Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 15, 2025

photo: Nathan Church (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 2-3 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis outfielder Nathan Church, mashed a ninth-inning, go-ahead two-run home run in a three-hit, three RBI game. Other standouts include Joshua Baez, Zach Levenson, Brycen Mautz, Ryan Campos and Jacob Odle.

Results for games played on Thursday, August 14.

Memphis Redbirds 5 at Charlotte Knights 4

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

Max Rajcic made his fifth start for Memphis. The right-hander pitched 5 ⅔ innings and allowed three runs on four hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.

Chris Roycroft fanned two across 1 ⅓ scoreless frames in relief. Gordon Graceffo yielded a run across the final two innings but kept the Redbirds in the game and picked up the win.

Charlotte took a 1-0 lead in the first inning.

Memphis tied the game in the top of the sixth. José Fermín hit a lead-off single and moved to second base on a wild pitch. Nathan Church walked. Jimmy Crooks singled, but Church was out upon being hit by the batted ball. Blaze Jordan drew a walk to load the bags. Fermín crossed home plate on a Matt Koperniak groundout to tie the game at one apiece.

The Knights responded with a two-run bottom of the sixth to move ahead 3-1.

The Redbirds plated two in the seventh to immediately erase the deficit and knot the score up once more. Bryan Torres led off the inning with a single. Torres moved to third via a passed ball. Church doubled home Torres to bring Memphis within a run at 3-2.

 Crooks blooped a single to score Church and tie the game at three.

The Knights took their third lead of the game with a run in the eighth to jump in front 4-3.

Down to their final three outs, the Redbirds made a final push. Fermín drew his second walk of the game. Church blasted a go-ahead two-run home run, his seventh long ball with Memphis, to give the Redbirds their first lead of the game at 5-4.

Nathan Church

The Redbirds stranded Charlotte’s tying run on base in the bottom of the ninth to seal the victory.

The Redbirds scored five runs on 11 hits. Church was a perfect 3-for-3, including a walk, a double, a two-run home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Crooks singled twice and drove in a run. Torres was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Fermín was 2-for-3, including a double, two walks, and two runs scored.

On the bases, César Prieto was caught stealing second base.

On defense, third baseman Gavin Collins committed a fielding error.

Memphis is 61-54 overall, and 20-22 in the second half.

Friday’s game: at Charlotte, RHP Ian Bedell (0-5, 8.00) vs. RHP Mike Clevinger (3-2, 4.38) 6:04 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 8, Wichita Wind Surge 1

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals bested the Wichita Wind Surge at Hammons Field on Thursday night.

Brycen Mautz, the reigning Texas League Pitcher of the Week, made his 20th start of the season for Springfield. The left-hander threw five innings and allowed one run on just one hit, three walks, and four strikeouts. Mautz earned his sixth win of 2025 and lowered his ERA in August to 0.54.

Brycen Mautz

Randel Clemente struck out two across two shutout frames in relief. Tyler Bradt followed with a scoreless eighth inning. Ricardo Velez finished the game with a scoreless ninth frame.

Springfield’s bats were hot from the start as they plated two runs in the first inning. Chase Davis blasted a lead-off home run on the first pitch for his ninth long ball of the year.

With two outs, Joshua Baez crushed his 10th Double-A home run, a solo shot, to double the lead to 2-0.

Joshua Baez

Wichita split the lead in half in the third.

Springfield answered with a five-run fourth. Baez lined a single and stole second base. Zach Levenson followed with his second Double-A home run in three games.

Zach Levenson

Ramon Mendoza pounded his 13th home run for back-to-back long balls and a 5-1 Springfield lead.

 Graysen Tarlow and Brody Moore singled. Davis reached base on a fielding error, with Moore to third and Tarlow home. Mendlinger lined the third single of the inning to score Moore and extend the lead to 7-1.

The Cardinals added a run in the eighth. Mendoza walked and moved to second on Tarlow’s second single of the night. Moore dropped a single into center field to bring Mendoza home and stretch the Springfield lead to 8-1.

Springfield flexed their muscles with four home runs in the first four innings in the victory.

The Cardinals scored eight runs on 11 hits. Levenson was 2-for-4, including a double and a two-run home run. Baez went 2-for-3, including a home run and two runs scored. Davis and Mendoza each blasted solo home runs. Moore singled twice, scored a run, and drove in a run. Mendlinger singled and recorded an RBI.

On the basepaths, Baez swiped his 26th bag with Springfield.

Defensively, catcher Tarlow made a throwing error. Right fielder Davis robbed a base hit on a sensational diving catch.

Chase Davis

Springfield is 72-39 overall, and 29-13 in the second half. They lead the Texas League North Division by four games.

Friday’s game: vs. Wichita, RHP Cade WInquest (4-6, 3.90) vs. RHP Ryan Gallagher (5-6, 3.64) 6:35 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 5 at Lake County Captains 6

The High-A Peoria Chiefs lost a close contest at the Lake County Captains on Thursday.

Chen-Wei Lin started for the Chiefs. The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings on two hits, no walks and four strikeouts.

