ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Down by one in the eighth, SS Imeldo Diaz cranked a go-ahead, two-run home run, as the Johnson City Cardinals rallied to stun the Elizabethton Twins, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Joe O'Brien Field.With the win, the Redbirds have now captured 9-of-their-last-11 series and improve their overall
ELIZABETHTON, Tenn. - Down by one in the eighth, SS Imeldo Diaz cranked a go-ahead, two-run home run, as the Johnson City Cardinals rallied to stun the Elizabethton Twins, 4-3, on Tuesday night at Joe O'Brien Field.
With the win, the Redbirds have now captured 9-of-their-last-11 series and improve their overall mark to 32-26. Elizabethton's loss drops them to 35-24 on the season.
Johnson City's victory - added with Greeneville's loss to Bristol - puts them two games up on the Astros with nine games left to play in the regular season.
Trailing 3-2 with one out in the eighth, 1B Luis Bandes (0-4, R, SO) hit a ground ball to third. The roller was booted and the 21-year-old was on representing the tying run. On a 2-0 pitch to Diaz (2-4, R, HR, 2 RBI), the right-handed swinger cracked a deep drive to right-center field. The clout sailed over the fence for a two-run shot - his fourth of the year - to put the Cardinals back in front, 4-3.
RHP Thomas St. Clair (1.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO) - who had worked a scoreless seventh - remained on in the bottom-half of the inning walked one, while striking out a pair. With two outs and a left-handed batter coming up, LHP Brett Seeburger (1.1 IP, H, 3 SO) entered and gave up a pinch-hit single, but got the next man to ground into an inning-ending fielder's choice.
In the ninth, the Oceanside, Calif. native struck out the side in order the seal the come-from-behind win and his second professional save.
The Cardinals initially jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. With one retired, RF Carlos Talavera (1-4, R, SO) reached on a bunt single and scooted over to third on a base-hit to center by 2B Irving Lopez (2-4, R, BB). With CF Chase Pinder (0-5, 3 SO) at the plate, a wild pitch allowed Talavera to score and put Johnson City in front, 1-0. Following a strikeout and a walk to 3B Brady Whalen (0-3, BB, SO), C Julio Rodriguez (1-4, RBI, 2 SO) bounced a single into left. Lopez came home to extend the Cardinals advantage to two, 2-0.
Elizabethton got a run back in the bottom of the frame. CF Akil Baddoo (1-3, R, 2 BB, SO) started the inning with a single, moved to second on another base-hit and advanced to third on a wild pitch. 1B Kolton Kendrick (1-3, R, RBI, 2 SO) drove the runner home - making it a 2-1 contest - on a sacrifice fly to center.
The E-Twins grabbed their only lead of the night in the sixth. Kendrick ripped the first pitch of the inning for a single and moved up to second on a wild pitch. 3B Andrew Bechtold (1-3, R, 2B, RBI, BB, SO) then tied it up by mashing a RBI ground-rule double down the first-base line. After a fly out moved the man to third, LF Mark Contreras (2-3, RBI) singled past the drawn-in infield to score Bechtold and give Elizabethton a 3-2 edge.
Neither starter received a decision on Tuesday night. RHP Evan Guillory (5.0 IP, 5 H, R, ER, BB, 3 SO) was effective, limiting the Twins to one run over five innings. For Elizabethton, RHP Christian Broussard (1.0 IP, BB, SO) - who was activated from the disabled list earlier in the day - threw just one scoreless inning. RHP Edwar Colina (5.2 IP, 6 H, 2 R, 2 ER, BB, 4 SO) - the originally scheduled starter - entered in the second and tossed 5.2 innings of relief.
St. Clair (1.2 IP, 2 BB, 3 SO) did not allow a hit and punched out three in relief for the Redbirds, earning his second pro win. LHP Jovani Moran (2.1 IP, H, 2 R, ER, 5 SO) - who had not allowed a run all season - yielded the go-ahead blast and suffered his first defeat of the campaign.
Johnson City returns home on Wednesday as they open up a crucial three-game set against the Greeneville Astros, the rookie affiliate of the Houston Astros. RHP Alvaro Seijas (4-1, 4.80 ERA) - St. Louis' No. 20 prospect according to MLBPipeline.com - is slated to take the hill for the Redbirds in the opener. Greeneville is projected to counter with 17-year-old RHP Jairo Solis (0-1, 4.50 ERA).
The Cardinals Pre-Game Show will kick off the broadcast at 6:45 p.m. ET, leading up to the 7:00 p.m. ET start at TVA Credit Union Ballpark. Wednesday evening's contest can be heard on JCCardinals.com or via the TuneIn Radio and MiLB First Pitch apps.
It will be Hot Dog Heaven Night as all hot dogs that evening will be sold for just 50 cents.
Single-game tickets are still available and can be purchased online at JCCardinals.com or by calling the Cardinals' Ticket Office at (423) 461-4866.
ABOUT THE JOHNSON CITY CARDINALS
The Johnson City Cardinals are the Rookie affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals. Members of the ten-team Appalachian League, Cardinals baseball has been entertaining families and fans of America's national pastime in the East Tennessee region for 80 years. To learn more about the Johnson City Cardinals, visit www.jccardinals.com.
