Brian34Cook

– Boggs was the winning pitcher, going five innings and allowing two hits and no runs. He struck out seven and walked two. … Lefty reliever Ron Flores, who still could have a role with the big-league team because of the lack of depth on his side of the bullpen, pitched two scoreless innings and struck out four. … Two parts of the stockpile of closers Memphis could have this season worked the game as well: Mark Worrell allowed a run in his inning, and Jason Motte followed with a scoreless inning. He struck out two.

– Jose Martinez had a strong offensive day and looks be positioning himself to be the Redbirds starting shortstop. A underrated prospect who is apt to get a look at second base when the Cardinals are next auditioning for the job, Martinez doubled and hit a three-run homer Saturday.

– Gabe Johnson went 2-for-3 with a double and run scored. … Reid Gorecki doubled, and Brian Barden and David Freese had the other hits for Memphis.

– Barden, the utility infielder, was outrighted off the 40-man roster this week. He cleared waivers and was assigned to Memphis on Friday.

Zimmermann part of Springfield victory
By Kary Booher
kbooher@news-leader.com

JUPITER, Fla. -- Left-hander Brad Furnish, a 2006 second-round draft pick from Texas Christian, scattered four hits over five innings and third baseman Allen Craig had two doubles and an RBI single as the Springfield Cardinals beat the Carolina Mudcats 5-1 today on the backlots of Roger Dean Stadium.

Furnish allowed one run on a wild pitch but got by despite recording 10 fly-ball outs. Four relievers, including former Missouri State closer Bob Zimmermann, covered the final 12 outs.

The right-hander recorded two strikeouts, allowed a single and then ended the eighth inning on a flyout in setting up closer Luke Gregerson.

Other than Craig, Springfield's star was center fielder and leadoff man Shane Robinson, who had two hits, three RBIs, a stolen base and a run scored. Robinson is a 2006 fifth-round draft pick out of Florida State but played only 47 games last season as he nursed a foot injury. He could be a fourth outfielder for Springfield this season.

News-Leader.com | Springfield Blogs - Kary Booher | Springfield News-Leader


– TCU alum and lefty Brad Furnish was the winner, working five innings, allowing four hits and one earned runs. … Reliever Matt Scherer, who is on the bus to Port St. Lucie to provide backup for this afternoon’s big-league game, pitched one perfect inning. … Nick Webber, Bob Zimmerman (2 K’s) and Luke Gregerson (2 K’s) each threw a scoreless inning. Gregerson is the other minor leaguer going up to see the Mets today.

– Third baseman Allen Craig work up before his alarm clock to spend the morning facing Mark Mulder in his first appearance against hitters. Nice warmup. By the time he was playing in a game a few hours later, his bat was perky, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. Heck of a race between Double-A Craig and Triple-A Freese when it comes to playing time at third base in the near future with the Cardinals.

– Shane Robinson had two hits, a double and three RBIs … Casey Rowlett had two hits, a run and an RBI.


– The Cardinals’ High-A affiliate trailed 3-1 in the seventh inning before tagging the Marlins’ affiliate, which shares the same regular-season stadium with the Cardinals’ team, for four runs in the bottom of the inning.

– The offense came from Daniel Descalso (another of the hitters who faced Mulder), who had two hits and an RBI. … Jon Edwards, the strapping outfielder with the plus arm, went 2-for-4 with an RBI. … Oliver Marmol – yes, the third of the hitters to start his day against Mulder — singled in his only at-bat. … Isa Garcia was 1-for-4 with three RBIs.

– Righthander Gary Daley pitched three innings, allowing one hit and one run. … Eddie Degerman, who has the unusual pie-throwing delivery, worked 1/3 inning, allowing one hit and two runs. He also walked two batters. … Armando Carrasco pitched 2 2/3 scoreless. … Elvis Hernandez was the winner in relief with a perfect inning. … Josh Dew pitched a perfect ninth, which included a strikeout.





– Deryk Hooker, again a name to keep track of this season as a fireballer who could rise into full-season ball this summer, got the win. The righthander pitched three scoreless innings, allowed two hits and struck out two against two walks. The San Diego native, whose father helped build PETCO Park, was a standout pitcher in the Gulf Coast League last season, a few months after being a seventh-round pick. Hooker struck out 47 and walked 11 in 31 innings pitched.

– Mark Diapoules also had three scoreless innings, allowing two hits, striking out four and walking one. … Jose Mateo (2 IP) and David Riddle (1 IP) finished the game.

– Matt Arburr, a familiar name to the Vuch Report this spring, was 3-for-4 with a double, two runs scored and an RBI. … Ryde Rodriguez, a familiar name to all the farmniks out there, hit a three-run HR.

STLtoday.com - Bird Land - Blog Archive - Vuch Report: Saturday doings