Redbirds' Weaver strikes out career-high 11

It took just five innings for Luke Weaver to set a new career high Monday. 
The third-ranked St. Louis prospect struck out 11 while allowing two hits over five scoreless innings to lead Triple-A Memphis over New Orleans, 4-1, at Shrine on Airline. The 11 punchouts marked the most recorded by a Redbirds pitcher this year. 

Gameday box score
After an hour-and-47-minute delay, Weaver (6-1) worked quickly through a clean first inning and then struck out the side in the second. 
The 2014 first-round pick faced his first hurdle in the third. Mike Aviles led off with a single and Weaver walked Carlos Paulino. He uncorked a wild pitch against New Orleans starting pitcher Scott Copeland (3-7), allowing both runners to advance. 

But Weaver settled down and got Copeland to pop up a bunt to keep the runners in place. He then fanned David Vidal and Nick Noonan to end the inning and begin a stretch in which the Florida native struck out six in a row ahead of Aviles' one-out single in the fifth.

The base knock didn't come back to haunt Weaver, who capped his outing by striking out New Orleans reliever Odrisamer Despaigne to set his new mark. 
Weaver, who missed nearly all of April with a hand injury suffered in an Opening Day start against the Baby Cakes, has produced a 1.84 ERA and 0.93 WHIP in 44 innings. The Florida State product has struck out 30 percent of the 166 batters he's faced in eight starts while issuing only eight walks. 
Cardinals No. 6 prospect Harrison Bader drove in a pair of runs.