Cardinals Minor League Notebook – August 17, 2025

photo: Michael Siani (Memphis Redbirds)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis outfielder Michael Siani, crushed a go-ahead two-run home run in the ninth inning. Other standouts include JJ Wetherholt, Blaze Jordan, Ian Petrutz, Michael Dattalo, Nelfy Ynfante, Daniel Gomez and Kenly Hunter.

Results for games played on Saturday, August 16.

Memphis Redbirds 9 at Charlotte Knights 6

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds won a thriller over the Knights in Charlotte on Saturday.

Aaron Wilkerson started for Memphis. The right-hander pitched four innings and allowed four runs on four hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

Left-hander John King threw a scoreless fifth inning in his first rehab outing with the Redbirds as he works to rejoin the Major League club. Fellow lefty Alex Cornwell yielded a run across the seventh and eighth innings. Chris Roycroft gave up a run over the final two innings but picked up the win.

Memphis struck quickly with a three-run top of the first inning. Nathan Church and Jimmy Crooks walked. Blaze Jordan crushed a three-run home run, his second long ball with the Redbirds, for a 3-0 lead.

Blaze Jordan

Charlotte tied the game at three apiece in the second.

Memphis regained the lead in the third. Church legged out an infield single and swiped second base. Crooks followed with a walk. The runners advanced on a Jordan groundout. Matt Koperniak connected for a single to bring Church and Crooks to the plate and move Memphis ahead 5-3.

Matt Koperniak

The Knights plated single runs in the third and eighth innings to knot the game up at five apiece.

Memphis responded with a big ninth inning. César Prieto was hit by a pitch. Michael Siani followed with his eighth home run of the season, a two-run blast, to move the Redbirds ahead 7-5.

Michael Siani

Mike Antico lined a single and scored on JJ Wetherholt’s ninth Triple-A home run to extend the lead to 9-5.

JJ Wetherholt

Memphis flexed their muscles with three round-trippers in the victory. The Redbirds scored nine runs on 11 hits. Jordan crushed a home run for three RBI. Siani and Wetherholt each mashed two-run home runs. Koperniak was 3-for-5 with a double and two RBI. Crooks singled, walked twice, and scored two runs. José Fermín tallied a walk and a double.

On the bases, Church swiped his ninth bag at the Triple-A level. Fermín was caught stealing second base.

On defense, catcher Crooks was tagged with a passed ball. The Redbirds turned two double plays.

Memphis is 63-54 overall, and 22-22 in the second half. They will look to take five of six from Charlotte on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Charlotte, RHP Curtis Taylor (7-4, 3.64) vs. RHP Jonathan Cannon (1-0, 5.63) 4:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 0, Wichita Wind Surge 6

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals were shut out by the Wichita Wind Surge at Hammons Field on Saturday.

Pete Hansen started his 22nd game for the Cardinals. The left-hander threw 5 ⅓ innings and allowed four runs on six hits, one walk, and six strikeouts. Hansen took the loss.

Michael Watson yielded a run across 1 ⅔ innings in relief. Leonardo Taveras struck out four and gave up a run over the final two frames.

The Cardinals threatened in the first inning. Leonardo Bernal and Joshua Baez lined back-to-back two-out singles but were stranded.

Springfield had another opportunity to score first in the second inning. Trey Paige and Ramon Mendoza singled but remained on base.

Wichita broke the scoreless tie with two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth to grab a 5-0 lead. The Wind Surge added a run in the ninth. The Cardinals were unable to find a groove offensively.

The Cardinals scored no runs on eight hits, all singles. Baez, Bernal, and Paige went 2-for-4. Although the lineup struck out just twice, no hitter drew a walk. Springfield left seven runners on base.

The Cardinals did not record a stolen base.

On defense, center fielder Miguel Ugueto committed a fielding error.

Springfield is 72-41 overall, and 29-15 in the second half. Their lead in the Texas League North Division is down to two games. The Cardinals look to clinch the series victory on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Wichita, RHP Tyler Bradt (1-4, 3.10) vs. C.J. Culpepper (0-1, 2.27) 1:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 2 at Lake County Captains 3

The High-A Peoria Chiefs’ late-inning rally came just short in a close loss at the Lake County Captains on Saturday, their sixth consecutive defeat.

Frank Elissalt was the opener for Peoria. The right-hander tossed one inning and allowed two runs on two hits, one walk, and one strikeout. After throwing 26 pitches, 14 for strikes, Elissalt took the loss.

Darlin Saladin threw 3 ⅓ innings and yielded a run with a pair of strikeouts in long relief. Benjamin Arias fanned two across 2 ⅔ scoreless innings.

The Captains took a 3-0 lead after a two-run first inning and a run in the fifth.

The Chiefs entered the scoring column in the seventh. Won-Bin Cho led-off the frame with his third home run of the season.

