Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 20, 2025

photo: Joshua Baez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 5-1 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, outfielder Joshua Baez, slugged two home runs with five RBI as Springfield clinched. Other standouts include Jimmy Crooks, Pete Hansen, Travis Honeyman, Yordalin Pena and Juan Pablo Cabrera.

Results for games played on Thursday, June 19.

Memphis Redbirds 9, Norfolk Tides 3

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds defeated the Norfolk Tides at AutoZone Park on Thursday.

Curtis Taylor started his 10th game for the Redbirds. The right-hander tossed five innings and allowed one run on two hits, four walks, and three strikeouts.

Curtis Taylor

Michael Gomez yielded two runs across two innings in relief of Taylor. The right-hander was charged with a blown save, but picked up his second win of the season. Roddery Muñoz fanned two over two innings to finish the win.

Memphis broke the scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the fourth inning. Jimmy Crooks walked and Thomas Saggese singled. César Prieto reached base on a fielder’s choice, with Saggese to third base and Crooks home for the first run due to a throwing error. Saggese came home on a Bryan Torres sacrifice fly.

Norfolk tied the game at two with single runs in the top of the fifth and sixth innings. Memphis erupted for six runs in the home sixth to take control.

Luken Baker lined a one-out single. Torres and Gavin Collins drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Baker scored on a Mike Antico groundout, with Collins and Torres to advancing. Michael Siani drew the third walk of the inning to reload the bags. José Fermín singled home Torres and Collins for a three-run Memphis lead at 5-2.

José Fermín

Crooks put an exclamation mark on the inning with his 10th home run of the season, a three-run blast, to extend the Redbirds’ lead to 8-2.

Jimmy Crooks

The Tides chipped into the Redbirds’ lead with a run in the top of the seventh. Memphis took the run back in the bottom of the frame.

Prieto led off with a single. The left-handed hitter swiped second base, and advanced to third base via a throwing error. Prieto touched home plate on a wild pitch to stretch the Memphis lead to 9-3.

The Memphis lineup tallied five two-out RBI in the victory. The Redbirds scored nine runs on nine hits. Crooks was 2-for-3, including a walk, a three-run home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Fermín singled, scored a run, and drove in two runs. Prieto tallied two singles and scored a run. The Memphis lineup drew more walks (6) than strikeouts (5).

On the bases, Prieto stole second base to increase his season total to eight. Siani was caught stealing second base.

On defense, the Redbirds did not commit an error and turned two double plays.

Memphis is 40-30 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Norfolk, RH Leonardo Taveras (1-1, 7.71) vs. RHP Brandon Young (2-1, 2.86) 7:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 7, Corpus Christi Hooks 1

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals bested the Corpus Christi Hooks at Hammons Field on Thursday for their 40th win and the first-half title in the Texas League North Division with a spot in the playoffs.

Pete Hansen made his 13th start for the Cardinals. The left-hander pitched six innings and allowed one run on seven hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. Hansen earned his fourth win of 2025.

Pete Hansen

Osvaldo Berrios fired two scoreless frames in relief of Hansen. Nick Raquet tossed a scoreless ninth inning to lower his ERA to 1.16 on the year.

Springfield plated two runs in the bottom of the first inning to take an early lead. JJ Wetherholt walked, and Leonardo Bernal singled. Ramon Mendoza followed with a single to bring Wetherholt home. Springfield executed a double steal, with Bernal and Mendoza swiping second base and third base, respectively. Bernal scored on a Joshua Baez sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals added a run in the fourth inning. Baez launched a solo home run to put Springfield ahead 3-0.

Joshua Baez

With a run in the top of the fifth inning, the Hooks trimmed the Cardinals’ lead to two. Springfield took the run back in the home fifth.

Dakota Harris walked, advanced to third on two groundouts, and touched home plate on a wild pitch for a 4-1 Springfield lead.

Springfield added a pair of runs in the sixth. Mendoza walked and scored on Baez’s second home run of the game, a two-run blast, to extend the lead to 6-1.

The Cardinals stretched the lead further in the eighth inning. Wetherholt walked, and moved to third on a Mendoza single. Baez singled for his third hit of the game to score Wetherholt and extend the lead to 7-1.

Springfield recorded three extra-base hits in the postseason-clinching victory. The Cardinals scored seven runs on seven hits. Baez was a perfect 3-for-3 plus a sacrifice fly. His big night included two home runs, a solo shot and a two-run blast, and five RBI. Mendoza was 2-for-3, including a walk, a run scored, and one RBI. The lineup drew more walks (5) than strikeouts (3).

