Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 10, 2026

photo: Richard Fitts (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-1 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis starter Richard Fitts, threw five innings of one-run ball and lowered his ERA to 1.76. Other standouts include Bryan Torres, Brody Moore, Darlin Saladin, Jon Jon Gazdar, Tanner Franklin, Jesús Baéz, Rainiel Rodriguez and Jake Shelagowski.

Results for games played on Thursday, April 9, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 4 at Charlotte Knights 1

Behind strong pitching, the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds bested the Knights in Charlotte on Thursday.

Richard Fitts made his third start for Memphis. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed one run on four hits, two walks, and three strikeouts. Fitts earned his second win of 2026 while lowering his ERA to 1.76.

Richard Fitts

Max Rajcic fired 2 ⅔ shutout frames with a strikeout in relief of Fitts. Luis Gastelum held Charlotte scoreless over the final 1 ⅓ innings to collect his first save at the Triple-A, the 20th of his career.

The Redbirds opened the scoring in the second inning. Colton Ledbetter hit his first triple of the season and scored on Brody Moore’s single.

Brody Moore

Memphis doubled the lead in the third. Ramon Mendoza doubled and moved to third base on a César Prieto groundout. Jimmy Crooks lined a single to bring Mendoza home to extend the lead to 2-0.

Jimmy Crooks

Charlotte trimmed the lead in half with a run in the home third.

The Redbirds took the run back in the fourth for their third consecutive scoring inning.

Moore singled and Bligh Madris walked to put two runners on base with one out. Bryan Torres hit a ground ball single with two outs to put Memphis ahead 3-1.

Bryan Torres

Memphis added a run in the sixth inning. Moore and Madris hit back-to-back one out singles. Torres laced his second two-out single of the night to score Moore and move Memphis ahead 4-1.

The Memphis bullpen was lights out across four innings of three-hit shutout baseball.

The Redbirds scored four runs on 12 hits. Torres went 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. Crooks was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Moore tallied three singles, two runs scored, and an RBI. Ledbetter tripled on a two-hit night. Mendoza doubled and scored a run.

On the bases, Torres was caught stealing second base.

Defensively, third baseman Prieto made a throwing error. Ledbetter forced a runner out at first base from left field. The Redbirds turned four double plays in the contest.

At 10-2, Memphis is the first team at any level of professional baseball to reach double-digit wins in 2026.

Friday’s game: at Charlotte. LHP Bruce Zimmermann (1-0, 2.72) vs. LHP Hagen Smith (0-1, 3.00) 6:04 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 9, Tulsa Drillers 12 (10 innings)

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals fell in extra innings to the Tulsa Drillers at Hammons Field on Thursday.

Jurrangelo Cijntje started his second game for Springfield. The switch-pitcher threw exclusively right-handed and tossed three innings. The 22-year-old had a rough night, allowing six runs on six hits, five walks, and four strikeouts.

Darlin Saladin threw three scoreless innings with four strikeouts in relief of Cijntje. Left-hander Michael Watson followed with two no-hit innings and three strikeouts. Domenic Picone threw the final two frames and yielded six runs, five earned, as he took the loss.

Tulsa opened the scoring in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead.

Springfield tied the game in the home first. Jon Jon Gazdar and Zach Levenson walked to put runners at first and second base with one out. Ryan Campos singled to bring Gazdar home and tie the game at one.

Ryan Campos

The Drillers regained the lead with a run in the second.

Springfield answered with a four-run home second. Travis Honeyman began the frame with a double. Carlos Linarez singled to put runners on the corners. Gazdar crushed his second home run of the season, a three-run blast, to move Springfield in front 4-2.

Jon Jon Gazdar

Chase Davis followed with a walk. The outfielder swiped second base and scored on a Levenson double to extend the lead to 5-2.

Tulsa scored two runs apiece in the third and fourth innings to move back in front 6-5.

Springfield scored four runs in a wild fifth inning. Campos drew a leadoff walk and took second base via a wild pitch. Noah Mendlinger walked and Dakota Harris was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. With one away, Trey Paige took the third walk of the inning to force Campos home and tie the game at six. Linarez was hit by a pitch to plate Mendlinger for a painful RBI and a 7-6 Cardinals lead.

With Davis batting, Paige stole third base and Harris swiped home plate on a double steal for the eighth Cardinals run. In the same at-bat, Linarez swiped second base and Paige stole home plate for back-to-back steals of home and a 9-6 Springfield lead in a wild sequence.

Tulsa rallied late with three runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game. Springfield left the winning run at third base in the bottom of the ninth as the game headed to extra innings. The Drillers added three runs in the top of the 10th to take a 12-9 lead. Springfield was unable to respond.

The Cardinals scored nine runs on seven hits. Gazdar walked, scored twice, and hit a three-run home run for three RBI. Levenson walked twice, doubled, and drove in a run. Campos drew two walks, scored a run, and drove in a run. Honeyman went 2-for-4, including a double, a walk, and a run scored as the lone Cardinals with multiple hits. Linarez singled, scored a run, and tallied an RBI.

On the bases, Paige stole third base and home plate to increase his season total to three. Harris swiped home for his second steal of the year. Linarez stole his first base of 2026. Honeyman snagged his second steal.

