Cijntje dazzles with 9 K's in latest Double-A start
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Jurrangelo Cijntje delivered some switch-pitching fireworks on the Fourth of July.
The Cardinals’ No. 4 prospect twirled six scoreless innings Saturday, striking out nine, in a 7-5 win for Double-A Springfield over Arkansas at Route 66 Stadium. Cijntje scattered three hits and walked three while throwing 87 total pitches (59 strikes).
The 23-year-old faced traffic often Saturday but was able to work around it effectively. He allowed leadoff baserunners in the first and second innings but stranded them each at second base. Two opponents reached with two outs in the fifth, but a groundout back to Cijntje himself quieted that threat. He additionally worked clean 1-2-3 innings in the fourth and sixth.
Notably, Cijntje -- focusing on work as a righty this year -- faced two batters while flipping around to pitch left-handed. He induced a key groundout in the first inning and issued a walk in the fifth as a southpaw.
Acquired in the Brendan Donovan trade with the Mariners this offseason, Cijntje lowered his season ERA to 5.21 with Saturday’s gem. He’s been hit hard and struggled with walks at times, but the 2024 first-rounder continues to rack up strikeouts. His 92 K’s this season tops all Cardinals prospects and ranks second in the Texas League behind only Kade Anderson, who recently became MLB Pipeline’s top overall pitching prospect.