On the bases, Mendoza stole his second bag of the season. Bernal swiped his seventh.

On defense, Moquete nailed a runner at home plate. The Cardinals executed a strong relay to throw another Hooks runner out at home.

Springfield finished the first half at 40-26 and won the division by four games over Wichita. The second half opens on Friday night in Game 4 of the home set.

Friday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi, RHP Tink Hence (0-1, 1.69) vs. TBA. 7:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 4 at Great Lakes Loons 13

The High-A Peoria Chiefs fell to the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond on Thursday.

Cade Winquest started for the Chiefs. The right-hander threw five innings and allowed three runs on five hits, two walks, and two strikeouts. Winquest took the loss.

Tanner Jacobson tossed a scoreless sixth inning with a pair of strikeouts in relief of Winquest. Zack Showalter surrendered five runs and recorded just two outs. Michael Watson yielded three runs and secured the final out of the seventh inning. Hunter Hayes allowed two runs in the eighth inning.

The Loons took a 3-0 lead in the fourth inning. The Chiefs narrowed the gap to one in the top of the seventh.

Jon Jon Gazdar drew a walk, and scored on Travis Honeyman’s first Chiefs home run, a two-run shot, to trim the Great Lakes lead to one.

Travis Honeyman

The Loons answered with an eight-run bottom of the seventh. Peoria plated a pair of runs in the home eighth to chip into the lead.

Won-Bin Cho and Jon Jon Gazdar hit back-to-back singles to put runners on the corners. Cho crossed home plate on Honeyman’s sacrifice fly.

Gazdar advanced to second on defensive indifference, and Ian Petrutz hit a ground ball single to load the bases. Ryan Campos reached on a fielder’s choice play via a fielding error, with Gazdar home on the play for the Chiefs’ fourth run.

Peoria was unable to rally further in the loss.

The Chiefs scored four runs on 10 hits. Honeyman was 2-for-3, including a two-run home run and three RBI. Campos walked and drove in a run. Petrutz tallied two singles. Peoria was just 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position and left 15 runners on base.

The Chiefs did not steal a base nor commit an error.

Peoria finished the first half at 26-39.

Friday’s game: at Great Lakes, RHP Jason Savacool (4-2, 1.78) vs. LHP Wyatt Crowell (1-4, 4.94) 6:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 7 at St. Lucie Mets 6 (10 innings)

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals won an extra-innings thriller over the St. Lucie Mets on Thursday.

Braden Davis made his 10th start for Palm Beach. The left-hander pitched 4 ⅓ innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.

Angel Cuenca fanned two and yielded one run across 1 ⅔ innings in relief of Davis. Left-hander Jack Findlay followed and fired three shutout frames to pick up his first professional win. Conor Steinbaugh allowed one unearned run but held on in the 10th inning to collect his first save of the season, the second of his career.

Palm Beach pounced with a run in the first inning. Memphis rehabber Matt Lloyd walked and stole second base. Deniel Ortiz singled to move Lloyd to third base. Lloyd touched home plate on a Jose Suarez sacrifice fly.

The Mets took a 2-1 lead in the third. The Cardinals regained the lead in the fourth.

Suarez walked and scored on Yordalin Pena’s fourth home run of the year, a two-run blast, to move Palm Beach ahead 3-2. Johnfrank Salazar and Sammy Hernandez followed with back-to-back singles. Romtres Cabrera walked to load the bags. Lloyd lined a single to plate Salazar and Hernandez to extend the lead to 5-2.

Yordalin Peña

St. Lucie scored twice in the fifth and added a run in the sixth inning to tie the game. The score remained tied at five to force extra innings.

Palm Beach untied the game in the 10th. Ortiz began at second base, and moved to third on a Suarez single. Suarez swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position. Pena singled to score Ortiz for the go-ahead run, with Suarez to third on the play. Suarez crossed home plate on an Anyelo Encarnacion groundout to add an insurance run for a 7-5 Cardinals’ lead.

Palm Beach stranded 10 Mets on base in the extra-innings victory.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on eight hits. Pena was 2-for-5, including a two-run home run and three RBI. Suarez was 2-for-3 with a walk, two runs scored, and one RBI. Lloyd singled, walked twice, scored a run, and tallied two RBI.

On the bases, Lloyd swiped the first base of his rehab assignment with Palm Beach. Suarez snagged his seventh steal. Ortiz stole his team-leading 16th base.