Won-Bin Cho

Down to their last three outs, Peoria threatened but fell just short. With two outs, Chase Adkison singled. Ian Petrutz lined his 16th double on the year to plate Adkison and bring the Chiefs within one at 3-2.

Ian Petrutz

The Chiefs scored two runs on six hits. Petrutz was 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Cho blasted a solo home run. Adkison walked, singled twice, and scored a run.

On the bases, Cho was picked off first base and caught stealing second base.

The Chiefs did not commit an error.

Peoria is 43-68 overall, and 17-29 in the second half. They will look to salvage the series finale on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Lake County, RHP Jose Davila (3-6, 5.86) vs. LHP Rafe Schlesinger (4-6, 3.18) 12:00 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 5, Bradenton Marauders 3

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals edged the Bradenton Marauders in a comeback win at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Saturday.

Nelfy Ynfante started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed three runs, one earned, on six hits, one walk and three strikeouts.

Alan Reyes struck out three across two shutout frames in relief. Zack Showalter fired a scoreless eighth and ninth inning with three strikeouts to collect his second win.

Bradenton grabbed a 2-0 lead with single runs in the top of the first and second innings.

Palm Beach split the lead in half in the home second as Sammy Hernandez crushed his second home run of 2025, a solo shot.

Sammy Hernandez

The Marauders took the run back in the third.

The Cardinals rallied to tie the game at three apiece in the fourth. Jalin Flores walked, Jose Suarez was plunked, and Hernandez walked to load the bases with no outs. After a popout and a strikeout, Michael Dattalo drew a bases-loaded walk to bring in Flores. Rainiel Rodriguez took a second consecutive bases-loaded walk to bring Suarez home and tie the game at three.

Michael Dattalo

Palm Beach grabbed their first lead in the eighth. With two outs, Dattalo was hit by a pitch and moved to third on a Rodriguez double. Jose Cordoba reached on a fielding error, as both runners scored to give the Cardinals a 5-3 lead.

Palm Beach stranded nine Bradenton baserunners en route to the victory.

The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits. Dattalo was a perfect 3-for-3, including a walk, a run scored, three doubles, and an RBI. Rodriguez walked three times and hit an RBI-double. Hernandez walked and hit a solo home run. The lineup drew eight walks and struck out just five times.

On the bases, Cordoba was picked off at second base and caught stealing third. Christian Martin was picked off first.

On defense, shortstop Martin and second baseman Jonathan Mejia each committed a fielding error. Left fielder Cordoba made a throwing error. Catcher Rodriguez committed a pickoff error. Suarez nailed a runner at home plate from right field. Catcher Rodriguez picked a runner off third base.

Palm Beach is 55-56 overall, and 23-23 in the second half. They look to win the series over Bradenton on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Bradenton, RHP Leonel Sequera (5-8, 3.91) vs. TBA. 11:30 AM CT.

DSL Cardinals 8, DSL Marlins 0 (7 innings)

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals shut out the first-place DSL Marlins in a seven-inning home contest on Saturday.

Earle Zulueta made his fifth career start for the Cardinals. The right-hander threw three scoreless innings on two hits, no walks, and three strikeouts.

Earle Zulueta

Daniel Gomez fired four shutout frames on three hits, one walk, and five strikeouts in relief and collected his first professional win.

Daniel Gomez

The Cardinals jumped in front with a three-run first inning. Kenly Hunter led off with a single and he stole second base. Royelny Strop and Juan Rujano walked to load the bags. Cristofer Lebron reached on a forceout, with Rujano out at second. Hunter and Strop scored on the play due to a missed catch error by the first baseman. Lebron came around to score on two wild pitches and a passed ball to extend the lead to 3-0.

The Cardinals added a run in the third. Lebron singled and swiped second. Lebron took third base via a passed ball and scored on a Yeferson Portolatin single for a 4-0 lead.

Cristofer Lebron

The Cardinals doubled their lead with a four-run fifth. Portolatin was hit by a pitch, stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Juan Pablo Cabrera lined an RBI single. Michael Cordero reached on a forceout, with Cabrera out at second base. Lucas Takahashi walked. Hunter singled to plate Cordero. Rujano brought Takahashi home with a single. Lebron hit the fourth single of the frame to score Hunter to break the game further open at 8-0.

The Cardinals scored eight runs on 11 hits. Cabrera was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Hunter was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Lebron was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI. Rujano walked, singled, and drove in a run. Strop drew two walks, tallied the lone Cardinal extra-base hit, a double, and scored a run. Portolatin singled, scored a run, and drove in one.

On the basepaths, Hunter stole his 25th bag. Lebron swiped his 11th. Portolatin snagged his 21st bag and was caught stealing second base.

The Cardinals did not commit an error.

The DSL Cardinals are 28-26 on the season. They reside in third place in the DSL Southeast Division, five games behind the Marlins. The Cardinals are off Sunday and will play a road contest with the DSL Phillies White on Monday.

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

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