photo: Josh Kross (Palm Beach Cardinals)
The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-2 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach catcher Josh Kross, was 2-for-4, including a home run and two RBI. Other standouts include Jack Ralston, Nathan Church, Nelfy Ynfante and Hancel Rincon.
Results for games played on Thursday, May 8.
Memphis Redbirds at Charlotte Knights (postponed)
The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds were rained out on Thursday in Charlotte. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Saturday.
Memphis is 19-14 on the season.
Friday’s game: at Charlotte, RHP Michael McGreevy (3-1, 4.08) vs. RHP Justin Dunn (1-2, 5.60) 6:04 PM CT.
Springfield Cardinals 8 at Arkansas Travelers 2 (Game one, 7 innings)
The Double-A Springfield Cardinals thumped the Arkansas Travelers in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader.
Pete Hansen started for Springfield. The left-hander pitched ⅔ of an inning and allowed one run on three hits, one walk, and one strikeout. Hansen did not appear to be injured but had already thrown 33 pitches and departed with the bases loaded.
Ricardo Velez escaped Hansen’s first inning jam and yielded one run and fanned two across 3 ⅓ innings in relief. The right-hander collected his third win of the season, and the first with Springfield. Jack Ralston struck out three batters across three scoreless frames to earn his first save of 2025.
The Cardinals struck first with a four-run top of the first.
Nathan Church, JJ Wetherholt, and Leonardo Bernal drew three consecutive walks to begin the game. Church scored on a Chase Davis forceout play, with Bernal out at second. R.J. Yeager singled home Wetherholt. Davis scored on a Dakota Harris forceout play, with Yeager out at second. Noah Mendlinger extended the inning with a single to put two runners on with two outs. Mendlinger and Harris executed a double-steal, taking second base and third base, respectively. Harris touched home for the fourth run of the inning via a wild pitch.
Arkansas scored one in the home first.
Springfield took the run back in the second inning. Wetherholt drew a two-out walk, and moved to second base on a Bernal single. Wetherholt swiped third, and scored as Bernal was caught stealing second base to extend the lead to 5-1.
Springfield plated two more runs in the fourth frame. Mendlinger was hit by a pitch, and scored on a Ramon Mendoza double. Church moved Mendoza to third on a single. Wetherholt plated Davis on a sacrifice fly to stretch the lead to 7-1.
Cards pouring it on in game one. Seven runs on six hits in the first four innings. pic.twitter.com/evqMD1VhPP
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 8, 2025
The Travelers added their second run in the bottom of the fourth.
The Cardinals added an insurance run in the fifth.Yeager led off the frame with a single, and moved to second on a Harris groundout. Mendlinger roped his second single of the game to put Yeager at third. Yeager crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly by Mendoza.
Springfield never trailed in the victory. The Cardinals scored eight runs on eight hits. Bernal was 2-for-3, with a double. Mendoza doubled, scored a run, and drove in two. Yeager was 2-for-4, with one RBI. Mendlinger tallied two hits and scored a run.
On the bases, Harris and Wetherholt each swiped their third base of the year, taking third base. Mendlinger also tallied his third steal. Bernal was caught stealing.
Defensively, Bernal recorded an error via catcher’s interference.
Springfield Cardinals 5 at Arkansas Travelers 1 (Game two, 7 innings)
The Springfield Cardinals secured the doubleheader sweep over the Travelers in Arkansas on Thursday.
Right-hander Osvaldo Berrios made his third start for the Cardinals. The 25-year-old tossed four scoreless innings on just one hit, two walks, and three strikeouts.
Edwin Nuñez struck out the side over a scoreless inning in relief of Berrios and recorded his second win of 2025. Left-hander Nick Raquet fanned a pair across the final two innings to seal the win.
The Cardinals’ hot bats carried over into game two for a five-run top of the first. Nathan Church knocked a lead-off single and moved up to second on a long flyout from JJ Wetherholt. Chase Davis reached on a throwing error, with Church to third base. R.J. Yeager walked to load the bases. Jeremy Rivas lined a single to score Church and Davis.
Miguel Ugueto singled home Yeager, with Rivas to third via a throwing error. Ugueto swiped second base to put two Cardinals in scoring position. Ramon Mendoza brought in Ugueto and Rivas on his second double of the doubleheader for a five-run first inning.
Jeremy Rivas, Miguel Ugueto and Ramon Mendoza come through in a five-run first for the Birds. pic.twitter.com/MmdwL9ffIC
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 9, 2025
Springfield’s pitching held strong to secure a dominant doubleheader sweep. The Cardinals never trailed in either game on Thursday.
The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Five out of the eight came in the first inning. Church was 2-for-4, including a double and a run scored. Mendoza was 1-for-3, including a two-RBI double. Rivas singled, scored a run, and drove in two. Yeager doubled, scored a run, and walked.
On the basepaths, Ugueto stole his third base of the year. Defensively, shortstop Rivas committed a fielding error.
Springfield is 14-16 on the season.
