The Memphis Redbirds have completed their first three series of the season, having lost one (to Durham), split another (with Nashville), and won a third (over Louisville). A few observations as the summer heat approaches.
Cardiac Kids
Nothing builds clubhouse chemistry for the daily grind of a baseball season like a walk-off victory. And the Redbirds had three such wins over a four-day span last week. Wednesday afternoon, Jose Rondon was the hero, driving in the game-winning run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to complete a comeback from two runs down entering the frame. Then Thursday night, Irving Lopez got the happy ambush, only a few days after his promotion from Double-A Springfield. Saturday night, it was Evan Mendoza, the infielder who drove in the game-tying runs on Wednesday. When multiple players contribute to heart-pounding wins, sore muscles and achy joints tend to feel much better. Lots of baseball yet to be played, but the 2021 Redbirds have answered a dreadful first series against Durham (1-5) with a month’s worth of late-inning success packed into a single week.
That’s With Two A’s
Not since Jeremy Hazelbaker roamed the AutoZone Park outfield in 2015 have the Redbirds suited up a more delightfully named player than Lars Nootbaar. The 23-year-old outfielder was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8th round of the 2018 draft. He hit .264 in 101 games overall in 2019 (33 games at Double-A Springfield). Nootbaar hit a pair of home runs in Sunday’s loss to Louisville, each a line drive to right-center that simply ran out of ballpark. He has a comfortable swing from the left side of the plate and that can make for a long career. The California native drove in the tying run late in Saturday night’s comeback win and is second on the team with 14 RBIs.
Relief for Cardinals?
If you’re looking for a position group that may soon discover roles up I-55 at Busch Stadium, start with the Redbirds’ bullpen. The Cardinals have struggled to get outs from relievers not named Alex Reyes, Gio Gallegos, or Genesis Cabrera. Last Friday night, Memphis beat Louisville, 4-3, thanks in large part to three men out of the bullpen — Austin Warner, Jesus Cruz, and Junior Fernandez — tossing three-and-two-thirds hitless innings in relief of Johan Oviedo. Among the three, only Fernandez is currently on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster (and eligible for a promotion to St. Louis). If the St. Louis bullpen continues to implode, that may change.
All Eyes On Liberatore
The Cardinals’ top-ranked prospect is 21-year-old Matthew Liberatore, a 6’4” starting pitcher who physically resembles the Adam Wainwright who pitched at AutoZone Park way back in 2004. (Just as lanky then, Wainwright has built a stellar career on his right arm.) Liberatore came to St. Louis in a 2020 trade with Tampa Bay Ray that sent Randy Arozarena to the Rays. Arozarena, of course, went on to earn MVP honors in the 2020 American League Championship Series and set a big-league postseason record with 10 home runs. So you could say the spotlight on Liberatore is not only bright, but hot. For the trade to approach long-term balance, Liberatore needs to be pitching in the Cardinals rotation, and soon.
The Arizona native is off to an uneven start at the Triple-A level. He keeps the ball around the strike zone (only five walks in 21 innings pitched) and reaches the mid-90s on the radar gun. But Liberatore has given up more than a hit per inning and has an 0-3 record to show for it with a 5.48 ERA. It’s a good time to remember that minor leaguers are in catch-up mode with their development, having lost an entire season of competitive baseball to the pandemic. Liberatore finds himself pitching to hitters one level below the big leagues without ever throwing a pitch in Double A. Major-league tools appear to be there. Some patience is required, no matter how many long balls Randy Arozarena hits this season.
The Redbirds play a six-game series at Gwinnett this week and return home to host the Toledo Mud Hens June 1-6.
