Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 22, 2025

photo: Brayden Jobert (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 1-4 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria first baseman Brayden Jobert, was 3-for-4, including a three-run home run and four RBI. Other standouts include José Fermín, Max Rajcic, Darlin Moquete, Nolan Sparks, and Juan Rujano.

Results for games played on Saturday, June 21:

Memphis Redbirds 3, Norfolk Tides 7  

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds fell to the Norfolk Tides at AutoZone Park on Saturday.

Zach Plesac started for the Redbirds. The right-hander pitched four innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on four hits, three walks, and two strikeouts. Plesac took his third consecutive loss.

Zack Weiss surrendered three runs in one inning of work in relief of Plesac. Left-hander Oddanier Mosqueda fanned three across two scoreless frames. Matt Svanson allowed just one hit across the final two innings.

Norfolk scored the first run of the game in the top of the first inning. Memphis quickly tied the game in the bottom of the first.

Michael Siani drew a lead-off walk. Nathan Church singled. José Fermín lined his 20th double of the season to plate Siani and tie the game at one.

José Fermín

The Tides tallied a three-run third, and pushed across three more runs in the fifth to move ahead 7-1. The Redbirds chipped into the deficit with a run in the sixth.

Matt Koperniak led-off the frame with a double. César Prieto reached base on a fielding error, and advanced to second base, with Koperniak home on the play for a 6-2 score.

The Redbirds trimmed the deficit to four with a run in the seventh. Church and Fermín each singled to put runners on the corners. Church crossed home plate on a wild pitch to inch closer at 7-3, with Fermín to second base on the play.

Memphis was unable to rally further in the loss.

The Redbirds scored three runs on seven hits. Fermín was 2-for-4, including a walk, a double, and one RBI. Church was 2-for-4 with a run scored. Koperniak walked, doubled, and scored a run.

On the bases, Fermín swiped his 16th bag. Koperniak stole his fourth.

On defense, second baseman Torres committed a fielding error. Koperniak nailed a runner at second base from left field.

Memphis is 40-32 on the season. They will look to secure the series split with Norfolk on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: RHP Tekoah Roby (4-3, 3.92) vs. RHP Thaddeus Ward (5-4, 6.54) 1:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 5, Corpus Christi Hooks 3

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals won their four consecutive contest over the Corpus Christi Hooks at Hammons Field on Saturday.

Max Rajcic made his 13th start for the Cardinals. The right-hander threw 5 ⅔ innings and allowed three runs on six hits, two walks, and a season-high eight strikeouts.

Max Rajcic

Luis Gastelum fanned three across 1 ⅓ innings in relief of Rajcic to pick up his second win of 2025. Left-hander Nathanael Heredia followed with a shutout frame. Ricardo Velez tossed a scoreless ninth to collect his first save of the season.

The Cardinals took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.

Noah Mendlinger walked, and advanced to third base on a JJ Wetherholt single. Joshua Baez brought Mendlinger home with a sacrifice fly for the first run of the game.

The Hooks tallied a trio of runs in the third to take a 3-1 lead. Springfield moved within a run in the fourth.

Jeremy Rivas led-off the inning with a double, and moved to third base on a Trey Paige groundout. Rivas crossed home plate via a wild pitch to trim the Hooks’ lead to 3-2.

The Cardinals regained the lead with a three-run seventh inning.

Trey Paige reached base due to a fielding error, and moved to second base on the play to start the inning. Paige advanced to third base on a balk. R.J. Yeager walked to put two runners on base. Darlin Moquete launched his third home run of the season, a three-run blast, to put Springfield in front 5-3.

Darlin Moquete

Springfield stranded eight Hooks on base in the comeback victory.

The Cardinals scored five runs on eight hits. Moquete drove in three with a go-ahead three-run home run. Paige was 2-for-4, including a double and a run scored. Wetherholt walked and tallied two singles. Rivas doubled and scored a run. Baez did not record an official at-bat, as he walked three times and drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

On the basepaths, Wetherholt stole three bags to increase his season total to 12. Baez swiped his sixth base, and was also caught stealing second base.

Defensively, shortstop Rivas committed a fielding error. Catcher Carlos Linarez was tagged with a passed ball.

The first-half Texas League North champion Springfield Cardinals are 42-26 on the season. They will look to take five of six from Corpus Christi on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi, RHP Hancel Rincon (2-2, 4.17) vs. TBA. 6:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 6 at Great Lakes Loons 8

The High-A Peoria Chiefs lost a close contest to the Great Lakes Loons at Dow Diamond on Saturday.

Chen-Wei Lin started for Peoria. The right-hander tossed 2 ⅔ innings and allowed three runs on one hit, a season-high six walks, and tied a season-high six strikeouts.

Benjamin Arias yielded one run across two innings in relief of Lin. Left-hander Michael Watson surrendered two runs in 1 ⅓ innings and was charged with a blown save. Angel Gonzalez followed and allowed a run over 1 ⅓ innings, and took the loss. Dionys Rodriguez recorded the final two outs of the bottom of the eighth inning, and gave up a run.

