Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 28, 2026

photo: Mason Molina (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Springfield LH Mason Molina, threw 6 ⅔ scoreless innings with six strikeouts. Other standouts include Quinn Mathews, Jack Findlay, José Suárez, Jesús Pérez and Sebastian Rojas.

Results for games played on Saturday, June 27, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 3 at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 4

The Triple-A Redbirds dropped a close contest to the Jumbo Shrimp in Jacksonville on Saturday. In doing so, Memphis lost just its second series this season.

Quinn Mathews made his 14th start for Memphis and threw a no-hitter through five innings. The left-hander pitched a total of 5 ⅓ innings and allowed two runs on one hit, four walks, and seven strikeouts.

Quinn Mathews

While recording just two outs in relief of Mathews, Hancel Rincon yielded two runs, one earned, and took the loss. Cade Winquest fanned two in the seventh but was tagged with a blown save when a double against him allowed both runners inherited from Rincon to score. Scott Blewett struck out two in a shutout eighth.

Memphis struck early with a two-run top of the second inning. Nolan Gorman and Yohel Pozo took back-to-back walks and advanced on a Matt Koperniak groundout. Ramon Mendoza drew the third walk of the frame to load the bases. Noah Mendlinger singled to score Gorman and Pozo and put the Redbirds in front 2-0.

Noah Mendlinger

Memphis added a run in the fifth. Mendlinger walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Victor Scott II and Thomas Saggese walked to load the bags with one out. César Prieto brought Mendlinger home via a sacrifice fly to extend the lead to 3-0.

Jacksonville scored two runs apiece in the home sixth and seventh innings to jump ahead 4-3.

Down to their last three outs, the Redbirds looked to fight back. Bligh Madris walked and moved to second on a single from Scott II. Prieto walked to load the bases with two outs. Joshua Báez struck out to seal the tight loss.

The Redbirds scored three runs on six hits. Mendlinger walked, singled, scored a run, and collected two RBI. Prieto walked, singled, and drove in a run. Saggese walked and doubled for the team’s only extra-base hit. Gorman walked twice and scored a run. Despite drawing more walks than strikeouts (9-to-8), the Redbirds were unable to capitalize as they went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left 10 on base.

On the bases, Saggese stole his first bag with the Redbirds this season. Koperniak was caught stealing second base.

Defensively, pitcher Rincon made a throwing error.

Memphis is 48-32 overall and 1-4 in the second half. The series finale is Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Jacksonville. LHP Bruce Zimmermann (5-3, 4.09) vs. LHP Patrick Monteverde (2-2, 5.23) 1:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 4, Northwest Arkansas Naturals 0

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals blanked the Northwest Arkansas Naturals at Route 66 Stadium on Saturday.

Mason Molina started his 14th game for Springfield. The left-hander pitched 6 ⅔ scoreless innings on five hits, two walks, and six strikeouts. Molina earned just his third win of the year despite a strong 2.87 ERA. Four of the 22-year-old’s five outings this month have gone six innings or more.

Mason Molina

Domenic Picone secured the final out of the seventh inning. Lefty Jack Findlay struck out three across the final two innings to complete the shutout and collect his second save.

Jack Findlay

The Cardinals broke the scoreless tie in the bottom of the fourth. Deniel Ortiz doubled and stole third. Tre Richardson III reached on a fielder’s choice, with Ortiz thrown out at home. Richardson III swiped second and Trey Paige walked. Both runners moved into scoring position via a pickoff error. Richardson III scored on a passed ball for the opening run of the contest, with Paige to third base.

Springfield doubled the lead in the sixth at 2-0. Richardson III walked and swiped second base. Paige walked. Paige and Richardson III executed a double steal. Jon Jon Gazdar brought Richardson III home via a sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals doubled the lead once more with a pair of runs in the eighth. Ryan Campos lined a single and Richardson III walked. Paige grounded into a force out, with Richardson III out at second. Paige stole second and Gazdar walked to load the bases. Campos stole home for the third Springfield run, with Paige to third. Gazdar swiped second. Dakota Harris walked, with the wild ball four allowing Page to come home for a 4-0 lead.

Springfield pitching held the Naturals to 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

The Cardinals scored four runs on five hits. Ortiz doubled for the team’s lone extra-base hit. Gazdar tallied the only RBI on a sacrifice fly. Brody Moore was 2-for-4. Campos singled and scored. Richardson III walked twice and scored twice. Paige drew two walks and scored a run.

The Cardinals were busy on the bases. Ortiz stole third base for his first steal of the year. Richardson III swiped three bags for 10 Double-A steals. Paige snagged two bases to increase his season total to 13. Campos stole home for his 14th steal. Gazdar  recorded his ninth stolen base.

On defense, third baseman Ortiz committed a fielding and a throwing error. The Cardinals turned two double plays. Left fielder Travis Honeyman made a stunning diving catch.

Travis Honeyman

Springfield is 4-1 in the second half and 35-38 overall. They will look to take five of six from the Naturals with a win on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Northwest Arkansas. SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje (3-4, 5.07) vs. RHP Felix Arronde (3-2, 5.36) 4:35 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 4 at Beloit Sky Carp 3

The High-A Peoria Chiefs stole a win from the Sky Carp in Beloit with a ninth-inning rally on Saturday.

Leonel Sequera started his 14th game for Peoria. The right-hander threw 5 ⅓ innings and allowed three runs on seven hits, three walks and four strikeouts.

José Davila fanned two across 1 ⅔ scoreless frames in relief of Sequera. Dominic Freeberger fired a shutout eighth frame and picked up his third win. Bobby Olsen struck out two in a scoreless ninth to earn his third save.

Peoria opened the scoring with a run in the top of the first. José Suárez doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly from Jalin Flores.

