Cardinals Minor League Notebook – April 5, 2026

photo: Dakota Harris (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 1-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield third baseman Dakota Harris, blasted his second grand slam of the new season in a two-hit, four-RBI performance. Other standouts include Noah Mendlinger, Chase Davis, Mason Burns, José Suárez, Jalin Flores and Rubén Menes.

Results for games played on Saturday, April 4, 2026:

Memphis Redbirds vs. Norfolk (postponed)

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds’ game was postponed on Saturday due to rain in the Memphis area. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader on Sunday.

Memphis is 7-0 for the season and will look to extend their franchise-best start to the year. Sunday’s Game 1 is slated to start at 1:05 PM CT with Game 2 to follow shortly after the conclusion of the first contest.

Sunday’s games: vs. Norfolk. Game 1: LHP Brycen Mautz (0-0, 1.80) vs. RHP Levi Wells (0-1, 2.25) 1:05 PM CT.

Game 2: LHP Jared Shuster (1-0, 12.00) vs. RHP Nestor German (0-0, 3.60)

Springfield Cardinals 7 at Amarillo Sod Poodles 4

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals moved to 2-0 on the 2026 season as they edged the Sod Poodles in Amarillo on Saturday.

Braden Davis started for Springfield in his Double-A debut. The left-hander pitched 4 ⅓ innings and allowed three runs on four hits, three walks and seven strikeouts.

Austin Love yielded a run and fanned two hitters across 1 ⅔ innings in relief of Davis in his season debut. Lefty Michael Watson followed and tossed 1 ⅓ scoreless frames with three strikeouts as he collected the win in his first 2026 appearance. Mason Burns recorded the final five outs to collect his first save at the Double-A level.

Mason Burns

Springfield opened the scoring in the top of the first inning. Chase Davis launched his first home run of the season, a solo shot, to give the Cardinals the lead.

Chase Davis

Amarillo answered with a run in the home first and two in the second to grab a 3-1 lead.

Springfield responded with a four-run third inning. Davis began the frame with a single. With two outs, Noah Mendlinger was hit by a pitch and Travis Honeyman walked to load the bases. Dakota Harris belted a grand slam, his second in as many games and his third home run of the season, to put Springfield ahead 5-3.

Dakota Harris

The Sod Poodles made it a one-run game in the sixth before the Cardinals added a pair of insurance runs in the top of the ninth.

Ryan Campos began the frame with a walk and scored on Mendlinger’s first home run of the season, a two-run blast, to extend Springfield’s lead to 7-4.

Noah Mendlinger

Springfield’s pitching did not allow a hit with runners in scoring position in the victory.

The Cardinals scored seven runs on nine hits. Harris was 2-for-5 with a grand slam for four RBI. Mendlinger hit a two-run home run and scored twice. Davis went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs scored, and an RBI. Campos and Trey Paige tallied two hits apiece, including a double. Six of Springfield’s nine hitters drew a walk.

On the bases, Honeyman, Harris, and Paige each swiped second base for their first stolen bags of 2026.

On defense, catcher Graysen Tarlow made a throwing error.

Springfield is 2-0 on the season. They will look to secure the three-game road sweep with a win on Sunday. Mason Molina is slated to make his Double-A debut for the Cardinals on the mound.

Sunday’s game: at Amarillo. LHP Mason Molina (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Ashton Izzi (0-0, 0.00) 1:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 4 at Cedar Rapids Kernels 8

The High-A Peoria Chiefs fell at the Cedar Rapids Kernels on Saturday.

Leonel Sequera started for the Chiefs in his High-A debut. The right-hander threw 4 ⅓ innings and allowed five runs on six hits, three walks and five strikeouts. Sequera took the loss.

Bobby Olsen yielded two runs and struck out four in 1 ⅔ innings in relief of Sequera. Dominic Freeberger fanned three in an inning of work in his organizational debut. Christian Worley surrendered a run in the bottom of the eighth.

Dominic Freeberger

The Chiefs broke the scoreless tie with a three-run top of the fourth. With two outs, Jesús Baéz singled. Josh Kross singled with Baéz to third base and Kross to second base on a throwing error. Baéz crossed home plate on a wild pitch for the first run of the game, with Kross to third base.

Won-Bin Cho walked and swiped second base to put two runners in scoring position. Jalin Flores ripped a double to score Kross and Cho and extend the lead to 3-0.

Jalin Flores

The Kernels erupted for six runs in the fifth and one in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead.

The Chiefs narrowed the gap to three in the seventh. José Suárez hit his first High-A home run, a solo shot, to bring the Chiefs closer at 7-4.

José Suarez

Cedar Rapids took the run back in the eighth and Peoria was unable to rally further.

The Chiefs scored four runs on seven hits. Flores doubled and drove in two runs. Suárez tallied two hits, including a solo home run. Baéz and Kross each went 2-for-4 with a run scored.

On the bases, Cho swiped his fourth bag in two games.

Second baseman Miguel Villarroel committed a fielding error. Catcher Kross picked a runner off first base.

Peoria is 1-1 on the season. They will look to secure the road series win on Sunday. Blake Aita is scheduled to start for the Chiefs in his organizational debut.

Sunday’s game: at Cedar Rapids, RHP Blake Aita (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Nolan Santos (0-0, 0.00) 1:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 0, St. Lucie Mets 1

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals dropped a close rubber match to the St. Lucie Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.

Jack Martinez started for Palm Beach in his professional debut. The right-hander pitched three innings and allowed one unearned run on three hits, one walk, and five strikeouts. Martinez took the tough luck loss.

Jack Martinez

The Beach Birds’ pen combined for six shutout innings. Yordy Herrera threw a scoreless fourth. Rubén Menes followed with two scoreless frames. In his professional debut, Dylan Driessen struck out two in a shutout inning. Yadiel Batista fanned two in a scoreless eighth. Nelfy Ynfante pitched a scoreless ninth.

Dylan Driessen

St. Lucie scored the lone run of the game in the third inning. Martinez walked a batter who advanced to second on the pitcher’s wild pickoff attempt. The next batter singled in the runner.

Palm Beach mounted its best threat in the eighth. Cameron Nickens lined a single and stole second base. Trevor Haskins drew a two-out walk to put two runners on, but a strikeout ended the scoring chance.

The Cardinals scored no runs on just two hits. Haskins and Nickens each walked and singled. The lineup struck out 11 times collectively.

On the basepaths, Nickens stole second base for first steal at the professional level but was also picked off at first base.

Defensively, center fielder Yordalin Peña and catcher Alex Birge each made a throwing error. Pitchers Martinez and Ynfante were both charged with a pickoff error.

Palm Beach is 1-2 on the season. They are off on Sunday and Monday as they travel to Bradenton, Florida, for a six-game series with the Bradenton Marauders beginning Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: at Bradenton (PIT). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 4:30 PM CT.

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