Cardinals Minor League Notebook – September 5, 2025

photo: Rainiel Rodriguez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 2-2 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria DH Rainiel Rodriguez, was 3-for-5 with four RBI in his High-A debut. Other standouts include Bryan Torres, Brody Moore, Dakota Harris, Ramon Mendoza, Leonardo Bernal, Deniel Ortiz and Trevor Haskins.

Results for games played on Thursday, September 4.

Memphis Redbirds 6, Rochester Red Wings 5

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds walked off the Rochester Red Wings at AutoZone Park on Thursday.

Aaron Wilkerson started his eighth game for Memphis. The right-hander threw five innings and allowed five runs on nine hits, no walks, and one strikeout.

Left-hander Anthony Veneziano threw a scoreless sixth in relief of Wilkerson. Zach Plesac tossed two hitless, scoreless innings in his first relief outing of the season. Lefty Nick Raquet fired a shutout ninth inning and collected his second win with Memphis.

The Redbirds pounced early with a five-run second inning. Matt Lloyd singled and scored on a Noah Mendlinger double.

Gavin Collins hit a second consecutive double to score Mendlinger.

Collins moved to third base on a Carlos Linarez flyout. Mike Antico walked to put runners at the corners. Bryan Torres crushed his eighth home run of 2025, a three-run shot, to widen the lead to 5-0.

Bryan Torres

The Red Wings battled back to tie the game at five after six innings.

The Redbirds preserved the tie and headed into the bottom of the ninth searching for a walk-off win. Antico singled and Torres walked. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. In his first at-bat after entering earlier as a pinch-runner, Brody Moore connected for a single to bring Antico home and win the game for Memphis.

Brody Moore

Memphis’ bullpen did not allow a hit in the victory.

The Redbirds scored six runs on 10 hits. Torres was 2-for-4, including a walk, a home run, and three RBI. Mendlinger and Collins each doubled, scored a run, and drove in a run. Lloyd was 2-for-3 with a walk, a double, and a run scored. Antico walked, singled twice, and scored twice. Moore drove in the game-winning run. Carlos Linarez did not record a hit in his Triple-A debut.

On the bases, Michael Siani stole his 22nd bag and was caught stealing third base.

On defense, pitcher Plesac picked a runner off first base. Catcher Collins was tagged with a passed ball. No Redbird was charged with an error.

Memphis is 72-61 overall, and 31-29 in the second half.

Friday’s game: vs. Rochester, LHP Quinn Mathews (4-5, 3.28) vs. RHP Adrian Sampson (5-4, 3.67) 7:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 14 at Northwest Arkansas Naturals 6

On Thursday, the Double-A Springfield Cardinals clobbered the Northwest Arkansas Naturals for their ninth consecutive win.

Pete Hansen made his 25th start of the season for the Cardinals. The left-hander pitched seven innings and allowed five runs on nine hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Hansen collected his eighth win.

Austin Love yielded a run and fanned two in the eighth. Zane Mills finished the game with a scoreless ninth.

Springfield’s bats started hot with a two-run top of the first inning. With two outs, Leonardo Bernal walked and Joshua Baez singled. The two moved up on a double steal. Zach Levenson singled home Bernal and Baez to put the Cardinals in front 2-0.

Zach Levenson

Springfield doubled the lead in the second. Ramon Mendoza reached second on a fielding error. Miguel Ugueto lined a single to plate Mendoza. After Ugueto was picked off and caught stealing second base, Chase Davis and Dakota Harris hit back-to-back singles. Bernal lined a third consecutive single to bring Davis home for a 4-0 lead.

The Cardinals continued their hot start on offense with their third consecutive two-run inning. Jeremy Rivas hit a groundball single and advanced to second via a wild pitch. Trey Paige walked before the two advanced on the second wild pitch of the frame. Mendoza hit a sharp single to bring Rivas and Paige to the plate and extend the lead to 6-0.

Ramon Mendoza

Springfield added a run in the sixth. Paige walked and moved to third on a Davis single. Harris singled home Paige to widen the lead to 7-0.

The Naturals entered the run column with a pair of runs in the home sixth.

The Cardinals broke the game open further with a four-run top of the eighth. Mendoza singled. Ugueto grounded into a forceout, with Mendoza out at second base. Davis singled. Harris also singled to score Ugueto. Bernal followed with a single score Davis. Joshua Baez connected for the fourth straight single to plate Harris and put Springfield in double-digits at 10-2. Levenson walked to load the bags. Bernal crossed home plate on a Rivas groundout to stretch the lead to 11-2.

Dakota Harris

Northwest Arkansas added four runs in the home eighth to trim the lead to 11-6.

Springfield scored three more insurance runs in the ninth. Mendoza began the frame with his 13th double of the season. Ugueto also doubled to score Mendoza. Ugueto moved to third base via a balk and scored on a Harris single. Bernal drew a walk and Baez was hit by a pitch to load the bags. Levenson connected for a single to bring Harris home and extend the lead to 14-6.

