Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 12, 2026

photo: Bligh Madris (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 2-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis first baseman Bligh Madris, was 3-for-4 including a double, home run, and three RBI. Other standouts include Brycen Mautz, Luis Gastelum, Joshua Báez, Jon Jon Gazdar, Blake Aita, Christian Martin, Jack Gurevitch and Trevor Haskins.

Results for games played on Saturday, April 11, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 6 at Charlotte Knights 4

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds edged the Knights in Charlotte on Saturday.

Brycen Mautz started his third game for Memphis. The left-hander pitched a season-high six innings and allowed one unearned run on three hits, two walks, and five strikeouts.

Brycen Mautz

Scott Blewett yielded three runs across 1 ⅓ innings in relief of Mautz but held on to collect his first win of the season. Luis Gastelum recorded the final five outs including a pair of strikeouts to secure his second Triple-A save.

Luis Gastelum

The Knights opened the scoring with a run in the bottom of the third inning.

Memphis grabbed the lead with a two-run top of the fifth. With two outs, Colton Ledbetter hit his first double of the year and scored on a two-run home run from Bligh Madris, his second long ball of the season, to move Memphis in front 2-1.

Colton Ledbetter

Bligh Madris

Charlotte tied the game at two apiece with a run in the seventh.

The Redbirds immediately regained the lead in the eighth. Madris lined a single to start the frame. Bryan Torres walked. César Prieto grounded into a force out at second to put runners at the corners. Joshua Báez crushed a three-run home run, his second blast of the season, to put the Redbirds back in front 5-2.

Joshua Baez

Charlotte scored twice in the home eighth to move within a run.

Memphis plated an insurance run in the top of the ninth. Ledbetter hit a two-out single and advanced to second on a passed ball. Madris ripped a double to bring Ledbetter home for his third RBI of the game and a 6-4 Redbirds lead.

Memphis pitching held Charlotte to just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the win.

The Redbirds scored six runs on seven hits. Madrid was 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Ledbetter went 3-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Báez crushed a home run for three RBI. Torres drew two walks.

On the bases, Ledbetter swiped his second bag of the campaign.

Defensively, catcher Jimmy Crooks made a throwing error. Center fielder Báez committed a fielding error.

Memphis is 11-3 on the season. They will look to secure the series win on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Charlotte. RHP Hancel Rincón (0-0, 13.50) vs. Jonathan Cannon (0-2, 8.31) 12:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 3, Tulsa Drillers 5

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals lost a close contest to the Tulsa Drillers at Hammons Field on Saturday.

Mason Molina made his second start for Springfield. The left-hander threw five innings and allowed four runs on six hits, two walks, and a personal Double-A-high eight strikeouts. Molina took the loss.

Mason Burns fired two scoreless, no-hit innings with three strikeouts in relief of Molina. Austin Love followed with a shutout eighth frame including two strikeouts. Ryan Murphy allowed an unearned run in the ninth inning.

The Drillers jumped ahead 4-0 with a run in the second inning and three in the sixth.

Springfield trimmed the lead in half in the home seventh. Jeremy Rivas began the frame with a single and stole second base. Graysen Tarlow walked. After a pitching change, Jon Jon Gazdar roped a single to score Rivas. Miguel Ugueto brought Tarlow home via a groundout to narrow the gap to 4-2.

Jon Jon Gazdar

Tulsa scored an insurance run in the top of the ninth to extend their lead to 5-2.

Down to their final three outs, Springfield looked to rally. Rivas drew a walk. Gazdar lined a double to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Rivas scored on a Ugeuto groundout to move Springfield within two runs at 5-3. The Cardinals were unable to rally further in the loss.

The contest marked Springfield Cardinals broadcaster Ned Reynolds’s final call of his career.

Springfield scored three runs on six hits. Gazdar was 3-for-4 with a double, the lone Springfield extra-base hit, and an RBI. Rivas went 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Ugueto drove in two runs.

On the basepaths, Ugueto swiped his fourth bag of 2026. Rivas stole his third base. Dakota Harris was caught stealing third base.

On defense, third baseman Noah Mendlinger committed a fielding error. Chase Davis made a highlight-reel catch in right field.

Springfield is 4-4 on the season. They will look to take the series finale on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Tulsa. RHP Brandt Thompson (1-0, 2.70) vs. RHP Payton Martin (0-1, 40.50) 1:15 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 3, South Bend Cubs 9

Thanks to an eight-run seventh inning by the South Bend Cubs, the High-A Peoria Chiefs fell 9-3 at Dozer Park on Saturday.