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

Springfield is 4-2 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Tulsa. LHP Braden Davis (0-0, 6.23) vs. RHP Patrick Copen (1-0, 0.00) 6:35 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 5, South Bend Cubs 3

The High-A Peoria Chiefs won a close contest over the South Bend Cubs at Dozer Park on Thursday.

Tanner Franklin made his second start for the Chiefs. The right-hander threw three scoreless innings on two hits, one walk, and seven strikeouts.

Tanner Franklin

Gerardo Salas yielded two runs and fanned three across 3 ⅓ innings in relief of Franklin. Left-hander Jack Findlay struck out three and allowed a run over 1 ⅓ innings and picked up his first win with Peoria. Christian Worley tossed a shutout ninth frame to collect his first High-A save and the second of his career.

South Bend struck first with a run in the top of the fourth.

Peoria responded with a two-run bottom of the fifth to grab the lead. Sammy Hernandez smacked a lead-off double and moved to third base on a Tre Richardson III groundout. Miguel Villarroel lined a single to score Hernandez and tie the game at one apiece. Rainiel Rodriguez followed with a walk to put runners at first and second. Josh Kross singled to bring Villarroel home and give the Chiefs a 2-1 lead, with Rodriguez out at third base on the play.

Josh Kross

The Cubs tied the game at two with a run in the seventh.

The Chiefs immediately retook the lead with a pair of runs in the home half of the frame. Rodriguez smashed his second home run of the season, a solo shot, to put the Chiefs in front 3-2.

Rainiel Rodriguez

With two outs, Jesús Baéz crushed his first home run of the season, a solo blast, for a 4-2 Peoria lead.

Jesus Baez

South Bend moved within one run in the top of the eighth.

Peoria plated an insurance run in the bottom of the inning. Jose Cordoba drew a walk and swiped second base. Hernandez took a second consecutive walk, with Cordoba stealing third base on ball four to put runners at the corners. Richardson III singled to bring Cordoba home and extend the Peoria lead to 5-3.

Tre Richardson

Peoria pitchers stranded eight Cubs on base in the victory.

The Chiefs scored five runs on 11 hits. Baéz was 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Rodriguez drew three walks and blasted a solo home run. Villarroel singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run. Richardson II and Kross both singled and tallied an RBI. Cordoba walked, scored a run, and singled twice.

On the basepaths, Cordoba stole two bags to increase his season total to three. Villarroel was caught stealing second base.

On defense, center fielder Cordoba committed a fielding error. Villarroel threw a runner out at third base from left field.

The Chiefs are 3-3 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Peoria. RHP Leonel Sequera (0-1, 10.38) vs. Nazier Mulé (0-0, 0.00) 6:35 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 7 at Bradenton Marauders 4

The Low-A Palm Cardinals won their third straight contest over the Marauders in Bradenton on Thursday.

Ethan Young made his second start for Palm Beach. The right-hander tossed three innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Jake Shelagowski

Dylan Driessen fired a shutout fourth inning in relief of Young. Jake Shelagowski pitched four no-hit innings and struck out five. The 22-year-old earned his first professional win. In his Cardinals system debut, Patrick Galle fanned three hitters in the ninth and picked up his first professional save.

Patrick Galle

Palm Beach began the scoring in the top of the first inning. Jonathan Mejía singled and Yordalin Peña walked. Ian Petrutz followed with a single to score Mejía and put the Cardinals ahead 1-0.

Palm Beach doubled the lead in the second frame. Trevor Haskins doubled and Heriberto Caraballo walked. The two advanced on a double steal. Haskins crossed home plate via a Mejía groundout for a 2-0 lead.

Trevor Haskins

Bradenton tied the game at two apiece in the bottom of the second.

Palm Beach regained their two-run lead with a pair of runs in the third. Petrutz hit a lead-off single. Chase Heath singled, with Petrutz to third base and Health to second base on the play via an error. Cameron Nickens walked to load the bags with one out. Petrutz scored on a wild pitch to put Palm Beach back in front, with Nickens and Heath to second base and third base, respectively, on the play. Haskins brought Heath home on a groundout to bring Palm Beach ahead 4-2.

The Marauders tied the game once more with a two-run fourth.

The Cardinals scored three runs in the eighth to grab their biggest lead of the contest.

Haskins walked and stole second base. Caraballo reached on a throwing error, with Haskins coming home for a 5-4 Palm Beach lead. Ryan Weingartner ripped a double to move Caraballo to third base and put two runners in scoring position. Mejía walked to load the bags. Peña hit a ground ball single to plate Caraballo and Weingartner and stretch the lead to 7-4.

Yordalin Peña

Palm Beach relievers threw five shutout frames and allowed just one hit in the win.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on 11 hits. Haskins was 2-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored, a walk, and an RBI.  Peña singled and notched two RBI. Petrutz singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run. Mejía went 2-for-4 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI. Weingartner tallied two hits, including a double and scored a run.

On the bases, Haskins swiped two bags to increase his season total to three. Brayden Smith was caught stealing second base.

Defensively, left fielder Petrutz committed a fielding error. The Cardinals turned three double plays in the game.

Palm Beach is 4-2 on the season. They will look to extend their winning streak to four on Friday.

Friday’s game: at Bradenton. TBA vs. RHP Seth Hernandez (0-0, 3.00) 5:30 PM CT.

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