photo: Nelson Velazquez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 2-2 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis RF Nelson Velázquez, singled, homered and drove in four. Other standouts include Jimmy Crooks, Blaze Jordan, César Prieto, Joshua Báez, José Suárez and Tai Peete.
Results for games played on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.
The Triple-A Redbirds beat the Tides by a 9-7 score in Norfolk on Wednesday. Starter Bruce Zimmermann pitched five innings, gave up six runs, four earned, on 10 hits, walked one and fanned nine and received his second win.
Luis Gastelum relieved Zimmerman and surrendered one run in the sixth. Hancel Rincon threw two scoreless innings. Max Rajcic tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his first save.
Memphis went up 2-0 in the second inning. César Prieto, Blaze Jordan and Bligh Madris singled. Nelson Velázquez plated Prieto and Jordan on a single.
The Redbirds added a run in the top of the third to lead 3-0. Jimmy Crooks and Prieto singled, then advanced on a wild pitch. Jordan walked. Crooks scored on a force out by Madris.
Norfolk answered in the bottom of the third with three runs to tie the game.
In the top of the fourth, Memphis took a 6-3 lead on a three-run home run by Crooks.
CROOKS IS CLUTCH!!!!
THREE-RUN @LennysSubs LONGBALL TO PUT US IN FRONT!#LennysLongball pic.twitter.com/hqYTNLVCrx
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) April 23, 2026
The Tides tied the game again with three runs in the home half of the fourth. In the fifth, the Redbirds scored two runs on a home run by Velázquez.
VELÁZQUEZ BREAKS THE TIE WITH A @LennysSubs LONGBALL!#LennysLongball pic.twitter.com/vNqq9YlmXq
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) April 23, 2026
Memphis added a run in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Joshua Báez to extend the lead to 9-6.
Norfolk put up a run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to 9-7.
The Memphis offense scored nine runs on 11 hits. Crooks was 2-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Velázquez was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Jordan was 2-for-3 with two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-5. Báez scored two runs.
Bryan Torres stole his fourth base of the season and made a fielding error. Zimmerman had a throwing error.
Memphis is 15-8 on the season and is in a tie for first place in the International League West.
Thursday’s game: at Norfolk, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-1, 3.63) vs. Levi Wells RHP (1-1, 5.40) 11:05 am CT.
The Double-A Cardinals fell to the RockHounds by the score of 7-1 at Hammons Field on Wednesday.
Starter Braden Davis pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits and fanned eight. Davis took the loss.
Cardinals No. 27 prospect Braden Davis had it working today: 5.0 IP. 5 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 8 K pic.twitter.com/2Ht5V0lw3R
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) April 22, 2026
Darlin Saladin relieved Davis and surrendered one run in 1 1/3 innings. Mason Burns yielded two runs in 1 2/3 innings. Edwin Nuñez relinquished two runs in 2/3 of an inning. Randel Clemente secured the final out of the ninth.
The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sac fly by Noah Mendlinger.
In the fifth, Midland took a 2-1 edge. The RockHounds added a run in the seventh, two in the eighth and two in the ninth without an answer from Springfield.
The Cardinals offense scored one run on two hits, both singles by Jeremy Rivas.
Rivas stole his fifth base of the season. Trey Paige was picked off first base.
Springfield is 6-11 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Midland, Mason Molina LHP (0-1, 3.77) vs. Kenya Huggins RHP (0-1, 4.82) 6:35 CT.
The High-A Chiefs beat the Kernels by a 5-2 score at Dozer Park on Wednesday.
Starter Tanner Franklin pitched four innings, gave up one run on four hits, walked one and struck out two.
Aaron Holiday relieved Franklin and threw two scoreless innings for the win. D.J. Carpenter surrendered one run in the seventh. Jack Findlay and Bobby Olsen each tossed a scoreless inning.
Cedar Rapids went up 1-0 in the third inning. Peoria answered in the fourth with three runs to take the lead. Jesús Báez doubled and scored on a single by Josh Kross. Jalin Flores followed with a two-run home run.
First home run of the season for Jalin Flores ✅
The @TexasBaseball product puts the Chiefs ahead 3-1 in the fourth 💣 pic.twitter.com/DoeiwNqZkl
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) April 22, 2026
The Kernels cut the Peoria lead to 3-2 in the top of the seventh.
In the bottom of the inning, the Chiefs extended their lead to 5-2. Cade McGee was hit by a pitch and José Suárez doubled. Ian Petrutz plated both runners on a single.
Ian Petrutz added two insurance runs for the Chiefs with a base hit in the seventh! pic.twitter.com/AzLz2aYLis
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) April 22, 2026
Peoria scored five runs on eight hits. Tai Peete was 2-for-4. Suárez was 2-for-3. Flores and Petrutz each had two RBI.
Peete was caught stealing twice. Suárez was also caught stealing. Peete was picked off first base.
Peoria is 7-9 on the season.
Thursday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids, Leonel Sequera RHP (0-2, 5.93) vs. Jason Doktorczyk RHP (2-2, 10:45) 6:35 CT.
The Cardinals fell to the Mets by a 5-2 score in Port St. Lucie on Wednesday. Starter Cade Crossland pitched 3 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked four and fanned six.
Liam Best relieved Crossland and finished the fourth. Jake Shelagowski surrendered three runs in 3 1/3 innings and took the loss. Jovi Gálvez tossed the final 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Beach Birds scored first on a two-run home run by Brayden Smith in the second inning.
bonk! Brayden Smith with his first homerun of the season, bringing in two runs and getting the bird on the board🐦 pic.twitter.com/eP2kI8TRAz
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) April 22, 2026
St. Lucie tied the game in the fourth, added two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth to take the game 5-2.
Palm Beach scored two runs on six hits. Ryan Weingartner was 2-for-3. Smith had two RBI. The offense was 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base.
Weingartner was picked off and caught stealing but also successfully stole a base, his sixth of the season.
Jack Gurevitch made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 12-5 on the season and lead St. Lucie by three games in the Florida State League East.
Thursday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBD (PB) vs. Connor Ware LHP (1-1, 3.72) 5:10 CT.
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