
St. Lucie Mets 0
Game Highlights
Three one-run innings was all Palm Beach needed to walk away with their 15th win of the year. In the 5th, Jose Gonzalez led off with a double to left. Rowan Wick singled, sending Gonzalez to third. Juan Herrera then lifted a sacrifice fly to right. In the 6th, Mason Katz led off this time with his own double. After advancing to third on a balk, Katz scored on Bruce Caldwell‘s single to right. Herrera and Jimmy Bosco kicked off the 7th inning with back-to-back singles. Katz hit his second double of the game to score Herrera.
Trey Nielsen turned in a strong start for the Cardinals. Nielsen lasted 5 innings shutting down the Mets on just 3 hits while striking out 4 of them. Steven Sabatino and Josh Lucas each picked up holds. Sabatino got his first two batters out before giving up a single to Michael Conforto. Lucas took over and threw 2.1 innings allowing 2 hits and notching 4 strikeouts. Kyle Barraclough got his third save of the year giving up a run and striking out 1 batter in the 9th.
Player Highlights
2B Katz 3-for-4, 2 2B, R, RBI
3B Caldwell 2-for-5, RBI
C Gonzalez 2-for-5, 2B, R
RF Wick 1-for-4
SS Herrera 1-for-3, R, RBI
Nielsen (W, 3-2) 5 IP, 3 H, 4 K
Sabatino (H, 2) 0.2 IP, 1 H
Lucas (H, 1) 2.1 IP, 2 H, 4 K
Barraclough (S, 3) 1 IP, 1 H, 1 K
Peoria Chiefs 2
Clinton LumberKings 0
Game Highlights
Peoria got the winning run right off the bat with a little small ball. Darren Seferina led off with a single to right field. He then stole second base for his 7th steal of the year. Seferina reached third on a groundout from Oscar Mercado. He would score on an infield single from Collin Radack. The Chiefs tacked on an insurance run in the 7th. Radack got hit with a pitch to start the inning. Nick Thompson ripped a base hit to left with Radack heading to third. Alex De Leon scored Radack with a single to right.
The Chiefs’ bullpen combination of Jhonny Polanco, Tyler Bray, and Robby Rowland was perfect on the day setting down 9 straight. Bray and Rowland each struck out 2 batters. Polanco and Bray earned their third holds of the year with Rowland getting his 4th save.
Player Highlights
2B Seferina 2-for-4, 2B, R, SB
RF Radack 1-for-2, R, RBI, BB
LF Thompson 1-for-4
DH De Leon 2-for-3, 2B, RBI
Poncedeleon (W, 3-0) 6 IP, 6 H, 1 BB, 8 K
Polanco (H, 3) 1 IP
Bray (H, 3) 1 IP, 2 K
Rowland (S, 4) 1 IP, 2 K
Thursday’s Probable Starters
Memphis Redbirds vs. Colorado Springs Sky Sox (7:05 pm CDT) – RHP Zach Petrick (0-3, 6.85 ERA, 1.52 WHIP, 23.2 IP, 3 BB, 15 K)vs. RHP Tyler Thornburg (0-0, 2.70 ERA, 1.65 WHIP, 6.2 IP, 1 BB, 6 K)
Springfield Cardinals vs. Northwest Arkansas Naturals (7:10 pm CDT) – RHP Mike Mayers (1-3, 4.91 ERA, 1.56 WHIP, 25.2 IP, 12 BB, 16 K) vs. RHP Matt Murray (2-0, 4.61 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 9 BB, 10 K)
Palm Beach Cardinals vs. Bradenton Marauders (5:35 pm CDT) – LHP Corey Littrell (0-4, 6.35 ERA, 1.72 WHIP, 22.2 IP, 7 BB, 6 K) vs. TBD
Peoria Chiefs @ Burlington Bees (6:30 pm CDT) – TBD vs. RHP Michael Bolaski (1-2, 3.96 ERA, 1.20 WHIP, 25 IP, 7 BB, 13 K)
The post St. Louis Cardinals Minor Leagues: Poncedeleon dominates again appeared first on CardinalsFarm.
