The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-1 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, DSL Cardinals outfielder Yaxson Lucena, was 4-for-5 including a double and five RBI. Other standouts include Quinn Mathews, Jimmy Crooks, Joshua Baez, Ramon Mendoza, Yeferson Portolatin and Briam Reyes.
Results for games played on Thursday, August 7.
Memphis Redbirds 3, Durham Bulls 1
The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds won a tight contest over the Durham Bulls at AutoZone Park on Thursday.
Quinn Mathews started for the Redbirds. The left-hander was dominant as he threw a season-high seven scoreless innings on two hits, one walk, and nine strikeouts.
Quinn gets his first @LeBonheurChild strikeout!
📺: @FanDuelSN_MW pic.twitter.com/0cUg8SZkSV
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 8, 2025
⚔️ 21 swing-and-misses
🔴 9 K's in 7 IPMLB's No. 53 prospect Quinn Mathews (@Cardinals) logs his sixth scoreless start of the season — 4th for the Triple-A @memphisredbirds. pic.twitter.com/DypZAgDaXT
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) August 8, 2025
Skylar Hales allowed a run over an inning in relief of Mathews but still picked up his first win as a member of the organization. Gerson Moreno recorded one out in the ninth. Chris Roycroft secured the final two outs on two pitches in the ninth inning to collect his fifth save of 2025.
The game was scoreless until Durham scored one in the top of the eighth inning. Memphis immediately responded with a three-run bottom of the eighth to move in front.
Michael Siani began the frame with a triple. Gavin Collins reached on a fielder’s choice, with Siani home as the tying run, and Collins to second base via a throwing error. Bryan Torres put down a sacrifice bunt to move Collins to third base. Matt Koperniak walked and swiped second base to put two Redbirds in scoring position. Jimmy Crooks connected for his 17th double of the year to score Collins and Koperniak and give Memphis a 3-1 lead.
CROOKS DOUBLES ON THE 'DUEL
📺: @FanDuelSN_MW pic.twitter.com/M0ApXqYThE
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 8, 2025
The Bulls loaded the bases with one out in the ninth to put the Redbirds on the ropes. The threat was averted by Memphis and Roycroft with a game-ending double play.
TURN OF TWO FOR THE BALLGAME! pic.twitter.com/GoPDLxgfFn
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) August 8, 2025
The Redbirds scored three runs on just four hits. Crooks was 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Collins doubled and scored a run. Siani tripled and scored.
On the basepaths, Koperniak swiped his seventh bag. César Prieto was caught stealing second base.
On defense, third baseman Collins committed a fielding error.
Memphis is 59-50 overall, and 18-18 in the second half.
Friday’s game: vs. Durham, RHP Max Rajcic (3-4, 4.30) vs. TBA. 7:05 PM CT.
Springfield Cardinals 6 at San Antonio Missions 2
The Double-A Springfield Cardinals bested the Missions in San Antonio on Thursday night.
Ixan Henderson made his 19th start for Springfield. The left-hander threw four scoreless innings on four hits, two walks, and seven strikeouts.
Ixan Henderson racked up seven strikeouts tonight across four shutout innings in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/QJ4os8TUBo
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 8, 2025
Zane Mills struck out four across two scoreless innings in relief and picked up his fourth win. Leonardo Taveras yielded two runs, one earned, over 1 ⅔ innings. Austin Love finished the game with 1 ⅓ scoreless innings and a pair of strikeouts.
Springfield broke the scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth inning.
Chase Davis walked. Leonardo Bernal reached on a throwing error by the pitcher, with Davis home and Bernal to second base via a throwing error by the first baseman. Joshua Baez walked. Dakota Harris grounded into a forceout, with Baez out at second. Harris was caught stealing second base and stayed in a rundown long enough for Bernal to score and extend the lead to 2-0.
The Cardinals widened the lead with a four-run eighth.
Davis doubled and moved to third base via a wild pitch. Noah Mendlinger was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corners. Davis touched home plate on a Bernal sacrifice fly. After Mendlinger was picked off first base, Baez blasted his ninth Double-A home run, a solo shot, to move Springfield ahead 4-0.
Joshua Baez muscles up and goes the other way for a solo shot! pic.twitter.com/NWoZe5TnOK
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 8, 2025
Harris walked and came home on Ramon Mendoza’s 12th home run of the season, a two-run long ball, to stretch the lead to 6-0.
Ramon Mendoza tees off to left! Big inning for the Birds in San Antonio. pic.twitter.com/tgzmRgrX4F
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) August 8, 2025
Springfield never trailed in the win.
The Cardinals scored six runs on five hits. Mendoza drilled a home run for two RBI. Baez walked twice and hit a solo home run. Davis walked, doubled, and scored twice. Bernal scored a run and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly.
On the bases, Harris was caught stealing second base. Mendlinger was picked off first base.
On defense, catcher Bernal was tagged with a passed ball. The Cardinals did not commit an error.
Springfield is 66-39 overall, and 23-13 in the second half. They hold a four-game lead in the Texas League North Division.
Friday’s game: at San Antonio, LHP Brycen Mautz (4-2, 3.22) vs. RHP Eric Yost (5-7, 2.79) 7:05 PM CT.
Peoria Chiefs 0, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 9
The High-A Peoria Chiefs were blanked by the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers at Dozer Park on Thursday.
