Oviedo's 11 Ks, O'Keefe's homer lead Cardinals to 3-1 win over Hooks

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Springfield Cardinals (19-16, 49-56) got a career-best performance from starting RHP Johan Oviedo and a late go-ahead home run from C Brian O'Keefe to beat the Corpus Christi Hooks (17-18, 50-54) 3-1 on Saturday night in front of 5,844 fans at Hammons Field.

DECISIONS:
W: RHP Johan Oviedo (5-4)
L: RHP Nick Hernandez (0-1)
S: RHP Bryan Dobzanski (2)

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED:
- O'Keefe lifted a solo home run (9) into Homers Landing in the seventh that snapped a 1-1 tie and put the Cardinals up 2-1. It was the second home run in as many days for the catcher.

- Springfield tied the Hooks 1-1 in the bottom of the fifth thanks to a two-out wild pitch by RHP Yohan Ramirez with RF Justin Toerner on third.

- The only Hooks run came off the bat of DH Lorenzo Quintana, who lifted a solo homer to left off Oviedo in the second.

- O'Keefe delivered an insurance run with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth, cementing the 3-1 final.

NOTABLES:
- Oviedo tossed a career-high 11 strikeouts in the win. That number is also the most by a Cardinals pitcher this season, and the most since RHP Alex Reyes struck out 13 in a rehab start against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on May 19, 2018 at Hammons Field. All together, Oviedo allowed just one run on six hits over 7.0 innings. He issued no walks.

- For the second straight game, St. Louis Cardinals 3B Matt Carpenter was 0-for-3 with a walk in a rehab appearance with Springfield. Carpenter is expected to be in Springfield through Tuesday.

- Dobzanski retired the Hooks in order in the ninth to secure his second save of the season. In the eighth, RHP Merandy Gonzalez struck out two in a clean inning in what was his first appearance with Springfield since coming off the I.L. on July 25.

- Ramirez was perfect through 4.1 innings before Toerner drew a walk on a full count in the fifth. One batter later, DH Elehuris Montero singled for Springfield's first hit.

WHAT'S ON DECK:
-The Cardinals continue their four-game series with the Corpus Christi Hooks on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 6:10 p.m. and gates opening at 5:10 p.m.

Sunday is the Loren Cook Company Mike Shildt Bobblehead Giveaway for 2,000 fans.

It's also a Hiland Dairy Ice Cream Sunday and Kids Run the Bases, where kids can receive free ice cream before first pitch on the right-field patio and have the chance to run the bases after the game.