photo: Nelfy Ynfante (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Wednesday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Palm Beach’s Nelfy Ynfante, pitched five innings of scoreless relief. Other standouts include JJ Wetherholt, who tripled and homered in his first Triple-A game, Josh Kross, Ian Petrutz, Deniel Ortiz and Romtres Cabrera.
Results for games played Wednesday, July 9.
Memphis 4 vs. Charlotte 10 (seven innings, game one)
The Triple-A Redbirds were pounded by the Knights by a 10-4 score at AutoZone Park in the first game of Wednesday’s twin bill. Starter Curtis Taylor pitched five innings, gave up eight runs, seven earned, on 11 hits. Including two home runs. He fanned four, walked one and took the loss.
Zack Weiss relieved Taylor and surrendered two runs in two innings.
Charlotte took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Memphis answered with two runs in the home first. Nathan Church doubled. Luken Baker doubled to drive in Church. Jimmy Crooks plated Baker on a single.
The Knights tied the game in the second, then added two runs in the third and four in the fourth to go ahead 8-2.
Batting second and playing shortstop, newly promoted JJ Wetherholt tripled with one out in the third but was stranded. It was his first Triple-A hit.
JJ Wetherholt is on base for the first time in AAA.
He hits this one to the right fielder who is staring right into the sun, and he can do anything with it even though it's hit right at him.
They'll call it a hit, almost certainly pic.twitter.com/woSoaPjOCP— Kyle Reis, 58% Neanderthal (@kyler416) July 9, 2025
The Redbirds scored in the fifth on a solo home run by Wetherholt to cut the lead to 8-3.
Shortstop JJ Wetherholt wastes no time notching his first career Triple-A home run in his first game with the @memphisredbirds.
Exit Velocity: 104.0 MPH
Distance: 424 ft.
Launch Angle: 24° pic.twitter.com/gZvBA2uNcW— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) July 9, 2025
Charlotte scored two more runs in the top of the sixth to lead 10-3. Memphis posted their final run in the home sixth. Crooks walked and advanced to second on a ground out by Matt Koperniak. César Prieto reached on an error and Crooks scored.
The Redbirds scored four runs on five hits. Wetherholt was 2-for-4, a triple and home run.
On defense, Michael Siani made a fielding error.
Memphis 4 vs. Charlotte 9 (game two)
By almost an identical score to Game 1, the Redbirds lost to the Knights in the nightcap of the twin bill on Wednesday.
Starter Zach Plesac pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up seven runs on eight hits, struck out two and walked one. Plesac’s record is now 0-5 as his ERA ballooned to 11.91 on the season.
Chris Roycroft relieved Plesac and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Andre Granillo hurled two scoreless innings following Roycroft. Michael Gomez was next with two unearned runs allowed in 2/3 of an inning. Oddanier Mosqueda secured the final out.
After two scoreless innings, Charlotte tagged Plesac for seven runs. Memphis answered with one run in the home half of the third. Bryan Torres drew a walk and stole second base. After an injury delay, Luken Baker pinch ran for Torres. Matt Koperniak doubled to bring Baker home.
The Knights tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh.
Down 9-1, the Redbirds scored three runs in the bottom of the final inning. JJ Wetherholt doubled to center field. César Prieto was hit by a pitch. Koperniak drew a walk. A wild pitch sent Wetherholt home, as the runners advanced. Matt Lloyd singled to drive in Prieto and Koperniak. The game ended on a ground out by Andy Yerzy.
The Redbirds offense scored four runs on eight hits. Lloyd was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Torres stole three bases.
On defense, Gavin Collins made a throwing error. Lloyd had a fielding miscue and also had an outfield assist at third base.
Memphis is 45-42 overall, 4-10 in the second half. They are in last place in the 10-team International League West, seven games back of first place Indianapolis.
Thursday’s game: vs. Charlotte, Tekoah Roby RHP (2-2, 4.91) vs. Bryse Wilson RHP (2-0, 0.96) 7:05 CT.
Springfield at Corpus Christi (postponed)
Wednesday’s game in Texas was postponed due to rain. It will be played on Thursday, July 10 as part of a doubleheader.
Springfield is 51-31 overall, 8-5 in the second half and is a half game back of a two-way tie between Arkansas and Wichita.
Thursday’s game: at Corpus Christi, Pete Hansen LHP (5-3, 4.11) vs. Nic Swanson RHP (1-2, 7.00) 6:35 CT. (game one); at Corpus Christi, RHP Max Rajcic (3-2, 4.22) vs. Joey Mancini RHP (0-8, 4.38) (game two).
The High-A Chiefs lost to the Kernels by a 10-5 score at Dozer Park on Wednesday. Starter Jason Savacool pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on six hits, fanned four and walked two.
Angel Gonzalez relieved Savacool and surrendered three runs in 2/3 of an inning for the loss. Tanner Jacobson yielded three runs in 2/3 of an inning. Michael Watson allowed one run in 1 1/3 innings. Dionys Rodriguez was the only Chiefs pitcher unscored upon as he tossed the final two innings.
