photo: Christian Martin (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was a rough 0-4 on Sunday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach left fielder Christian Martin, was 3-for-3, including a double, a walk, two stolen bases and two runs scored. Other standouts include Jimmy Crooks, Michael Helman, Trey Paige, Cade Winquest and Anyelo Encarnacion.
Memphis Redbirds 5 at Charlotte Knights 6
The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds lost a close contest to the Charlotte Knights in the series finale on Sunday.
Alex Cornwell made his fifth start for the Redbirds. The left-hander pitched four innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on four hits, three walks, and three strikeouts.
Ryan Fernandez entered in relief of Cornwell and allowed one run in just ⅓ of an inning and took the loss. Roddery Muñoz followed and yielded a run over two innings. Left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Memphis plated the first two runs of the game in the top of the second inning. Jimmy Crooks lined a double and advanced to third on a passed ball. Michael Helman launched a two-run home run, his first as a Redbird, to put Memphis in the run column.
MICHAEL HELMAN'S FIRST @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN AS A REDBIRD! pic.twitter.com/Fidvt7m2Qv
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 11, 2025
Memphis flexed their muscles once more in the third inning. Jimmy Crooks connected for his fifth home run of the season to give the Redbirds a 3-0 lead.
JIMMY JACK!
FIFTH @HueysRestaurant HOME RUN OF THE SEASON pic.twitter.com/fjcI8IDxpc
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 11, 2025
Charlotte scored six unanswered runs and took a 6-3 lead into the eighth inning.
Memphis narrowed the gap in the bottom of the eighth. Ryan Vilade hit a one-out triple and scored on a Gavin Collins sacrifice fly to trim the Charlotte lead to 6-4. The Redbirds used the home run ball once again to close the gap further in the ninth inning as Thomas Saggese launched his third home run of the season to bring the Redbirds within one.
Saggese's @HueysRestaurant home run brings us closer! pic.twitter.com/X2WTEdGRVw
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 11, 2025
The Redbirds scored five runs on seven hits. Crooks was 2-for-4, including a home run, a double, and two runs scored. Helman crushed a two-run home run. Saggese smashed a solo home run. Vilade tripled.
Memphis did not steal a base in the game. On defense, shortstop José Fermín made a throwing error.
Memphis is 21-16 on the season after taking just two out of six from Charlotte, and reside in third place in the International League West division. The Redbirds will head home to AutoZone Park to begin a six-game set with the Nashville Sounds on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Nashville (MIL). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 PM CT.
Springfield Cardinals 2 at Arkansas Travelers 6
The Double-A Springfield Cardinals fell to the Travelers in Arkansas in Sunday’s series finale.
Brycen Mautz made his sixth start for Springfield. The left-hander threw four innings and allowed two runs on four hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts.
Right-hander Sean Harney entered in relief of Mautz and surrendered two runs in 2 ⅓ innings. Austin Love followed and yielded two runs in 1 ⅔ innings. Harney took the loss.
The Travelers took an early 2-0 lead, but the Cardinals split the lead in half in the third inning. Ramon Mendoza began the frame with a single. Brody Moore reached on a fielder’s choice, with Mendoza to second on a fielding error. Nathan Church singled to score Mendoza.
The Cardinals tied the game at two in the fourth. Chase Davis hit a lead-off single and moved all the way to third on a pickoff error. Jeremy Rivas singled in Davis.
Arkansas scored one in the fifth to regain the lead and tacked on three more. Springfield failed to respond.
The Cardinals scored two runs on six hits, all singles. Rivas was 2-for-3, with one RBI. Church singled and drove in one run. The Cardinals’ lineup did not draw a walk.
Springfield did not record a stolen base. On defense, catcher Leonardo Bernal committed a pickoff error and a throwing error.
Springfield is 15-18 on the season after the series split with Arkansas and are in fourth place in the Texas League North Division. The Cardinals will head home to Hammons Field to begin a six-game series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game: vs. Amarillo (ARI). LHP Ixan Henderson (2-1, 2.13) vs. TBA. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CT.
Peoria Chiefs 4, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 5
The High-A Peoria Chiefs fell to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dozer Park in the series finale on Sunday.
In his return from the injured list, Chen-Wei Lin started. The right-hander pitched 2 ⅔ innings and allowed four runs, one earned, on five hits, three strikeouts, and no walks. Lin took the loss in his Midwest League debut.
