Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 22, 2025

photo: Cesar Prieto (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 1-3 on Thursday with all three losses by one run. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis infielder César Prieto, was 3-for-3 with a double and two RBI. Other standouts include Noah Mendlinger, Matt Koperniak, Cade Winquest, Jesus Baez, Darlin Saladin and Yordalin Pena.

Results for games played on Thursday, August 21.

Memphis Redbirds 6, Gwinnett Stripers 1

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds bested the Gwinnett Stripers at AutoZone Park on Thursday.

Ian Bedell started for Memphis. The right-hander pitched 3 ⅔ innings and allowed one run on three hits, no walks, and six strikeouts.

The bullpen was excellent, starting with left-hander Nick Raquet, who threw 2 ⅓ shutout frames with three strikeouts and collected his first win with the Redbirds in 2025. Roddery Muñoz fanned three over two scoreless innings. Gordon Graceffo finished the game with a shutout ninth.

The Redbirds erased an early 1-0 deficit with a three-run bottom of the first inning. JJ Wetherholt drew a lead-off walk and swiped second base. Matt Koperniak legged out an infield single. Jimmy Crooks walked to load the bags with no outs. Matt Lloyd brought Wetherholt home on a groundout. César Prieto doubled home Koperniak and Crooks to put Memphis ahead 3-1.

César Prieto

The Redbirds added a pair of runs in the fourth. Michael Siani began the frame with a walk. In his Triple-A debut, Noah Mendlinger scorched a double to bring Siani home for a 4-1 lead.

Noah Mendlinger

Wetherholt connected for a single to score Mendlinger and extend the lead to 5-1.

JJ Wetherholt

Memphis added their sixth run in the home seventh as Matt Koperniak belted his 13th home run of the season, a solo shot.

Matt Koperniak

Memphis pitching did not allow a hit with runners in scoring position in the victory.

The Redbirds scored six runs on eight hits. Prieto was a perfect 3-for-3, including a walk, a double, and two RBI. Mendlinger was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, a run scored, and one RBI in his Triple-A debut. Koperniak was 2-for-4 with a home run and two runs scored. Wetherholt walked, singled, scored a run and drove in a run.

On the bases, Wetherholt swiped his fourth bag with Memphis. Mendlinger stole his first Triple-A base. Prieto snagged his 11th.

The Redbirds did not commit an error on defense.

Memphis is 65-56 overall, and 24-24 in the second half.

Friday’s game: vs. Gwinnett, RHP Aaron Wilkerson (5-3, 3.94) vs. RHP Jhancarlos Lara (0-6, 6.92) 7:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 1 at Arkansas Travelers 2 (10 innings)

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals fell to the Arkansas Travelers in extra innings on Thursday.

Cade Winquest started for the Cardinals. The right-hander fired six scoreless innings on six hits, one walk, and eight strikeouts, his most K’s since joining Double-A.

Cade Winquest

Luis Gastelum fanned four across two shutout frames in relief. Tyler Bradt surrendered two runs, one earned, over 1 ⅔ innings and was charged with a blown save and the loss.

The Cardinals broke the scoreless tie in the top of the seventh inning. Leonardo Bernal walked and Ramon Mendoza was hit by a pitch. Dakota Harris singled to bring Bernal home.

Arkansas scored the tying run in the bottom of the ninth but were kept off the board further to force extra innings.

Springfield looked to strike back in the top of the 10th but could not. Brody Moore began at second base and moved to third on a Chase Davis groundout. Miguel Ugueto walked and swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position, but both were stranded.

The Travelers plated the walkoff run in the home 10th to steal the win from Springfield.

The Cardinals scored one run on five hits, all singles. Harris recorded a hit and the lone Springfield RBI. Davis, Ugueto, Mendoza, and Harris each had a hit. The lineup had opportunities but could not convert, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

On the basepaths, Ugueto stole his fifth bag. Moore swiped his sixth. Darlin Moquete was caught stealing second base.

The Cardinals did not commit an error on defense.

Springfield is 73-44 overall, and 30-18 in the second half. Their lead in the Texas League North Division is down to 1.5 games.

Friday’s game: at Arkansas, LHP Pete Hansen (7-4, 3.74) vs. SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (4-7, 4.68) 7:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 1 at Dayton Dragons 2 (10 innings)

The High-A Peoria Chiefs dropped a tight extra innings contest to the Dragons in Dayton on Thursday.

Chen-Wei Lin started for the Chiefs. The right-hander tossed 3 ⅓ innings and allowed one run on no hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.

Darlin Saladin struck out three across 3 ⅔ scoreless frames in relief. Zeke Wood followed with a shutout inning. Jawilme Ramirez threw 1 ⅔ frames and allowed the winning run to score in the 10th, taking the loss.

Dayton scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning.

Peoria tied the game in the seventh. Jesus Baez crushed his first home run as a member of the Cardinals organization, a solo shot, to tie the game at one apiece.

Jesus Baez

The Chiefs held off a threat from the Dragons in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings.

Peoria tried to take their first lead of the night in the top of the 10th but could not convert.

Jose Cordoba began at second base and advanced to third on a groundout from Andrew Sojka. Jon Jon Gazdar was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners, but neither baserunner made it home.

Dayton plated a run in the bottom of the 10th inning to walk-off the win.

The Chiefs scored one run on four hits. Baez hit his first home run with the Chiefs, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Deniel Ortiz recorded two single. The lineup was 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.

Ortiz was caught stealing second base.

Defensively, left fielder Sojka nailed the potential winning run at home to keep the game tied and force extras to highlight an errorless night for the Chiefs.

Andrew Sojka

Peoria is 44-71 overall, and 18-32 in the second half.

Friday’s game: at Dayton, LHP Braden Davis (4-1, 2.65) vs. RHP Nestor Lorant (0-10, 6.59) 6:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 3, St. Lucie Mets 4

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals fell to the St. Lucie Mets by one run at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday.

Jacob Odle made his 11th start for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched 3 ⅓ innings and allowed three runs on four hits, three walks, and six strikeouts. Odle took the loss.

Yordy Herrera yielded a run across 3 ⅓ innings in long relief. Charles Harrison kept the Cards in the game with 2 ⅓ hitless, shutout frames with three strikeouts.

Charles Harrison

Palm Beach scored the inaugural run in the first inning. Jalin Flores and Cameron Nickens singled. Chase Heath connected for the third consecutive single to score Flores.

The Mets tied the game in the top of the second.

The Cardinals immediately regained the lead in the home half of the frame. Yordalin Pena and Sammy Hernandez singled. Michael Dattalo grounded into a forceout, with Pena scoring.

St. Lucie took a 4-2 lead with a two-run fourth and a run in the top of the sixth.

Palm Beach moved within one in the home sixth. With two outs, Pena lined his 20th double of the season and moved to third base via a wild pitch. Hernandez followed with a walk. The runners executed a double steal, with Hernandez taking second base and Pena stealing home for a 4-3 score as the Cardinals inched closer.

Yordalin Peña

Palm Beach left the tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth in the one-run loss.

The Cardinals scored three runs on 10 hits. Pena was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Heath singled and drove in a run. Dattalo walked, doubled, and drove in a run. Opportunities were missed as the lineup was just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.

On the bases, Hernandez swiped his 12th bag. Pena stole two bases, including home plate, to increase his season total to 19.

On defense, third baseman Dattalo made a throwing error. Pena nailed a runner at third base from center field.

Palm Beach is 56-59 overall, and 24-26 in the second half.

Friday’s game: vs. St. Lucie, RHP Tyler Van Dyke (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBA. 5:30 PM CT.

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