The Chiefs took a 1-0 lead in the second inning. Ryan Campos was hit by a pitch. Josh Kross singled. Campos advanced to third and scored on a ground out by Ian Petrutz.
Peoria added four runs in the third. Jon Jon Gazdar was hit by a pitch. Travis Honeyman walked. Zach Levenson grounded into a force out with Honeyman out at second. Campos walked. Kross doubled to plate Gazdar and Levenson. Petrutz drove in Campos and Kross on a single.
Staked to a 5-0 lead, Savacool couldn’t get through the fifth as Cedar Rapids put up four runs. The visitors stormed past with five runs in the sixth and one in the seventh to take the lead 10-5.
The Peoria offense scored five runs on four hits. Kross was 2-for-4 with two RBI. Petrutz drove in three. Campos scored two runs.
On defense, Michael Curialle made two throwing errors.
Peoria is 35-46 overall, 9-7 in the second half, and is in second place in the Midwest League West, two games back of Quad Cities.
Thursday’s game: vs. Cedar Rapids, Jose Davila RHP (3-3, 5.75) vs. Jose Olivares RHP (3-3, 4.25) 6:35 CT.
Palm Beach 3, Dunedin 2 (10 innings)
The Low-A Cardinals edged the Blue Jays in extra innings on Wednesday at Roger Dean Stadium. Starter Jacob Odle pitched three innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out three and walked three.
Nelfy Ynfante relieved Odle and threw five scoreless innings on just two hits, a walk and with four strikeouts. Ernie Day hurled a scoreless ninth. Yordy Herrera allowed one unearned run in the 10th but still received the win.
Dunedin took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Palm Beach did not score until the ninth with one run to tie the game and send it into extra innings. Deniel Ortiz singled, stole second and third base and scored on a wild pitch.
In the top of the 10th, the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead. In the home half, the Beach Birds walked off the win. Sammy Hernandez began the inning on second base. Bryce Madron walked. Anyelo Encarnacion singled to score Hernandez. Encarnacion stole third base and scored on a single by Christian Martin.
INF Christian Martin sends the @GoPBCardinals home with an extra inning walk-off single! pic.twitter.com/HzpohqGNwA
— Cardinals Player Development (@CardsPlayerDev) July 10, 2025
Palm Beach scored three runs on eight hits. Ortiz was 2-for-4. Jose Cordoba was 2-for-3.
On the bases, Ortiz stole two bases. Encarnacion swiped his 14th bag. On defense, third baseman Ortiz made a throwing error.
Palm Beach is 38-43 overall, 6-10 in the second half, and is in last place in the Florida State League East, four games back of St. Lucie.
Thursday’s game: vs. Dunedin, RHP Nolan Sparks (3-5, 4.72) vs. TBD 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals 6, FCL Astros 10 (seven innings)
The rookie Cardinals fell to the Astros by a 10-6 score on Wednesday. Starter Ronny Oliver pitched four innings, gave up three runs on two hits, fanned six and walked two.
Edwin Nuñez relieved Oliver and surrendered seven runs, five earned, in just 1/3 of an inning and took the loss. Juan Severino threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Bruno Lopez tossed a scoreless seventh.
The Astros went up 3-0 in the top of the third inning. The Cardinals answered with one run in the home third. Facundo Velasquez drew a walk and stole second base. Johnfrank Salazar hit an RBI single.
The Cardinals put up four runs in the fourth to take a 5-3 lead. Yoerny Junco walked and stole second base. Daniel Rojas reached on an error. Romtres Cabrera singled to plate Junco. Hancel Almonte drove in Rojas on a single. Almonte stole second base. Paulo Asprilla reached on an error, as Cabrera and Almonte came home.
The Astros responded with a seven-run top of the fifth to regain the lead 10-5. The Cardinals added just one more run in the home fifth. Yancel Guerrero walked, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Cabrera doubled to score Guerrero.
The Cardinals offense scored six runs on seven hits. Cabrera was 2-for-4 with two RBI.
The Cardinals were active on the basepaths with eight steals in nine attempts. Bracewell Taveras stole his ninth base of the season. Guerrero and Velasquez swiped two apiece. Rojas stole his eighth base. Junco stole his sixth base. Almonte swiped his second bag. Guerrero was caught stealing.
On defense, Salazar and Rojas committed throwing errors. Velasquez had a fielding miscue. Asprilla had a passed ball.
The Cardinals are 18-27 on the season and are in last place in the Florida Complex League East, 12.5 games back of the FCL Astros.
Thursday’s game: vs. FCL Mets, TBD vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
DSL Cardinals – Off day
The Dominican Summer League Cardinals did not play on Wednesday. At 15-12 on the season, the rookie-level club is in first place by one game in the seven-team DSL Southeast Division.
Thursday’s game: vs. DSL Angels, TBD vs. TBD 10:00 am CT.
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