Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 20, 2026

photo: Leonardo Bernal (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-1 on Sunday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis catcher Leo Bernal, was 3-for-3 including a game-tying home run plus a walk and three RBI. Other standouts include Blaze Jordan, Max Rajcic, Liam Doyle, Yhoiker Fajardo, Won-Bin Cho, Rainiel Rodriguez, Ryan Mitchell and Ryan Weingartner.

Results for games played on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 6, Gwinnett Stripers 5

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds staged a late-inning rally to win the series finale over the Gwinnett Stripers at AutoZone Park on Sunday.

Hunter Dobbins made his fourth start for Memphis. The rehabbing right-hander pitched 3 ⅓ innings and allowed three runs on six hits, no walks, and two strikeouts. Dobbins did not return to the game following a rain delay during the fourth inning.

When play resumed, Scott Blewett yielded a run with a pair of strikeouts across 2 ⅔ innings. Cade Winquest gave up a run in the seventh inning, his first appearance of the season after being returned by the New York Yankees. Max Rajcic fired two shutout frames with two strikeouts to collect his second win of 2026.

The Redbirds charged ahead early with a three-run first inning. César Prieto led off with a single. Joshua Báez was hit by a pitch and Jimmy Crooks walked to load the bases. Blaze Jordan lined a two-run single to score Prieto and Báez, with Crooks to third base.

Blaze Jordan

Jordan stole second base to move into scoring position. With one out, Leo Bernal scorched a single to bring Crooks home and extend the lead to 3-0.

Leonardo Bernal

The Stripers plated one run in the top of the third, two in the fourth, and a run in the fifth to grab a 4-3 lead.

Memphis tied the game in the home fifth. Crooks walked and advanced to third base on a double from Jordan. Colton Ledbetter reached on a fielder’s choice, with Jordan to third and Crooks out at home. Bernal lined his second single of the day to score Jordan and knot the game up at four apiece.

Gwinnett regained a one-run lead at 5-4 with a tally in the seventh.

The Redbirds took a late lead with a pair of runs in the eighth. Bernal began the frame with his second home run of 2026, a solo blast, to tie the game at five.

Bligh Madris was hit by a pitch. Brody Moore doubled to move Madris to third base and put two Redbirds in scoring position. Madris crossed home plate on a sacrifice fly from Prieto to give the Redbirds a 6-5 lead.

Rajcic stranded the tying and the go-ahead runs on base in the top of the ninth to hold on for the win.

The Redbirds scored six runs on eight hits. Bernal was 3-for-3, including the game-tying home run and three RBI. Jordan was 2-for-4 with a double, a run scored, and two RBI. Prieto singled, walked, scored, and drove in the go-ahead run. Moore doubled. Crooks drew two walks.

On the bases, Jordan swiped his second bag of the season. Bernal stole his third base of 2026.

Defensively, catcher Bernal made a throwing error.

Memphis is 14-7 on the season following the series split with Gwinnett. They hold a one-game lead over the Stripers in the International League West Division. The Redbirds are off Monday and will travel to Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia, for a six-game series with the Norfolk Tides, beginning Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: at Norfolk (BAL). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 1 at Wichita Wind Surge 3

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals dropped a close contest to the Wind Surge in Wichita on Sunday, their third consecutive loss and 10th in their last 11 games.

Liam Doyle made his third start for Springfield. The left-hander pitched a career-high four innings and allowed one run on two hits, one walk, and career-best five strikeouts.

Liam Doyle

Despite walking four batters, Michael Watson tossed a scoreless fifth thanks to a caught stealing and lowered his ERA to 1.35. Domenic Picone followed with a shutout sixth. Mason Burns surrendered a run across 1 ⅓ innings with three strikeouts and took the loss. Randel Clemente yielded a run across ⅔ of an inning.

Wichita took a 1-0 lead with a run in the third inning.

Springfield tied the game in the sixth. Miguel Ugueto was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Ryan Campos doubled Ugueto home and narrowly missed his second home run of the year.

Ryan Campos

The Wind Surge scored two runs in the home sixth to grab a 3-1 lead. Springfield was unable to rally in the final three frames.

The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. Campos was 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, and the lone Springfield RBI. Jon Jon Gazdar walked and doubled. Noah Mendlinger singled twice.

Ugueto stole two bags to increase his season total to nine.

The Cardinals did not commit an error.

Springfield is 5-10 on the season after taking just one of six from Wichita. They are off Monday as they return home to Hammons Field for a six-game series with the Midland RockHounds, starting Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Midland (ATH). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is slated for 6:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 11 at Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 1

The High-A Peoria Chiefs crushed the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers on the road in Sunday’s series finale.

Nate Dohm started his second game for Peoria. The right-hander threw two innings and allowed one run on one hit, four walks, and three strikeouts.

Dominic Freeberger tossed a scoreless third frame in relief of Dohm. Yhoiker Fajardo fired his season-high five scoreless innings and struck out five to collect his first win of the season and the third as a professional. Fajardo lowered his ERA to 1.42. D.J. Carpenter added a scoreless ninth.

Yhoiker Fajardo

The Chiefs struck first with a four-run top of the second inning. Josh Kross drew a leadoff walk and Cade McGee was hit by a pitch. Won-Bin Cho emptied the bases on his first home run of 2026, a three-run shot, to put the Chiefs in front 3-0.