On defense, second baseman Salazar made a throwing error.

Palm Beach finished the first half at 32-33, in second place, two games behind the Mets.

Friday’s game: at St. Lucie, RH Jacob Odle (0-0, 18.00) vs. RHP Channing Austin (2-2, 4.10) 5:10 PM CT.

FCL Cardinals 5, FCL Nationals 4 (7 innings)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals won a close seven-inning home contest over the FCL Nationals on Thursday.

Ruben Menes made his fifth start for the Cardinals. The right-hander tossed four innings and allowed three runs on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.

Jovi Galvez surrendered one run over one inning in relief of Menes. Antoni Cuello struck out three across the final two innings and earned his second win of the season.

The Cardinals jumped ahead early with a four-run home first inning.

Yairo Padilla reached on a fielding error, and advanced to third on an Andru Arthur double. Facundo Velasquez doubled to score Padilla and Andru. Bracewell Taveras lined a single to bring Velasquez home. Alejandro Loaiza singled, with Taveras to third via a throwing error. Yoerny Junco singled in Taveras to stretch the lead to 4-0.

Facundo Velasquez

The Nationals trimmed the Cardinals’ lead to one with three runs in the third. The Cardinals added a run in the fourth to move ahead by two.

Junco led off with a single, moved to second on a throwing error and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Padilla brought Junco home with a groundout for a 5-3 Cardinals lead.

The Cardinals held off a late Nationals rally in the victory.

The FCL Cardinals scored five runs on seven hits. Velasquez singled, walked, scored a run, and tallied two RBI. Junco was 2-for-3 with a run scored and one RBI. Arthur singled twice and scored a run.

On the bases, Arthur swiped his fifth bag of the season. Velasquez was caught stealing second base.

On defense, the Cardinals did not commit an error and turned two double plays.

The FCL Cardinals are 13-16 on the season. They will match up with the Nationals on the road at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches Complex in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Friday.

Friday’s game: at FCL Nationals. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.

DSL Cardinals 9, DSL Arizona Red 8

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals walked off DSL Arizona Red at the St. Louis Cardinals DR Complex on Thursday.

Jan Cabrera made his third start for the Cardinals. The right-hander threw four innings and allowed seven runs, four earned, on eight hits, two walks, and one strikeout.

Reiner Lopez

Reiner Lopez impressed with three shutout innings, allowing just one baserunner, in relief of Cabrera. Briam Reyes followed and yielded one run with a pair of strikeouts in an inning of work. Jesus Garcia tossed a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to collect his first win of 2025.

Arizona Red jumped ahead with a four-run first inning, and a run in the third. The Cardinals scored a pair in the home third to chip into the deficit.

Kenly Hunter walked, and scored on Miguel Hernandez’s second career home run, a two-run blast, to narrow the gap to 5-2.

Miguel Hernandez

Arizona Red regained the four-run lead with two scores in the fourth. The Cardinals trimmed the lead to three in the fifth.

Hunter singled and Hernandez walked. Edward Guribe reached on a fielder’s choice, with Hernandez to second and Hunter home on the play due to a missed catch error. Yaxson Lucena lined a single to bring Hernandez home and shrink the Arizona Red lead to 7-4.

The Cardinals moved within a run with two runs in the seventh, their third two-run inning of the game. Hernandez singled and Lucena walked. Juan Pablo Cabrera doubled home both runners to narrow the gap to 7-6.

Juan Pablo Cabrera

Arizona Red added an insurance run in the eighth inning. Down by two, the Cardinals looked to rally in the bottom of the ninth.

With two outs, Lucena singled, and Cristofer Lebron doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Cabrera launched a three-run walk-off home run for a 9-8 finish.

The Cardinals slugged five extra-base hits in the victory.

The DSL Cardinals scored nine runs on 12 hits. Cabrera was 3-for-5, including two doubles, a walk-off three run home run, and five RBI. Hernandez was 3-for-5, with a walk, a two-run home run, three runs scored, and two RBI. Lucena singled twice, scored twice, drew a walk, and drove in a run. Guribe and Lebron each recorded a double.

On the basepaths, Hunter swiped his eighth base. Hernandez and Yeferson Portolatin were each caught stealing second base.

On defense, second baseman Portolatin and third baseman Michael Cordero each made a throwing error.

The DSL Cardinals are 7-5 on the season. They will take on the DSL Rangers Red at home on Friday.

Friday’s game: vs. DSL Rangers Red. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM CT.

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