Jason Savacool made his ninth start for the Chiefs. The right-hander pitched just 1 ⅔ innings and allowed four runs on three hits, two walks, and one strikeout. Savacool took the loss.
Christian Worley surrendered two runs across 2 ⅓ innings in relief. Benjamin Arias yielded a pair of runs with two strikeouts over two innings. Tanner Jacobson fanned four and gave up one run across two innings. With the Chiefs down 9-0, catcher Chase Adkison made his professional debut on the mound and tossed a scoreless ninth inning.
Wisconsin scored five runs in the second inning to take the early lead. The Timber Rattlers added one in the fifth, two in the sixth, and one in the seventh to stretch the lead to 9-0.
Peoria’s best threat came in the bottom of the ninth, but they failed to avert the shutout. Jesus Baez and Zach Levenson walked and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Ian Petrutz drew a free pass to load the bases, but all three runners were stranded.
The Chiefs scored no runs on three hits. Tre Richardson was 2-for-3 with a double. Baez walked and singled.
The Chiefs did not record a stolen base.
On defense, left fielder Petrutz made a throwing error.
Peoria is 42-62 on the season, and 16-23 in the second half.
Friday’s game: vs. Wisconsin, LHP Braden Davis (3-1, 2.84) vs. LHP Sam Garcia (6-8, 4.00) 7:05 PM CT.
Palm Beach Cardinals at Dunedin Blue Jays (postponed)
The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals’ Thursday contest at the Dunedin Blue Jays was postponed due to inclement weather. The game will be made up on Friday as part of a doubleheader.
Palm Beach is 51-52 on the season, and 19-19 in the second half.
Thursday’s games: RHP Jacob Odle (0-1, 5.76) vs. TBA, RHP Nelfy Ynfante (3-5, 5.81) vs. TBA. First pitch for game one is scheduled for 4:00PM CT. Game two is slated to follow shortly after the conclusion of game one.
DSL Cardinals 18, DSL NYY Bombers 7
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals crushed the DSL NYY Bombers in a home contest on Thursday.
Hendrick Cana made his third career start for the Cardinals. The left-hander pitched 3 ⅓ innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits, two walks, and three strikeouts.
Reiner Lopez yielded two runs and recorded two outs. Briam Reyes fanned three across three scoreless innings and collected his fifth win. Ryan Rodriguez tossed the final two frames and gave up one run.
The NYY Bombers scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning.
The Cardinals responded with a big seven-run bottom of the first. Yeferson Portolatin drew a lead-off walk. Royelny Strop was hit by a pitch and Sebastian Dos Santos walked to load the bases. Portolatin crossed home plate on a balk. Yaxson Lucena doubled home Strop and Dos Santos. Cristofer Lebron and Christian Saez took back-to-back walks to reload the bases. Michael Cordero drew a bases loaded walk to bring Lucena home. Hector Cabrera took a second consecutive bases loaded walk, the fourth free pass in a row and the sixth of the inning, to score Lebron for a 5-1 lead. Saez touched home plate via a wild pitch. With two outs, Cordero came home on the second balk of the frame. Strop and Dos Santos drew back-to-back walks to reload the bases, but they were stranded. The Cardinals walked eight times in the first inning.
The Cardinals added a run in the second. Lebron reached base on a throwing error and swiped second base. Cabrera hit an infield RBI single for an 8-1 lead.
The NYY Bombers plated a pair of runs in the top of the third.
The Cardinals answered with a five-run home third.
Portolatin doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. Strop walked. Lucena legged out an infield single to bring Portolatin home. Lebron smoked a double to plate Strop and Lucena. Lebron advanced to third base on a flyout and scored via a wild pitch. Cordero walked, Cabrera singled, and Lucas Takahashi took a free pass to load the bases. Portolatin walked to bring Cordero home and stretch the Cardinals’ lead to 13-3.
The NYY Bombers dented the Cardinal lead with a run in the fourth and two in the fifth to move the score to 13-6.
The Cardinals put together their second five-run inning in the home fifth. Cordero was hit by a pitch and Cabrera and Takahashi drew back-to-back walks to load the bases. Portolatin drew his second bases-loaded walk of the game to force Cordero home. Dos Santos took a walk to score Cabrera. Takahashi touched home plate on a wild pitch. Lucena singled to plate Portolatin and Dos Santos and break the game open further at 18-6.
The Cardinals scored 18 runs on 10 hits and 17 walks. Lucena was 4-for-5, including a double, two runs scored, and a career-high five RBI. Portolatin was 2-for-4, including three walks, a double, three runs scored, and two RBI. Lebron walked twice, doubled, scored three runs, and drove in two. Cabrera was 2-for-4 with two walks, a run scored, and two RBI. Takahashi singled, walked twice, and scored a run.
On the bases, Strop stole his second bag. Lebron swiped his 10th.
Defensively, shortstop Dos Santos made a throwing error. Pitcher Cana picked a runner off first base.
The DSL Cardinals are 25-22 on the season. They reside in second place behind the DSL Marlins, five games back of first place. The Cardinals will continue their homestand with a contest against the DSL Tigers 1 on Friday.
Friday’s game: vs. DSL Tigers 1. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 10:00 AM CT.
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