Won-Bin Cho

Miguel Villarroel walked and moved all the way to third base on a wild pitch. Tai Peete reached on a fielder’s choice, with Villarroel safe at home for a 4-0 Chiefs lead.

Wisconsin scored a run in the home second to trim the lead to three.

Peoria took the run back in the third. With two outs, McGee and Cho took back-to-back walks. José Suárez was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Villarroel drew his second free pass of the day to force McGee home and extend Peoria’s lead to 5-1.

Peoria added a run in the fourth. Jesús Báez and Jalin Flores hit back-to-back singles. Báez advanced to third base on a Kross flyout. McGee hit a groundball single to bring Báez home for the sixth Peoria run.

Cade McGee

The Chiefs scored a run in the fifth, their fourth consecutive scoring inning. Suárez began the frame with a double and a steal of third base. With two outs, Rainiel Rodriguez singled to bring Suárez home and stretch the lead to 7-1.

Rainiel Rodriguez

The Chiefs plated two more runs in the top of the seventh. Suárez singled and swiped second base to start the inning. Villarroel followed with a single to move Suárez to third base and put runners at the corners. Rodriguez scorched a double to score Suárez and Villarroel for a 9-1 Chiefs lead.

Peoria scored another pair of insurance runs in the eighth. McGee walked and advanced to third on a single from Cho. Suárez brought McGee home via a sacrifice fly, with Cho to second base.

José Suarez

Cho moved to third on a Villarroel groundout and came home on a double from Peete to grow the lead to 11-1.

Tai Peete

Peoria tallied six hits with runners in scoring position in the victory. The Chiefs scored 11 runs on 12 hits. Cho was 2-for-4, including a walk, two runs scored, a home run, and three RBI. Rodriguez was 2-for-5 with a walk, a double, and three RBI. Peete doubled for two RBI. Suárez went 2-for-3 with a double, two runs scored, and an RBI. Villarroel walked twice, scored twice, singled, and drove in a run. The lineup drew 11 walks as seven of nine hitters tallied at least one walk and four Chiefs drew two free passes.

On the basepaths, Suárez stole second and third to increase his season total to three. Báez stole his third bag of 2026. Peete swiped his second base of the year and was caught stealing second base. McGee was caught stealing second base. Rodriguez was picked off first base.

Defensively, Suárez nailed a runner at home plate from left field to highlight an errorless performance by the Chiefs.

Peoria is 5-9 on the season after taking two of five from Wisconsin. They reside in last place in the Midwest League West Division, four games out first. They are off Monday as they head home to Dozer Park for a six-game series with the Cedar Rapids Kernels, starting Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids (MIN). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 7, Jupiter Hammerheads 6

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals edged the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium to clinch the series win in Sunday’s finale.

Ty Van Dyke made his third start for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched 2 ⅔ innings and allowed three unearned runs on one hit, one walk, and six strikeouts. The hit was a three-run homer on his 61st and final pitch of the game in the third. Van Dyke holds a 0.00 ERA through 14 ⅓ innings this season.

Ruban Menes tossed 1 ⅓ scoreless frames in relief of Van Dyke and collected his third win of the campaign. Alex Breckheimer followed and yielded three runs with six strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings. Antoni Cuello recorded the final four outs of the game and notched his second save of 2026, the fifth of his career.

Antoni Cuello

Palm Beach opened the scoring with three runs in the second inning. Christian Martin hit his second double of the year. Heriberto Caraballo hit an infield single and moved to second base as Martin scored via a throwing error. Caraballo moved to third via a passed ball and Ryan Mitchell walked to put runners on the corners. Ryan Weingartner singled home Caraballo for a 2-0 lead, with Mitchell to third base. Weingartner stole second base and Mitchell scored on the play via a throwing error from the catcher for the third Palm Beach run.

Ryan Weingartner

Jupiter plated three runs in the top of the third to tie the game.

Palm Beach immediately regained the lead with four runs in the home half of the frame. Cameron Nickens singled, Martin walked, and Carabello singled to load the bags. Mitchell grounded a single to right field to bring Nickens and Martin home, with Caraballo to third base.

Ryan Mitchell

Mitchell swiped second base to move into scoring position. Caraballo crossed home plate via a wild pitch, with Mitchell to third base. Jack Gurevitch ripped a double to score Mitchell and stretch the Cardinal lead to 7-3.

Jack Gurevitch

The Hammerheads scored three runs in the eighth to move within a run, but Palm Beach held on to seal the win.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on eight hits. Mitchell walked, scored two runs, singled, and tallied two RBI. Weingartner went 2-for-4 with an RBI. Gurevitch doubled and notched an RBI. Martin drew two walks, scored twice, and doubled. Caraballo was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. The lineup went 5-for-10 (.500) with runners in scoring position.

Palm Beach was active on the bases. Weingartner stole three bags to increase his season total to five. Mitchell swiped his third base. Jonathan Mejía snagged his second steal of the year. Caraballo was caught stealing second base.

On defense, shortstop Mejía made a throwing error.

Palm Beach is 11-4 on the season after winning four of six from Jupiter. They hold a three-game lead in the Florida State League East Division. They are off Monday and will travel to Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida, for a six-game series with the St. Lucie Mets, beginning Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: at St. Lucie. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:10 PM CT.

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