On Wednesday night across four cities and four levels of professional baseball, the Cardinals organization experienced four walk-off wins.
In ºüÀêÊÓƵ, third baseman Nolan Arenado clubbed a grand slam in the 10th inning to lift the Cardinals to a 10-6 win over the Brewers. Down in Memphis, it was outfielder Alfonso Rivas III who hit a sacrifice fly to lift Class AAA Memphis to an 8-7 win over Charlotte. For Class AA Springfield, infield prospect Noah Mendlinger delivered a game-winning single that led to a 3-2 S-Cards win in 10 innings over Tulsa. And in Peoria, Illinois, outfielder Darlin Moquete’s two-run home in the ninth inning that aided Class High-A Peoria to a 3-2 win over Fort Wayne.
The first of the clutch hits by a member of the Cardinals organization came by Moquete in Peoria. After infielder Tre Richardson reached base and stole second to put the game-tying run in scoring position against Fort Wayne, the 24-year-old Moquete jumped on the first pitch he saw from Manuel Castro.
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Moquete’s drive to left field sailed beyond the berm at Dozer Park and onto the concourse for the game-winning hit that sent his Chiefs teammates out of the dugout in celebration and earned Moquete an water cooler shower.
Not too long after in Springfield, Missouri, Nathan Church drew a leadoff walk to give Springfield runners on first and second base with no outs in the 10th inning after Bryan Torres began the inning as the automatic runner at first base. After catching prospect Jimmy Crooks reached base on a fielder’s choice to load the bases, R.J. Yeager’s hit by pitch pushed across a run to set up Mendlinger’s heroics two at-bats later.
Following a forceout from Jacob Buchberger, Mendlinger singled to right field to score Matt Lloyd, who pinch-ran for Crooks, from third base for Springfield’s second walk-off win in as many days at Hammons Field.
Nearly a half hour later at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tennessee, Ivan Herrera successfully stole third base in the 10th inning of a 7-7 ballgame after he began the frame as the automatic runner. Herrera’s successful steal allowed him to score ease after Rivas lifted a fly ball to center field.
To cap the night of walk-off heroics in the Cardinals organization, Arenado stepped up the plate against Milwaukee’s Trevor Megill with the bases loaded and no outs after Willson Contreras was intentionally walked and Jose Fermin drew a walk.
Arenado fell behind, 0-2, in the count to Megill before pulling Megill’s curveball into the left field corner at Busch Stadium for a grand slam to give the Cardinals a win over their NL Central foes and bookend a walk-off-filled Wednesday.