So how can the Springfield Cardinals win the Texas League pennant?
We’ll break it down for you here as the Cardinals set to open a best-of-five series against the Kansas City Royals’ Double-A affiliate, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals. The first two games are here at Hammons Field and set for a 6:30 p.m. first pitch tonight and 7:10 p.m. Thursday.
That bullpen
Springfield manager Dann Bilardello has to feel much better going into this series, particularly about his bullpen. In the grand scheme of things, a bullpen in the minor leagues may not seem like much. But it’s a life-savor in the regular season (backing up pitching prospects) and even more magnified in the postseason.
And on Tuesday the club welcomed back a slew of players recently “kidnapped” from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis. Among them were relievers Josh Lucas (16 saves) and Ronnie Shaban (61 career saves since 2012, including 20 in Double-A). Add them to Kevin Herget.
“It becomes a six-inning game. That’s in your mind,” Bilardello said last week. “Hopefully, you feel confident finishing out a game with our starters. … I’ve already told the kids, I’m going with who is pitching well.”
Even better, Lucas and Shaban have different styles. Lucas drops down in his arm angle but can buzz in a fastball to 92 mph to 94 mph, and it has sink and run, plus his slider is tight, Bilardello said. Shaban can be an attack dog, too.
Other notables
Springfield also welcomed back infielder Bruce Caldwell (11 home runs, 18 doubles, 54 RBI) as well as right-hander Matt Pearce, who struck out 11 in eight innings – and yielded only two runs – against Northwest Arkansas on Aug. 23. Pearce could be a huge X factor should he start the pivotal Game 3 on Friday night in Springdale, Ark.
Potential keys
For Springfield, the lineup badly needs prospect leadoff man Harrison Bader to get back on track. Bader, drafted just last summer, was an instant sensation this summer and earned a midseason promotion to Triple-A Memphis. But he hit only .231 in Triple-A and has batted just 9-for-35 since returning here in early August. Pitching-wise, prospect left-hander Austin Gomber recently returned from the DL. He struck out five and allowed two walks in four innings in Monday’s season-finale at Tulsa.
For Northwest Arkansas, prospect right-hander Miguel Almonte – a preseason No. 4 in Baseball America’s Top 30 Royals prospects rankings – has been up and down since returning from Triple-A Omaha in early August. Now a reliever, he has struck out 15 in 16 innings but also has allowed 24 hits and allowed 13 runs (all earned).
Who’s hot
Much of Springfield’s recent production has come from all over. In the past 10 games, slugger Paul DeJong, outfielder Blake Drake, catcher Jesse Jenner, outfielder Jonathan Rodriguez and second baseman Jacob Wilson have combined to hit 56-for-146 (.383).
For Northwest Arkansas, a handful of players have been on a tear in the past 10 games. Humberto Arteaga, Alfredo Escalera, Ryan O’Hearn, Mauricio Ramos and Frank Schwindel are a combined 70-for-199 (.351).
Cardinals playoff history
2007: The Colby Rasmus-led club swept Tulsa in the division series but lost in the championship series to the Chase Headley-led San Antonio Missions.
2009: The Cardinals were swept by Northwest Arkansas in division series.
2010: Lost to the Naturals in the fifth and final division series game. That was the year the Naturals featured future big-leaguers Eric Hosmer and left-hander Mike Montgomery (now with the playoff-bound Cubs). Hosmer hit a go-ahead home run in Game 4 of that series, sending the series back to Springdale, where Montgomery shut down a Cardinals lineup featuring Matt Carpenter.
2012: Many will remember the Cardinals’ 2012 playoff run that led to their first Texas League pennant. That club featured 14 future big-leaguers, including league MVP Oscar Taveras. That summer’s first-round draft pick, Michael Wacha, joined the club in mid-August and was installed in the bullpen (he had thrown a ton of innings at Texas A&M). Wacha had a memorable outing the final playoff game against Frisco, striking out the side on 13 pitches in the seventh after allowing a single to the first batter he faced.
