Cardinals Minor League Notebook – July 6, 2025

photo: Darlin Saladin (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 2-4 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria’s Darlin Saladin, threw four scoreless innings on just one hit with six strikeouts for his second save of the season. Other standouts include Nathan Church, Gerardo Salas, Deniel Ortiz, Jesus Garcia, Edward Guribe and Sebastian Dos Santos.

Results for games played on Saturday, July 5:

Memphis Redbirds 8, Nashville Sounds 9

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds came back from seven runs down but still lost on a late home run by the Nashville Sounds at AutoZone Park on Saturday.

Quinn Mathews started for Memphis. The left-hander pitched 4 ⅔ innings and allowed four runs on two hits, four walks, and six strikeouts.

Andre Granillo recorded the final out of the fifth inning in relief of Mathews. Michael Gomez surrendered four runs while retiring just one batter. Zack Weiss fanned three across 1 ⅔ scoreless frames. Chris Roycroft took over in the eighth and allowed a solo home run in the ninth for the loss.

Memphis scored in the first inning. Michael Siani walked, and moved to third base on a Nathan Church single. Jimmy Crooks lined a single to bring Siani home.

Nashville grabbed the lead on back-to-back four-run fifth and sixth innings to jump ahead 8-1.

Memphis’ bats caught fire for a seven-run bottom of the sixth to tie the game.

Church walked and took second on a wild pitch. Crooks singled and César Prieto walked to load the bases. Gavin Collins drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Church to the plate. Matt Lloyd followed with a single to score Crooks for an 8-3 score.

Brody Moore grounded into a forceout, with Prieto out at home, and Moore to first base to keep the bags loaded. Siani lined a single to bring Collins and Lloyd home and move Memphis within three runs at 8-5.

Michael Siani

Matt Koperniak hit his second triple of the season to plate Moore and Siani and trim Nashville’s lead to 8-7.

Matt Koperniak

Church delivered a single to score Koperniak with the tying run.

The game remained knotted at eight until the ninth when the Sounds hit a solo home run off Roycroft to take a 9-8 lead. Memphis failed to respond.

The Redbirds scored eight runs on eight hits. Siani singled, scored twice, and drove in two runs. Koperniak tripled and drove in two runs. Church was 2-for-3 with two walks, an RBI, and a run scored. Prieto doubled and drew a walk. Crooks singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run. Collins recorded an RBI on a bases-loaded walk. The lineup tallied six hits with runners in scoring position.

The Redbirds did not steal a base.

On defense, Crooks was tagged with an error on catcher’s interference. Shortstop Moore committed a fielding error. Church nailed a runner at home plate from center field.

Memphis is 45-39 overall, and 4-7 in the second half. They will look to secure the series split with Nashville on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Nashville, RHP Michael McGreevy (8-1, 2.28) vs. RHP Logan Henderson (7-3, 3.12) 1:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 2 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 8

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals fell to the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on the road on Saturday, snapping their four-game winning streak.

Hancel Rincon made his fourth start for Springfield, his fifth appearance overall with the team. The right-hander threw five innings and allowed five runs on a season-high 10 hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Rincon took the loss.

Andrew Marrero yielded three runs across 1 ⅓ innings in relief. Left-hander Nathanael Heredia followed with 1 ⅔ scoreless frames including a pair of strikeouts.

The Cardinals struck first with a run in the second inning. Joshua Baez blasted his seventh home run of the season, a solo shot.

Springfield doubled the lead in the third inning. JJ Wetherholt walked and stole second base. Jordan Walker lined a double to score Wetherholt.

Jordan Walker

The Naturals responded with runs in four consecutive innings, with three in the fourth, two apiece in the fifth and six innings, and one in the seventh to move in front 8-2. The Cardinals were unable to answer in the loss.

The Cardinals scored two runs on four hits. Baez hit a solo home run. St. Louis rehabber Walker recorded his first hit in his rehab assignment with Springfield, a double, and drove in a run in four at-bats. Trey Paige had a triple.

Wetherholt swiped his 14th base.

On defense, catcher Carlos Linarez made a throwing error.