D.J. Carpenter recorded the final out of the third inning. Cade Winquest made his second relief appearance of the year, and fired four shutout frames, with four strikeouts. Tanner Jacobson tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Tyler Bradt kept the game close with a shutout ninth.
Wisconsin took an early 4-0 lead, but Peoria chipped into the deficit in the fourth inning.
Ryan Campos took a lead-off walk and stole second base. Miguel Villarroel drew a free pass to put two runners on with one out. Campos touched home plate on a Trey Paige single. Tre Richardson doubled in Paige to shrink the Wisconsin lead to 4-2.
The Chiefs made it a one-run game in the sixth. Campos singled and stole his second base of the game to start the inning. Campos advanced to third base via a wild pitch. Villarroel reached on a fielder’s choice, with Campos scoring the third Chiefs run on the play.
Wisconsin added an insurance run in the ninth for a 5-3 lead. The Chiefs’ rally fell just short in the bottom of the frame. Paige doubled and moved to third base on a wild pitch. Paige came home on a Richardson groundout to narrow the gap to 5-4.
The Chiefs scored four runs on six hits. Paige was a perfect 3-for-3, including a double, a walk, two runs scored, and one RBI. Richardson was 1-for-2, with a double and two RBI. Campos singled, walked, and scored twice. The Chiefs were 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Peoria was active on the basepaths. Catcher Campos stole two bases to increase his season total to five. Jon Jon Gazdar snagged his seventh steal. Villarroel stole his 10th base. Villarroel was also picked off second base and caught stealing.
On defense, pitcher Lin made a throwing error. Pitcher Winquest picked off a runner at first base. Shortstop Villarroel committed two fielding errors. The Chiefs turned two double plays.
Peoria is 11-21 on the season, after the series split with Wisconsin. The Chiefs will travel to Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to begin a six-game set with the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game: at Cedar Rapids (MIN). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 PM CT.
Palm Beach Cardinals 4, Jupiter Hammerheads 7
The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals dropped the series finale to the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Sunday.
Drew Rom made his third rehab start for Palm Beach, as he works to rejoin the Memphis Redbirds. The left-hander fired four innings of one-run baseball on four hits, five strikeouts, and no walks to lower his season ERA to 1.00. With no offensive support, Rom still took the loss.
Regular starter Braden Davis allowed four runs across 2 ⅔ innings following Rom. Conor Steinbaugh followed with 1 ⅓ scoreless frames with two strikeouts. Christian Worley surrendered two runs, one earned, in the ninth inning.
The Hammerheads jumped out to a 2-0 lead early, but Palm Beach partially answered in the bottom of the fifth inning. Anyelo Encarnacion crushed his second home run of the season, a solo shot.
Goodbye ball👋
Anyelo Encarnacion hits his second homer of the season and gets the Beachbirds on the board! pic.twitter.com/p3N6jJFxYq
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 11, 2025
Jupiter extended its lead to 5-1 with a three-run seventh.
Palm Beach scored twice in the home half of the inning. Christian Martin and Deniel Ortiz singled then executed a double steal. Travis Honeyman singled to score both runners.
The Hammerheads tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth inning to lead by four.
Palm Beach looked to answer in the home ninth but scored just once. Martin doubled and Luis Pino was hit by a pitch. Honeyman loaded the bases on the second hit-by-pitch of the inning. Jonathan Mejia drew a walk to bring Martin home and narrow the gap to 7-4.
The Cardinals scored four runs on nine hits. Encarnacion was 2-for-4, including a home run and a double. Honeyman was 2-for-4, with a double and two RBI. Martin was 3-for-3, including a double, a walk, and two runs scored. Palm Beach was a dismal 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
Martin stole two bases to increase his season total to six. Ortiz tallied his seventh stolen bag.
Defensively, third baseman Encarnacion made a throwing error. Catcher Josh Kross was charged with an error via catcher’s interference. Luis Pino nailed a runner at home plate from right field. Pitcher Steinbaugh picked off a runner at first base.
Palm Beach is 18-15 on the season after taking four of six from Jupiter. The Cardinals will travel to Yankee Complex Field 2 in Tampa, Florida to begin a six-game series with the Tampa Tarpons on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s game: at Tampa (NYY). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 PM CT.
Florida Complex League Cardinals (off-day)
The FCL Cardinals were off Saturday and Sunday and will enter play on Monday with a 1-4 record. The Cardinals will face the Astros at the Roger Dean Stadium Complex in Jupiter, Florida on Monday.
Monday’s game: vs. FCL Astros. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.
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