Cardinals Minor League Notebook – June 8, 2026

photo: Blake Aita (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 2-3 on Sunday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Peoria’s Blake Aita, pitched a season-high six scoreless innings with four strikeouts en route to the win. Other standouts include Joshua Báez, Hancel Rincon, Travis Honeyman, Graysen Tarlow, Won-Bin Cho and Trevor Haskins.

Results for games played on Sunday, June 7, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 4, Louisville Bats 3 (10 innings)

The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds walked off the Louisville Bats in extra innings at AutoZone Park on Sunday to secure the series split.

Tink Hence started for Memphis as the opener. The right-hander threw one scoreless inning on one hit, no walks, and a strikeout.

Scheduled starter Brandt Thompson pitched four innings and allowed three runs on five hits, one walk, and five strikeouts following Hence. Chris Roycroft followed with two shutout frames. Luis Gastelum recorded 1 ⅔ innings of scoreless baseball. Hancel Rincon secured the final out of the ninth and tossed a scoreless 10th frame to earn his first Triple-A win.

Louisville broke the scoreless tie with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth inning.

Memphis trimmed the lead in half in the home fourth. Joshua Báez lined his 12th double of the year and moved to third on a César Prieto groundout. Leo Bernal reached on a fielder’s choice, with Báez home on the play to put the Redbirds on the board.

The Redbirds tied the game in the fifth. Jeremy Rivas walked, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and made third on a Matt Koperniak groundout. Brody Moore legged out an infield single to plate Rivas.

Brody Moore

The Bats grabbed a 3-2 lead with a run in the sixth.

Memphis knotted the game once more in the eighth when Nathan Church blasted a solo home run, his first of his rehab assignment.

Nathan Church

After the Redbirds stranded the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning, the game moved into extra innings. Rincon fired a scoreless 10th frame to set the Redbirds up for a walk-off win.

After entering as a defensive replacement in the top of the 10th, Ramon Mendoza began the bottom of the inning at second base. Báez singled to move Mendoza to third. Prieto was intentionally walked to load the bases. Bernal drew a bases-loaded walk on four pitches to force Mendoza home for the walk-off win.

Leonardo Bernal

The Redbirds scored four runs on seven hits. Church hit a game-tying home run. Moore singled and drove in one. Despite not recording a hit, Bernal tallied a team-best two RBI. Báez was 3-for-5 with two doubles.

On the bases, Moore was caught stealing second base.

On defense, Church nailed a runner at home plate from center field. The Redbirds turned two double plays in an errorless performance.

Memphis is 38-25 on the season following the series split with Louisville. The Redbirds are tied with Nashville for first place in the International League West Division. They are off on Monday as they travel to Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia, for a six-game set with the Norfolk Tides, beginning Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: at Norfolk (BAL). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:35 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 4 at Frisco RoughRiders 6 (Game one, seven innings)

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals lost a close contest to the Frisco RoughRiders in game one of Sunday’s road doubleheader. It was a makeup of Saturday’s rainout.

Braden Davis made his 11th start for the Cardinals. The left-hander threw four innings and allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits, four walks, and three strikeouts.

Lefty Jack Findlay yielded a run in the fifth and took the loss. Randel Clemente gave up a run in the sixth.

Springfield struck first with a run in the inaugural inning. Jon Jon Gazdar led off with single and stole second base. Ryan Campos lined a one-out single to score Gazdar.

Frisco tied the game in the home first.

The Cardinals quickly regained the lead in the top of the second. Chase Adkison hit his first double of the year and scored on a two-run home run from Graysen Tarlow, his third of the year, for a 3-1 Cardinals lead.

Graysen Tarlow

Frisco knotted the game at three with a pair of runs in the third.

Springfield grabbed the lead with a run in the fourth. Travis Honeyman launched his fourth home run of the year, a solo shot, for a 4-3 Springfield advantage.

Travis Honeyman

The RoughRiders scored one run apiece in the fourth, fifth, and sixth innings to move ahead 6-4. The Cardinals were unable to answer.

Springfield scored four runs on seven hits. Tarlow hit a home run and drove in two. Honeyman hit a solo home run. Adkison doubled twice and scored. Campos walked, singled, and scored. Gazdar was 2-for-4 with a run scored.

On the bases, Gazdar swiped his seventh bag of the season. Campos stole his 12th base. Trey Paige was picked off first base.

On defense, first baseman Adkison committed a fielding error.

Springfield Cardinals 4 at Frisco RoughRiders 6 (Game two, seven innings)

The Springfield Cardinals dropped the nightcap of Sunday’s doubleheader by the same score as the opener to the Frisco RoughRiders.

Chen-Wei Lin made his eighth start in his 11th appearance for Springfield. The right-hander pitched four innings and allowed one run on two hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.

Chen-Wei Lin

Left-hander Michael Watson tossed a scoreless fifth inning in relief of Lin. Hunter Hayes surrendered five runs and recorded just two outs in the sixth inning, taking the loss. Edwin Núñez secured the final out of the sixth.

Frisco scored the first run of the game in the home first.

Springfield tied the game in the third. Miguel Ugueto, Rainiel Rodriguez, and Dakota Harris took consecutive one-out walks to load the bases. With two away, Trey Paige drew the fourth walk of the inning to force Ugueto home.