Springfield is 49-31 overall, and 6-5 in the second half. They will look to take five of six from the Naturals on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Northwest Arkansas, LHP Ixan Henderson (3-4, 2.75) vs. LHP Hunter Owen (4-3, 4.27) 2:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 5 at South Bend Cubs 2

The High-A Peoria Chiefs won their fifth straight contest over the South Bend Cubs on Saturday.

Gerardo Salas started his 16th game for Peoria. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs on three hits, one walk, and a season-high seven strikeouts. Salas collected his third win of 2025.

Darlin Saladin

Darlin Saladin fired four shutout frames and struck out six in relief of Salas to finish the game. The right-hander picked up his second save of the season.

Peoria plated the first run of the game in the top of the second inning. Ryan Campos singled, and advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Brayden Jobert doubled home Campos.

Brayden Jobert

The Cubs answered with a pair of runs in the home second to take the lead.

The Chiefs regained the lead in the third inning. Michael Curialle and Tre Richardson doubled to put both runners in scoring position. Curialle scored on an Ian Petrutz groundout, with Richardson to third. Zach Levenson lined a single to score Richardson and move the Chiefs ahead 3-2.

Peoria added a run in the fourth. Miguel Villarroel singled, and moved to third on a Curialle single. Curialle stole second base to put two runners in scoring position. Villarroel crossed home plate via a wild pitch.

The Chiefs extended the lead to three runs in the seventh. Ian Petrutz launched a no-doubt solo home run, his fourth on the year, to stretch the lead to 5-2.

Ian Petrutz

Peoria pitching held South Bend to just one hit with runners in scoring position in the victory.

The Chiefs scored five runs on 10 hits. Petrutz hit a solo home run and tallied two RBI. Jobert walked, doubled, and drove in a run. Levenson hit two singles and recorded one RBI. Curialle was 2-for-5 with a double. Richardson doubled.

On the basepaths, Curialle stole his fourth bag. Won-Bin Cho snagged his 10th. Villarroel swiped two bases for 22 on the season. Petrutz and Campos were caught stealing second base.

On defense, catcher Campos was tagged with two catcher interference errors, and a passed ball. The Chiefs turned two double plays.

Peoria is 35-44 overall, and 9-5 in the second half. The Chiefs will look to sweep the Cubs on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at South Bend, RHP Cade Winquest (2-5, 4.23) vs. RHP Connor Schultz (0-3, 4.71) 1:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 1 at Jupiter Hammerheads 3

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals lost a close contest to the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Saturday.

Leonel Sequera started for the Cardinals. The right-hander tossed four innings and allowed one run on three hits, four walks, and three strikeouts.

Charles Harrison yielded two runs across three innings in relief and took the loss. Angel Cuenca threw a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout.

Palm Beach scored first in the second inning. Deniel Ortiz blasted his eighth home run of the season, a solo shot, to put the Cardinals ahead 1-0.

Deniel Ortiz

Jupiter tied the game at one apiece in the home fourth. The Hammerheads grabbed a 3-1 lead with a two-run seventh.

The Cardinals stranded the tying run on base in the ninth in the loss.

The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. Ortiz was 2-for-3, including a solo home run, the team’s only extra-base hit, and a walk. Mejia, Hernandez, and Jose Suarez each recorded a hit. Palm Beach did not have a hit with runners in scoring position.

On the bases, Ortiz stole his 24th bag. Bryce Madron swiped his third base and was caught stealing second base. Mejia was picked off first base.

On defense, catcher Hernandez picked off a runner at first base.

Palm Beach is 36-42 overall, and 4-9 in the second half. They will look to take the series finale on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Jupiter, RHP Brandt Thompson (2-5, 3.50) vs. TBA. 11:30 AM CT.

FCL Cardinals 4, FCL Nationals 6 (7 innings)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals fell to the Nationals in a seven-inning home contest on Saturday.

Ruben Menes made his sixth start of the season for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched two innings and allowed one run on two hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Samuel Fabian

Samuel Fabian fired two scoreless innings with three strikeouts in relief of Menes. Edwin Nuñez recorded just one out and surrendered four runs. Bruno Lopez followed with 1 ⅔ shutout frames and three strikeouts. Juan Severino fanned three but yielded an insurance run in the seventh.

