After allowing six runs in his last start, Cardinals prospect Tekoah Roby earned his second win of the season after completing 5 1/3 innings and allowing three runs — two of which were unearned — as Double-A Springfield’s starter in the first game of a Wednesday doubleheader vs. Northwest Arkansas. The righty walked three batters and struck out four, giving him 30 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings over six starts. All three runs he allowed came on homers.
With a runner on base and one out in the third inning, Roby induced a popup into foul territory on the first pitch he threw to Northwest Arkansas’s Tyler Tolbert but had the at-bat extended after an error on the play by first baseman Chandler Redmond. Roby’s next pitch to Tolbert after the error was sent to left-center field for a two-run homer. The second home run Roby allowed in Springfield’s 6-3 win came on Roby’s last pitch — a curveball that Royals prospect Cayden Wallace sent to center field for a solo homer in the sixth.
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Roby has surrendered nine home runs through 28 2/3 innings for a 2.83 HR/9. He allowed six home runs in 58 1/3 innings (0.93 HR/9) a year ago and 19 in 104 2/3 innings (1.63 HR/9) while in High-A within the Rangers system in 2022.
Here are other notable performances from around the Cardinals farm system:
Outfielder Chase Davis, Class Low-A Palm Beach: The 2023 first-round draftee went hitless and struck out once in four at-bats during Palm Beach’s 4-3 win over Jupiter. The 22-year-old reached base on a forceout, flew out on a ball with a 101.5 mph exit velocity, and grounded into a double play on a ball that jumped off his bat at 106.7 mph, per Statcast. Davis’s hitless night dropped his average to .186 through 89 at-bats. In 24 games in Low-A, Davis has a .314 on-base percentage and is slugging .337. Since April 12, Davis has nine hits in 61 at-bats (.148) and has struck 20 times.
Left-handed pitcher Zack Thompson, Class AAA Memphis: Over three innings, Thompson allowed one run on no hits while walking seven batters and striking out four as Memphis’s starter in a 3-2 win over Norfolk. Thompson, whose start marked his second for Memphis since being optioned to the minors on April 24, walked three batters in the second inning but kept Norfolk scoreless as he collected two strikeouts and induced a flyout in the frame. Thompson issued three walks in the third inning and had the only run score against him on a wild pitch with two outs. The lefty, who had velocity issues while in the majors, reached a maximum fastball velocity of 94.4 mph and averaged 90.2 mph on his four-seamer. As he continues to be utilized as a starter, Thompson has allowed one run, walked 10, and struck out 11 in 10 2/3 innings for Memphis.
Catcher Jimmy Crooks, Class AA Springfield: As he gets back into the swing of the season following a brief stay on the injured list, Crooks delivered a three-for-three performance that included two doubles, a walk, and an RBI. Crooks’ three-hit game was his fifth multi-hit performance in 13 games and boosted his slash line to .364/.482/.523 in 56 plate appearances. The 22-year-old former fourth-round pick from the 2022 draft has five hits in his first 12 at-bats since he was activated from the IL on April 29.
Right-handed pitcher Edwin Nunez, Class AA Springfield: Nunez struck out a season-high five batters and delivered a second consecutive scoreless outing of at least four innings during his start in the second game of Springfield’s doubleheader vs. Northwest Arkansas. The 22-year-old kept the Travelers to one hit and one walk in the 1-0 S-Cards loss. Working from a starting role for the first time in his minor league career, the hard-throwing righty has thrown 18 2/3 innings in six games (five starts) and owns a 4.82 ERA. He did not complete more than three innings in any of his four outings in April and allowed 10 runs and 13 hits during that stretch. He has since logged eight scoreless innings and gave up one hit in his last two starts.