Gerardo Salas surrendered four runs in one inning of relief. Christian Worley yielded two runs across two innings. Mason Burns fired shutout seventh and eighth innings with three strikeouts.

The Chiefs scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Ryan Campos and Travis Honeyman singled. Campos moved to third on an Andrew Sojka double play ball, with Honeyman out at second. Deniel Ortiz scorched a single to bring Campos home.

The Captains answered with four runs in the home fourth. Lake County added a run in the fifth to extend the lead to 5-1.

Peoria moved to within two with a pair of runs in the sixth. Campos walked. Honeyman reached on a forceout. Sojka singled and Ortiz drew a walk to load the bases. Josh Kross lined a single to bring Honeyman and Sojka home to bring the Chiefs closer at 5-3. Ortiz was thrown out at third base to end the frame.

Josh Kross

The Captains grabbed a run back in the home sixth to move ahead 6-3.

The Chiefs narrowed the gap to one in the seventh. Won-Bin Cho doubled and Jon Jon Gazdar was hit by a pitch. The runners advanced on a wild pitch. Cho touched home plate on a Jesus Baez groundout. Campos hit his second triple of the season to bring home Gazdar and put Peoria within a run at 5-4.

Ryan Campos

Peoria was unable to rally further in the loss.

The Chiefs scored five runs on eight hits. Campos was 2-for-3, including a walk, a triple, a run scored, and an RBI. Kross singled and tallied two RBI.  Ortiz walked, singled, and drove in a run. Cho doubled and scored a run.

On the bases, Ortiz was caught stealing third base.

The Chiefs turned two double plays in an errorless night.

Peoria is 43-66 overall, and 17-27 in the second half.

Friday’s game: at Lake County, LHP Braden Davis (4-1, 2.67) vs. RHP Sean Matson (3-3, 1.63) 6:00 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 0, Bradenton Marauders 4

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals were blanked by the Bradenton Marauders at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday.

Jacob Odle started for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched a career-high five innings and allowed one run on two hits, no walks, and a career-best eight strikeouts. Odle took the tough-luck loss.

Jacob Odle

Yordy Herrera surrendered two runs, one earned, with three strikeouts across 1 ⅔ innings of relief. Aaron Holiday fanned five and gave up a run over 2 ⅓ frames.

Bradenton took a 1-0 lead in the top of the fourth inning.

Palm Beach threatened to tie the game in the home fifth. Yordalin Pena lined a one-out triple. Chase Heath drew a two-out walk to put two runners on base, but both were stranded.

Yordalin Peña

The Marauders added to the lead with a run apiece in the seventh and eighth.

The Cardinals looked to chip into the deficit in the bottom of the eighth. Christian Martin led off with his 14th double of the season, but three consecutive strikeouts kept him from scoring.

The Marauders plated an insurance run in the ninth. Palm Beach was unable to answer.

The Cardinals scored no runs on five hits. Pena was 3-for-4 with a triple. Martin doubled. Jose Suarez singled. The lineup was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base.

Palm Beach did not record a stolen base.

On defense, shortstop Jonathan Mejia and first baseman Sammy Hernandez each committed a fielding error.

Palm Beach is 53-56 overall, and 21-23 in the second half.

Friday’s game: vs. Bradenton, RHP Ty Van Dyke (0-0, 0.00) vs. TBA. 5:30 PM CT.

DSL Cardinals 0 at DSL Mets Blue 9 (7 innings)

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals were shut out on just two hits by the DSL Mets Blue in a seven-inning road loss on Thursday.

Hendrick Cana started his fourth game for the Cardinals. The left-hander pitched three scoreless innings on one hit, three walks and two strikeouts.

Ricardo Fernandez allowed two runs over one inning in relief, taking the loss. Ryan Rodriguez surrendered five runs and recorded just one out. Kriscol Peralta secured two outs without allowing a run. Jarol Baez yielded two runs, one earned, in the sixth inning.

The Cardinals’ best threat came in the top of the first inning. Kenly Hunter reached first base on a missed catch error Hunter swiped second base and Sebastian Dos Santos walked. They executed a double steal but were stranded in scoring position following a strikeout and a double play.

The Mets Blue grabbed the lead with a two-run fourth and plated five in the fifth to extend their lead to 7-0.

The Cardinals looked to break through in the sixth but again could not cash in. Dos Santos took his second walk of the game. Yaxson Lucena legged out an infield single. After a rain delay, Cristofer Lebron walked to load the bases with one out. Back-to-back strikeouts ended the inning.

The Cardinals were 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position in the loss.

The DSL Cardinals scored no runs on just two hits, singles by Lucena and Christian Saez. Dos Santos and Lucas Takahashi each walked twice.

On the bases, Hunter swiped second base and third base for 24 steals on the year. Dos Santos stole his 11th.

On defense, second baseman Lebron made a throwing error. Catcher Juan Rujano was tagged with a passed ball. Hunter nailed a runner at home plate from center field.

The DSL Cardinals are 27-25 on the season. They dropped to third place in the DSL Southeast Division. The Cardinals will continue their road trip in a contest with the DSL Phillies Red on Friday.

Friday’s game: at DSL Phillies Red. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM CT.

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