After the Nationals took an early 1-0 lead, the Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the third inning. Andru Arthur walked and stole second base. Yaisel Ramos lined a single to bring Arthur home.

The Nationals retook the lead with a four-run fifth and added a run in the seventh to pull in front 6-1. Down to their final three outs, the Cardinals looked to rally.

Arthur drew a walk, and advanced to third base on a Bracewell Taveras double. Heriberto Caraballo legged out an infield single to score Arthur, with Taveras to third.  Facundo Velasquez walked to put runners at the corners. Yancel Guerrero reached base on a fielder’s choice, with Velasquez to second base, Caraballo to third base, and Taveras home on the play due to a throwing error. Caraballo touched home plate on a Paulo Asprilla forceout play to move the Cardinals within two at 6-4.

The Cardinals were unable to rally further in the loss.

The FCL Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Taveras was 2-for-4 with a double. Ramos was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Caraballo and Guerrero each singled and drove in a run. The lineup left 10 runners on base.

On the bases, Arthur stole his sixth bag. Velasquez swiped his seventh base. Yoerny Junco was caught stealing second base. The Cardinals did not commit an error on defense.

The FCL Cardinals are 18-23 on the season, and in third place in the FCL East Division. They are off Sunday and will play a road doubleheader with the FCL Astros on Monday.

Monday’s games: at FCL Astros. Pitching probables have not yet been announced for either game. First pitch for game one is slated for 9:00 AM CT, with game two following shortly after the conclusion of game one.

DSL Cardinals 7, DSL Rangers Blue 4

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals edged the DSL Rangers Blue in a home contest on Saturday.

Daniel Gomez made his third start for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched a career-high five innings and allowed two runs on six hits, no walks, and two strikeouts.

Branneli Franco tossed a scoreless frame in relief of Gomez. Jarol Baez yielded two runs and recorded one out. Jesus Garcia pitched the remaining 2 ⅔ innings and struck out five in the scoreless outing. Garcia picked up his second win.

Jesus Garcia

The Rangers Blue scored a run in the top of the first.

The Cardinals tied the game in the home first. Royelny Strop walked and moved to second on a Miguel Hernandez single. Edward Guribe walked to load the bases. Sebastian Dos Santos drew a bases-loaded walk to bring Strop to the plate.

The Rangers Blue moved ahead 2-1 in the third.

The Cardinals knotted the game at two in the fifth. Strop hit a lead-off single, and advanced to second on a Hernandez walk. Hernandez and Strop moved up on a wild pitch. Strop touched home plate on a Guribe groundout.

The Rangers Blue grabbed their third lead of the game with a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to lead 4-2.

The Cardinals immediately answered with a five-run bottom of the seventh to take their first lead, 7-4.

Strop and Hernandez lined back-to-back singles. Guribe cleared the bags with a three-run home run, his fifth long ball of 2025, to give the Cardinals the lead. Cristofer Lebron followed with his third career home run. Dos Santos blasted the third consecutive home run, and the first of his professional career, to extend the Cardinals’ lead to 7-4.

Edward Guribe

The Cardinals’ back-to-back-to-back home runs in the seventh ignited the late-inning comeback win.

The DSL Cardinals scored seven runs on eight hits. Guribe hit a three-run home run and tallied four RBI. Dos Santos was 2-for-2, including three walks, a solo home run, and two RBI. Lebron slugged a solo home run. Strop was 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs scored.

On the bases, Dos Santos stole two bags for three steals on the season. Hernandez swiped his 10th.

On defense, pitcher Gomez committed a pickoff error. Third baseman Guribe and catcher Jhonny Chaparro each made a throwing error. Center fielder Strop committed a fielding error. Brayan Amoroso nailed a runner at second base from right field.

The DSL Cardinals are 15-10 on the season and hold a two-game lead in the DSL Southeast Division. They are off Sunday and will rematch with the DSL Rangers Blue on the road on Monday.

Monday’s game: at DSL Rangers Blue. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM CT.

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Florida Complex League Cardinals Notebook – 2025 Week 9

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