Beloit scored a run in the home second and two runs in the third to move in front 3-1.

Peoria moved within a run in the fifth. Christian Martin and Suárez singled, with Martin to third base via a fielding error. Cade McGee hit a third consecutive single to score Martin and bring the Chiefs closer at 3-2.

Cade McGee

Down to their final three outs, Peoria looked to rally. Jose Cordoba and Suárez singled to put runners at the corners. Suárez stole second base, but as the ball rolled down the left field line, both Cordoba and Suárez scored to put the Chiefs ahead 4-3.

José Suarez

Peoria held Beloit to 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the win.

The Chiefs scored four runs on seven hits. Suárez was 3-for-5 with a double and two runs scored from the lead-off spot. McGee walked, singled, and drove in a run. Flores tallied an RBI.

On the bases, Suárez swiped two bags to increase his season total to 17. McGee and Sammy Hernandez each swiped their seventh base.

On defense, third baseman Martin committed a fielding error. Cordoba nailed a runner at third base from center field.

Flores made a highlight-reel play at shortstop.

Peoria is 4-3 in the second half and 36-37 overall. They will look to clinch the series win on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: at Beloit. RHP Jacob Odle (4-4, 2.39) vs. TBA. 1:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 4, Bradenton Marauders 13

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals lost their first contest of the season to the Marauders in Bradenton on Saturday, after winning the first 10 meetings over the Pirates affiliate.

Payton Graham made his 10th start for Palm Beach. The right-hander tossed 2 ⅔ innings and allowed four runs on one hit, four walks and one strikeout. Graham took the loss.

Nathan Shinn surrendered four runs across 3 ⅓ innings in relief of Graham. Owen Rice gave up five runs and recorded just two outs. Justin Militello struck out three and threw the remaining 2 ⅓ hitless innings without allowing a run but issued four free passes.

Palm Beach struck first with a run in the bottom of the second. Matthew Miura and Chase Heath walked and advanced on a passed ball. Alex Birge walked to load the bases. Miura crossed home plate on a Heriberto Caraballo sacrifice fly.

The Marauders scored four runs in the third to grab a 4-1 lead. Bradenton plated a run apiece in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to widen the lead to 7-1.

The Cardinals added a lone run in the home sixth. Birge blasted his fourth home run of the year, a solo shot, for a 7-2 score.

Alex Birge

Bradenton scored six times in the seventh to balloon the score to 13-2.

In the home eighth, Palm Beach again scored a lone run. Smith walked and moved to third on a Miura single. Heath brought Miura home via a sacrifice fly.

The Cardinals hoped for a miraculous comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Caraballo grounded a lead-off single. Sebastian Dos Santos followed with a walk and Yairo Padilla singled to load the bases with no outs. Smith lined a one-out single to bring Caraballo home. Back-to-back strikeouts halted the rally.

The Cardinals scored four runs on seven hits. Caraballo was 2-for-4 with a run scored and an RBI. Birge walked and hit a solo home run. Smith walked twice, singled, scored a run, and drove in a run. Heath walked and collected an RBI.

On the bases, Padilla stole two bags for three steals with Palm Beach.

On defense, third baseman Trevor Haskins committed a fielding error.

Palm Beach is 6-2 in the second half and 39-35 overall. They will look to take five of six with a win on Sunday.

Sunday’s game: vs. Bradenton. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 11:30 AM CT.

FCL Cardinals (off day)

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

The last-place rookie Cardinals are 12-24 on the season, 16 ½ games behind the Astros.

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

DSL Cardinals 6 at DSL Rockies 4 (7 innings)

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals edged the DSL Rockies in seven innings on Saturday.

Jose Vega made his fourth start for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched 3 ⅔ innings and allowed two runs on two hits, four walks and three strikeouts.

Beiker Rodríguez yielded two runs, one earned, and struck out three across 2 ⅔ innings in relief of Vega. He still received the win and improved to 5-0. Domingo Mejía secured the final two outs for his first professional save.

The Cardinals pounced first with a two-run top of the first. Sebastian Rojas singled and moved to third on a Michael Cordero double. Jesús Pérez singled home Rojas and Cordero to put the Cardinals in front 2-0.

Jesus Perez

The Cardinals plated a run in the second. Diego Conseción walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Héctor Cabrera singled. Conseción stood alone at third base following a double play from Lucas Takahashi and he came home on a wild pitch for a 3-0 Cardinals lead.

The Rockies scored twice in the home second to narrow the score to 3-2.

The Cardinals moved back ahead by two at 4-3 in the third as Luis Estrella hit a solo home run, his fourth of the season.

Luis Estrella

The Cardinals added a run in the fourth. Cabrera walked and moved to second on a Takahashi single. Cabrera scored from second on a sacrifice fly from Rojas to extend the Cardinals lead to 5-2.

The Rockies tallied a run in the fifth to move within two at 5-3.

The Cardinals took the run back in the sixth. Takahashi walked and Yeferson Portolatin singled, with Takahashi to third on a throwing error. Rojas ripped an RBI double for a 6-3 Cardinals lead.

Sebastian Rojas

The Cardinals held off a late Rockies rally for the win.

The DSL Cardinals scored six runs on nine hits. Rojas was 2-for-3, including a double, a run scored, and two RBI. Pérez went 2-for-4 with two RBI. Estrella walked and hit a home run. Cordero doubled and scored a run. Cabrera and Takahashi each singled and scored a run.

On the bases, Portolatin was caught stealing third base.

On defense, third baseman Cordero made a fielding and throwing error. Second baseman Roberth Castillo committed a throwing miscue.

The DSL Cardinals are 11-9 on the season, in third place but just one game back of the co-division leaders. They are off Sunday and will play a home contest with the DSL Phillies on Monday.

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

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