The Chiefs’ bats caught fire to take a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning

Josh Kross led-off the inning with his first double at the High-A level. Zach Levenson doubled, with Kross to third base on the play. Brayden Jobert cleared the bases on his fifth home run of the season, a three-run shot, to put the Chiefs in front 3-0.

Brayden Jobert

Tre Richardson was hit by a pitch, and advanced to third base on a Jon Jon Gazdar single. Richardson touched home plate on a Travis Honeyman groundout, with Gazdar to second base on the play. Ian Petrutz ripped a double to score Gazdar for the fifth run of the inning.

Ian Petrutz

Great Lakes rallied for three runs in the third, a run in the fifth, and two runs in the sixth to move ahead 6-5. Peoria tied the game at six apiece in the eighth.

Zach Levenson began the frame with a single, and crossed home plate on a Jobert double to tie the game.

The Loons responded with a pair of runs in the home half of the eighth to take an 8-6 lead. The Chiefs failed to respond.

Peoria scored six runs on 10 hits. Jobert was 3-for-4, including a double, a three-run home run, and four RBI. Levenson was 2-for-5, with a double and two runs scored. Kross was 3-for-4, with a walk, a double, and a run scored. Petrutz walked, doubled, and drove in a run.

On the basepaths, Ryan Campos stole his seventh base.

On defense, the Chiefs did not commit an error.

Peoria is 27-40 on the season, and 1-1 in the second half. They will look to take the series finale on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Great Lakes, RHP Jose Davila (3-2, 6.04) vs. LHP Maddux Bruns (0-2, 14.54) 12:05 PM CT.

 Palm Beach Cardinals 0 at St. Lucie Mets 2

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals were blanked by the St. Lucie Mets on Saturday.

Nolan Sparks made his eighth start for Palm Beach. The right-hander twirled a career-high seven innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits, no walks, and five strikeouts. Sparks took the loss.

Nolan Sparks

Christian Worley tossed a scoreless bottom of the eighth inning with a strikeout.

Palm Beach entered the hit column in the sixth inning, looking to break the scoreless tie. Matt Lloyd lined a two-out single, but was unable to score.

St. Lucie plated two runs in the seventh to take a 2-0 lead. Palm Beach aimed to rally in the ninth.

Bryce Madron was hit by a pitch to begin the ninth, but was stranded on base.

Palm Beach did not move a runner into scoring position in the loss.

 The Cardinals scored no runs on just one hit. Lloyd walked and tallied the lone Palm Beach hit, a single. Anyelo Encarnacion drew a walk. The lineup drew just two walks and struck out 14 times.

The Cardinals did not steal a base in the game. On defense, shortstop Encarnacion made a throwing error.

Palm Beach is 32-35 on the season, and 0-2 in the second half. They will look to secure the series split with St. Lucie on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at St. Lucie, TBA vs. RHP Irving Cota (4-2, 3.92) 11:10 AM CT.

FCL Cardinals (off-day)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals are off on Saturday and Sunday, as they prepare for a home contest with the FCL Marlins on Monday.

The Cardinals enter play on Monday following a 3-2 victory over the FCL Nationals on Friday.

The FCL Cardinals are 14-16 on the season, and reside in third place in the FCL East Division.

Monday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.

 DSL Cardinals 2 at DSL Phillies White 3 (7 innings)

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals were walked-off by the DSL Phillies White in seven innings on Saturday.

Jarol Baez made his second professional start for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched two innings and allowed two runs, one earned, on three hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.

Daniel Gomez yielded one run and fanned six across 4 ⅔ innings in relief of Baez. Brailyn Paulino entered the game in relief of Gomez, but did not record an out, as he allowed the winning run to score. Gomez took the loss.

The Phillies White took a 2-0 lead after two innings. The Cardinals moved within a run in the fifth.

Royelny Strop drew a walk, and advanced to second base via a wild pitch. Juan Rujano singled in Strop to trim the Phillies White lead to 2-1.

Juan Rujano

Down to their last three outs, the Cardinals tied the game in the top of the seventh.

Yeferson Portolatin drew a lead-off walk. Sebastian Dos Santos reached first base on a forceout play, with Portolatin out at second base. Strop hit a ground ball single to put two runners on base. Rujano was hit by a pitch to load the bags. Dos Santos crossed home plate on an Edward Guribe sacrifice fly to tie the game at two.

The Phillies White pushed across a run in the home half of the seventh to walk-off the Cardinals.

The DSL Cardinals scored two runs on six hits. Rujano was 2-for-3, including a double and an RBI. Guribe singled and drove in a run with a sacrifice fly. Strop singled, scored a run, and walked twice. Dos Santos singled and scored a run.

On the bases, Dos Santos stole second base for his first professional steal, and was caught stealing third base.

On defense, first baseman Michael Cordero committed a fielding error.

The DSL Cardinals are 7-7 on the season. They are off on Sunday, and will play a home contest with the DSL White Sox on Monday.

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

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