Ryan Sherriff keeps striking success with Springfield Cardinals
The following are updates on local baseball players at the minor league level.
Ryan Sherriff (Glendale Community College, 2011) Palm Beach Cardinals pitcher: Whatever level he’s at, Sherriff seems to turn in one fine performance after another.
Despite a strong showing with the double-A Springfield Cardinals, Sherriff was assigned to the class-A advanced Cardinals of Palm Beach — where he spent all of 2012 — on June 22.
In his last three starts, Sherriff has allowed three runs (two earned) in 17 2/3 innings in Palm Beach, a minor league affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Coming off a two-hit start in which he struck out four and walked one over 5 2/3 innings on July 15, Sherriff gave up just one run Monday.
Despite Sherriff exiting with a 1-0 lead Monday, the Cardinals couldn’t hold on before falling to the Tampa Yankees, 2-1. The former Glendale college player had a walk, strikeout and gave up five hits in the no-decision. The left-hander did manage to pick up the win over the Brevard County Manatees, 1-0, on July 15.
On the year, Sherriff is 3-2 with a 3.11 earned-run average with Palm Beach. Through seven starts and 37 2/3 innings, he’s logged a 1.12 WHIP and struck out 23 batters to eight walks. In Springfield, the former Vaquero was 2-1 with a 3.33 earned-run average. Through five starts and 27 innings, he struck out 18 batters and walked nine for a 1.59 WHIP.
In the second half of Florida State League South Division play, Palm Beach was in first place with an 18-11 record coming into Thursday night’s game with the Daytona Cubs.
Christian Bergman (St. Francis High, 2006) Tulsa Drillers pitcher: In his first loss in more than a month, Bergman went through one of his worst outings Tuesday.
The former Golden Knight struck out five batters, but gave up six runs on nine hits through five innings in the 12-3 loss to the Springfield Cardinals. It snapped a streak of eight games in which Bergman hadn’t allowed more than three earned runs in a start for the Drillers, who are the Colorado Rockies double-A partner.
The speed bump came after another strong start from Bergman. He allowed three runs, all earned, and six hits in seven innings on July 18. The former Golden Knight left the game against the Arkansas Travelers with his team trailing, 3-2, but the Drillers rallied for the 4-3 win in the 11th inning.
Bergman’s record slipped to 5-7 Tuesday, but he’s maintained a 3.36 ERA through 20 starts and 123 1/3 innings. His strikeout-to-walk ratio is 84-17 and he’s maintained a .257 batting average and 1.12 WHIP.
After winning the first half of the Texas League North Division with an even 34-34 record, Tulsa is in last place in the second half of the year at 14-19.
Trevor Bell (Crescenta Valley High, 2005) Pensacola Blue Wahoos pitcher: A perfect run came to an end for Bell Saturday.
After not giving up a run all season, the Crescenta Valley High graduate was tagged for four runs, all earned, on four hits in a 10-5 loss to the Huntsville Stars Saturday.
Down, 6-4, in the top of the ninth inning, Bell struck out the first batter he faced before giving up four straight hits. It started with a full-count single and was followed by a triple, single and two-run homer.
Bell bounced back the next day when he notched his sixth save of the year Sunday in a 7-5 win over the Stars. The former Falcon struck out two and walked one in the inning of work.
This season, Bell has made 12 appearances over 15 innings and recorded a 1.00 WHIP (10 hits, five walks). He’s struck out 20 batters and now has a 2.40 ERA on the year.
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Cincinnati Reds’ double-A team, came into Thursday in third place in the Southern League South Division with a 15-16 record.
Alonzo Gonzalez (Glendale Community College, 2012) Vancouver Canadians pitcher: Since his move to the bullpen and demotion to the class-A short-season Canadians, Gonzalez has turned around his sophomore season in the minor leagues.
In three appearances and 7 1/3 innings in Vancouver, Gonzalez hasn’t given up a run and only allowed four base runners (three hits and a walk).
On July 19, the 6-foot-5 lefty threw three innings in which he tallied as many strikeouts (three) as batters he let aboard (two hits, walk). It contributed to the Canadians’ shutout of the Eugene Emeralds, 4-0.
Gonzalez followed that up with two innings of relief where he struck out two batters and gave up a hit in a 2-0 victory over the Spokane Indians Tuesday.
Vancouver, an affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays, finished second in the first half of the Northwest League North Division with a 22-16 record and came into Thursday night’s game with the Indians in first in the second half of the season at 2-0.