Blake Aita started his second contest for Peoria. The right-hander pitched 4 ⅔ scoreless innings on three hits, three walks, and a career-high nine strikeouts.

Blake Aita

Dominic Freeberger surrendered three runs over 1 ⅔ innings in relief of Aita and took the loss. Zack Showalter followed and allowed five runs while recording just one out. D.J. Carpenter struck out three over 1 ⅓ scoreless innings. Christian Worley yielded a run in the ninth inning.

The Chiefs struck first with a two-run bottom of the third inning. Jesús Baéz doubled and Won-Bin Cho walked with one out. Cho and Baéz executed the double steal. Josh Kross reached on a fielder’s choice as Baéz was out at home plate. Cade McGee singled to score Cho and Kross and give Peoria a 2-0 lead.

Cade McGee

The Cubs erupted for an eight-run seventh inning to jump in front 8-2.

The Chiefs cut into the deficit a bit with a run in the home eighth. McGee and Jalin Flores were both hit by pitches. Following back-to-back flyouts, Jose Cordoba lined a single to plate McGee for an 8-3 score.

Jose Cordoba

The Chiefs were just 2-for-17 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

Peoria scored three runs on six hits. McGee walked, scored a run, singled, and tallied two RBI. Cordoba singled, walked, and drove in a run. Cho, Baéz, and Miguel Villarroel each doubled. No Chief recorded multiple hits.

On the bases, Baéz stole third base for his first steal of the year. Cho snagged his sixth bag but was also caught stealing third base.

On defense, center fielder Cordoba nailed a runner at home plate to highlight an errorless night.

Peoria is 3-5 on the season. They will look to secure the home series split on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. South Bend. RHP Yhoiker Fajardo (0-0, 1.93) vs. RHP Koen Moreno (0-1, 94.50) 2:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 9 at Bradenton Marauders 7 (10 innings)

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals won a thriller over the Marauders in Bradenton on Saturday for their fifth consecutive victory.

Jack Martinez made his second start for Palm Beach. The right-hander tossed four innings of one-run ball on two hits, one walk, and five strikeouts.

Jack Martinez

Kaden Echeman

Kaden Echeman fired three scoreless innings with three strikeouts in relief of Martinez. Antoni Cuello followed and surrendered three runs in the eighth. Liam Best yielded three runs, one earned, and fanned three across 1 ⅔ innings but received his second win. Yordy Herrera secured the final out in the 10th to collect his first save with Palm Beach and the third of his career.

The Cardinals opened the scoring in the top of the second inning. Cameron Nickens hit a lead-off single and took second base via a wild pitch. Christian Martin doubled him home.

Bradenton tied the game in the home second.

Palm Beach regained the lead with a run in the fourth. Brayden Smith began the inning with a single. Martin and Trever Haskins walked to load the bases with no outs. Luis Pino brought Smith home on a slow groundout and a 2-1 Cardinals lead.

Palm Beach extended the lead with a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. Jack Gurevitch scorched his first double of 2026 and scored on a ground-rule double from Nickens. Smith lined a single to move Nickens to third base and put runners on the corners. Nickens crossed home plate on a Martin sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 4-1.

Bradenton plated three runs in the home eighth to tie the game. The contest remained deadlocked at five to force extra innings.

The Cardinals quickly grabbed momentum with a five-run top of the 10th inning. Ryan Weingartner began the inning at second base. Ryan Mitchell drew a lead-off walk. Gurevitch hit his second double of the game to score Weingartner and Mitchell to put the Cardinals back in front 6-4.

Jack Gurevitch

Nickens was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second base with nobody out. Smith grounded into a forceout. Martin singled home Gurevitch for a 7-4 lead, with Smith to third base. Martin swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Haskins followed with a single to score Smith and Martin and stretch the Palm Beach lead to 9-4.

Trevor Haskins

The Cardinals held on to win the wild extra-inning contest.

Palm Beach scored nine runs on 10 hits. Martin was 2-for-3 with a walk, a run scored, a double, and three RBI. Gurevitch walked, doubled twice, scored twice, and drove in two runs. Haskins walked twice and hit a two-run single. Weingartner singled, scored a run, and walked twice. Nickens was 2-for-4 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI.

On the bases, Weingartner stole his first bag of the season. Martin swiped his first base of 2026. Gurevitch was caught stealing second base. Haskins was picked off first base.

On defense, second baseman Haskins committed a fielding error. Catcher Heriberto Caraballo was charged with a passed ball.

Palm Beach is 6-2 on the season. They look to sweep the six-game road set on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Bradenton. LH Pete Hansen (AAA rehab) vs. TBA. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.

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