Friday’s game: at Arkansas, RHP Max Racjic (1-3, 6.86) vs. RHP Michael Morales (0-0, 0.00) 7:05 PM CT.
Peoria Chiefs 2, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 3
The High-A Peoria Chiefs lost a tight contest to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dozer Park on Thursday.
Hancel Rincon started for Peoria. The right-hander threw 5 ⅓ innings and allowed one two runs on six hits, one walk, and six strikeouts.
Hunter Hayes surrendered one run and struck out four across 2 ⅔ innings of relief following Rincon. Benjamin Arias tossed a scoreless ninth frame. Hayes took the loss.
The Chiefs were down 1-0 early but took the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Brayden Jobert and Bryce Madron walked with one out. Joshua Baez loaded the bases with a single. Jobert and Madron scored on a Ryan Campos groundout due to a throwing error as the Chiefs took a 2-1 lead.
Chiefs grab the lead… with a little help from Wisconsin!!
PEO 2 | WIS 1 pic.twitter.com/w4kGsTYk9B
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 9, 2025
Wisconsin tied the game in the fourth and took the lead in the seventh. Peoria failed to answer in the one-run loss.
The Chiefs scored two runs on four hits, singles by Tre Richardson, Miguel Villarroel, Jobert, and Baez. Madron and Jobert walked twice.
Villarroel stole his ninth base of the season. Levenson was caught stealing home. Peoria did not commit an error.
The Chiefs are 8-20 on the season.
Friday’s game: vs. Wisconsin, RHP Darlin Saladin (0-1, 6.23) vs. RHP Tyson Hardin (2-0, 0.70) 7:05 PM CT.
Palm Beach Cardinals 4, Jupiter Hammerheads 2
The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals edged the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday.
Brandt Thompson started his sixth game for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched 4 ⅔ innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. Thompson lowered his ERA to an impressive 1.67.
Left-hander Jack Findlay tossed 1 ⅓ innings of shutout ball in relief of Thompson. Nelfy Ynfante threw three scoreless frames and fanned four to secure his first win of 2025.
Jupiter struck first with a run in the top of the third inning.
Palm Beach tied the game in the bottom of the frame. Anyelo Encarnacion and Travis Honeyman drew back-to-back walks to begin the inning, and each advanced a base on a balk. Encarnacion crossed home plate on a Christian Martin sacrifice fly to tie the game.
The Hammerheads scored a run in the fifth for a 2-1 lead.
The Cardinals rallied in the bottom of the seventh to take their first lead of the game. Martin extended the frame with a two-out single. Josh Kross launched his seventh home run of the season to give Palm Beach a 4-2 lead.
Lucky number 7!☘️
Josh Kross hits his 7th homer of the season, putting the Beachbirds in the lead against Jupiter! pic.twitter.com/9FcTsDHuQ5
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 9, 2025
The Cardinals’ bullpen was spotless in the run column for the late-inning victory.
Palm Beach scored four runs on eight hits. Kross was 2-for-4, including a two-run home run, and two runs scored. Martin was 1-for-3, including a run scored and one RBI. Deniel Ortiz tallied a hit and one RBI. Cade McGee singled twice. Luis Pino recorded a double.
McGee stole his seventh base of the season. Pino was caught stealing.
On defense, first baseman Ortiz committed a fielding error. Pitcher Findlay picked off a runner at first base.
Palm Beach is 17-13 on the season.
Friday’s game: vs. Jupiter, RHP Leonel Sequera (0-3, 2.39) vs. TBD. 5:30 PM CT.
FCL Cardinals 2 at FCL Marlins 4
The Florida Complex League Cardinals lost a close contest to the FCL Marlins at the Roger Dean Stadium Complex on Thursday.
Starter Jefferson Moran made his U.S. debut for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched three innings of one-run ball on two hits, four walks, and four strikeouts.
Jovi Galvez tossed a scoreless inning in relief of Moran. Bernard Mack followed and yielded two runs in his U.S. debut. Bruno Lopez struck out four across 1 ⅔ innings and surrendered one run. Charles Harrison recorded the final out of the eighth inning.
The Marlins took an early 1-0 lead, but the Cardinals tied it in the top of the fourth inning on Rainiel Rodriguez’s second home run of the season.
The Marlins answered with two runs in the fifth inning.
The Cardinals brought the game within one run in the sixth.
Rodriguez led off the frame with a walk, and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Facundo Velasquez followed with a walk. Bracewell Taveras drew the third consecutive walk of the frame to load the bases. Hancel Almonte brought Rodriguez home on a sacrifice fly to make it a 3-2 game.
The Marlins added an insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Cardinals failed to rally further.
The Cardinals scored two runs on three hits. Rodriguez walked, hit a home run, and scored twice. Paulo Asprilla and Arfeni Batista each singled. The lineup took seven walks, with seven different Cardinals taking one each.
Yairo Padilla swiped two bases. Batista stole his first bag. The Cardinals did not commit an error.
The FCL Cardinals are 1-3 on the season.
Friday’s game: at FCL Marlins. RH Keiverson Ramirez (0-0, 2.25) vs. TBA. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.
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