The RoughRiders plated five runs in the sixth to jump in front 6-1.

Down to their last three outs, the Cardinals looked to stave off the doubleheader sweep with a big comeback. Zach Levenson began the inning with his third home run of the year. Travis Honeyman launched his fifth home run of the year with one out. Jose Cordoba went back-to-back with Honeyman to bring the Cardinals within two at 6-4. Jon Jon Gazdar hit a two-out double but was unable to score as the rally fell short.

The Cardinals scored four runs on eight hits. Honeyman was 2-for-4 with a solo home run. Levenson and Cordoba each hit a solo home run. Gazdar walked twice and doubled. Paige singled, walked, and notched an RBI.

On the bases, Gazdar swiped his eighth bag.

The Cardinals turned two double plays in an errorless performance.

Springfield is 25-31 on the season after taking just two of six in Frisco. They reside in fourth place in the Texas League North Division. The Cardinals are off Monday as they head home to Route 66 Stadium for a six-game series with the Amarillo Sod Poodles, starting Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: vs. Amarillo (AZ). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 3, Beloit Sky Carp 1

After a one hour, 40-minute rain delay, the High-A Peoria Chiefs finished the series sweep over the Beloit Sky Carp at Dozer Park on Sunday.

Blake Aita made his 11th start for Peoria. The right-hander pitched a season-high six scoreless innings on four hits, one walk, and four strikeouts. Aita earned his second win.

Blake Aita

Patrick Galle yielded a run in the seventh inning in relief of Aita. José Davila followed with a scoreless eighth inning. Nolan Sparks fired a shutout ninth frame to secure his first save of the year, the third of his career.

Peoria opened the scoring with two runs in the bottom of the second inning. Josh Kross hit his 12th double of the year. Won-Bin Cho grounded a one-out single to bring Kross home and put the Chiefs in front.

Won-Bin Cho

Cameron Nickens doubled home Cho to double the lead to 2-0.

Cameron Nickens

Peoria added a run in the sixth. Cho lined a single and stole second base. José Suárez singled to move Cho to third and put runners on the corners. The Chiefs executed a double steal, with Suárez to second base and Cho taking home for a 3-0 Chiefs lead.

Peoria pitching held Beloit to 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position in the win.

The Chiefs scored three runs on seven hits. Cho was 2-for-3 with two runs scored and an RBI. Nickens doubled and notched an RBI. Kross doubled and scored a run. Tre Richardson II drew two walks.

On the bases, Cho swiped second base, third base, and home to increase his season total to 23. Suárez stole two bases for 13 steals on the year.

The Chiefs did not commit an error.

Peoria is 30-27 on the season following the sweep of Beloit. The Chiefs reside in third place in the Midwest League West Division, six games back of first place. They are off Monday as they head to Four Winds Field in South Bend, Indiana, for a six-game series with the first-place South Bend Cubs, starting Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: at South Bend (CHC). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 1 at Tampa Tarpons 2

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals dropped a close contest to the Tarpons in Tampa on Sunday’s series finale.

Payton Graham started his seventh game for the Cardinals. The right-hander tossed three scoreless innings on one hit, no walks, and three strikeouts.

Payton Graham

Anthony Watts struck out two across 1 ⅔ shutout frames in relief of Graham. Kaden Echeman yielded an unearned run over 1 ⅓ innings for the tough-luck loss. Antoni Cuello gave up a run in 1 ⅔ innings. Justin Militello secured the last out of the eighth.

Tampa took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the sixth and seventh innings.

Down to their final three outs, the Cardinals looked to rally. Matthew Miura led off with a double and took third base on a Jonathan Mejía groundout. Trevor Haskins connected for a two-out single to bring Miura home. Heriberto Caraballo followed with a single to slot Haskins to third base but Brayden Smith struck out to end the game.

The Cardinals scored just one run on 10 hits. Miura was 2-for-4 with a run scored and the lone extra-base hit, a double. Haskins was 3-for-4 with an RBI. Ryan Mitchelll walked and singled.

Mejía stole his sixth bag. Mitchell snagged his 15th base. Haskins was caught stealing second and Miura was picked off first.

On defense, catcher Caraballo and shortstop Ryan Weingartner each made a throwing error. Pitcher Graham picked a runner off second base. Caraballo picked a runner off third base from behind the plate.

Palm Beach is 30-27 on the season after taking just one of six from Tampa. They are two games behind Jupiter for first place in the Florida State League East Division. The Cardinals are off Monday and will head home to Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium for a six-game series with the St. Lucie Mets, starting Tuesday.

Tuesday’s game: vs. St. Lucie (NYM). Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 5:30 PM CT.

FCL Cardinals (off day)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals were off Sunday, as they prepare for a home contest with the FCL Astros on Monday.

The Cardinals enter the week following a 12-8 win over the FCL Mets at home on Saturday.

The FCL Cardinals are 8-16 on the season.

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

DSL Cardinals (off day)

The Dominican Summer League Cardinals were off Sunday, as they prepare for a road contest with the DSL Nationals on Monday.

The Cardinals enter Monday following an 11-5 home win over the DSL Nationals on Saturday.

The DSL Cardinals are 4-1 on the season.

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

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