Springfield was an impressive 11-for-17 (.647) with runners in scoring position. The Cardinals scored 14 runs on 19 hits. Harris was 4-for-6 with two runs scored and three RBI. Levenson walked, singled twice, and drove in three runs. Mendoza went 3-for-5, including a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. Ugueto was 2-for-5, including a double, two runs scored, and two RBI. Bernal was 2-for-4 with two walks, two runs scored, and two RBI. Baez tallied two hits, a run scored, and an RBI. Rivas walked, singled, scored, and drove in a run. Davis recorded three hits and scored twice.

Eight of nine hitters recorded a hit and seven recorded multiple hits.

On the bases, Baez stole his 31st bag. Bernal swiped his 14th. Ugueto was picked off first base and caught stealing second base. Harris was caught stealing home.

Defensively, the Cardinals turned two double plays in an errorless performance.

The Cardinals improved their franchise-best record to 82-47 overall, and 39-21 in the second half. They lead the Texas League North Division by four games.

Friday’s game: at Northwest Arkansas, LHP Ixan Henderson (9-6, 2.49) vs. LHP Hunter Patteson (9-1, 2.76) 7:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 7 at Beloit Sky Carp 8

The High-A Peoria Chiefs dropped a nail-biter to the Sky Carp in Beloit on Thursday night.

Braden Davis started for the Chiefs. The left-hander threw 2 ⅔ innings and allowed one unearned run on one hit and two strikeouts in his shortest outing with Peoria. Davis was wild, walking three and throwing a wild pitch. He departed with the bases loaded and only one in, having thrown 62 pitches.

Aaron Holiday escaped that jam but later surrendered five runs, four earned, over 1 ⅓ innings. Mason Burns yielded two runs with six strikeouts across 2 ⅔ frames. D.J. Carpenter pitched 1 ⅓ scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts.

Beloit surged ahead 6-0 with a run in the third and five in the fifth.

Peoria narrowed the gap with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth. Andrew Sojka singled and Anyelo Encarnacion doubled. Won-Bin Cho walked to load the bases with no outs. In his first game with the Chiefs, Rainiel Rodriguez lined a single to bring Sojka and Encarnacion home for a 6-2 score.

Rainiel Rodriguez

Peoria moved within three with a run in the seventh. Christian Martin singled. Sojka reached on a fielding error. Cho walked to load the bags. Ryan Campos drew a bases-loaded walk to force Martin to the plate.

Beloit plated two insurance runs in the home seventh to move ahead 8-3.

Down to their final three outs, the Chiefs looked to rally. Sojka led off with a single. Encarnacion grounded into a forceout with Sojka out at second. Cho followed with his third walk of the game. Campos advanced the runners on a groundout. Jesus Baez walked to load the bags. Rodriguez lined a single to score Encarnacion and Cho to bring the Chiefs to within three at 8-5, with Baez to second base.

Deniel Ortiz ripped a double to bring Rodriguez and Baez home to move Peoria within a run at 8-7.

Deniel Ortiz

The Chiefs’ rally fell just short in the tight loss.

The Chiefs scored seven runs on 10 hits. Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a run scored and four RBI in his High-A debut. Ortiz was 2-for-5, including a double and two RBI. Encarnacion doubled and scored twice. Campos singled and tallied an RBI via a bases-loaded walk. Sojka singled twice and scored a run.

On the basepaths, Campos swiped his 14th bag.

On defense, second baseman Martin committed a missed catch error. Third baseman Baez was charged with an error on a dropped foul ball. Catcher Campos made a throwing error.

Peoria is 51-76 overall, and 25-37 in the second half. They have been eliminated from playoff consideration.

Friday’s game: at Beloit, TBA vs. RHP Nick Brink (7-4, 3.07) 6:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 1, Daytona Tortugas 3

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals lost a close contest to the Daytona Tortugas at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday.

Jacob Odle started for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched four innings and allowed two runs on three hits, three walks, and three strikeouts. Odle took the tough-luck loss.

Charles Harrison tossed 1 ⅔ scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts in relief of Odle. Yordy Herrera yielded an unearned run and fanned two across two frames. Jovi Galvez threw a shutout ninth inning.

Daytona took a 2-0 lead after four innings.

Palm Beach scored one in the seventh as Trevor Haskins launched his first professional home run.

Trevor Haskins

Daytona grabbed an insurance run in the eighth to move ahead 3-1. Palm Beach failed to answer.

The Cardinals scored just one run on nine hits. Haskins was 2-for-5 with a home run, the team’s lone extra-base hit. Michael Dattalo went 2-for-4. Luis Pino recorded two hits and a walk.

On the bases, Matthew Miura swiped his seventh bag.

On defense, second baseman Ryan Weingartner committed a fielding error.

Palm Beach is 60-67 overall, and 28-34 in the second half. They have been eliminated from playoff consideration.

Friday’s game: vs. Daytona, RHP Tyler Van Dyke (0-0, 0.77) vs. TBA. 5:30 PM CT.


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