photo: Nelson Velazquez (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 3-2 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis LF Nelson Velázquez, singled, homered, drove in three and scored twice. Other standouts include Miguel Ugueto, Yordalin Peña, Ryan Weingartner, Jonathan Mejía and Cade Crossland.
Results for games played on Saturday, May 16, 2026.
Thanks to an eighth inning surge, the Redbirds defeated the Jumbo Shrimp by a 7-4 score at AutoZone Park on Saturday. Starter Quinn Mathews pitched five innings, gave up two runs on two hits, walked four and fanned four.
Ryan Fernandez relieved Mathews and threw a scoreless sixth. Scott Blewett surrendered two runs in two innings but received the win. Max Rajcic tossed a scoreless ninth to earn his third save.
Jacksonville went up 2-0 in the top of the second inning.
Memphis answered with a run in the bottom of the second to cut the lead to 2-1. Nelson Velásquez singled. Matt Koperniak reached on an error. Brody Moore plated Velásquez on a single.
The Redbirds tied the game in the sixth on a solo home run by Jimmy Crooks.
JIMMY CROOKS TIES THE GAME WITH A @LennysSubs LONGBALL!#LennysLongball pic.twitter.com/jHeCHfmuMQ
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 17, 2026
The Jumbo Shrimp regained the lead 4-2 in the top of the eighth.
Memphis responded in the home eighth with five runs. Bryan Torres singled and advanced to second on a balk. Crooks was intentionally walked. Blaze Jordan singled and Torres scored. Crooks came home on a single by Bligh Madris. Velázquez provided the winning margin with a three-run home run.
NELLLLLSSSOOOOONNNNNNNNNN@LennysSubs LONGBALL FOR THE LEAD YOU CANT WRITE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!#LennysLongball pic.twitter.com/SNtg61ZJh8
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 17, 2026
The offense scored seven runs on nine hits. Velázquez was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Madris was 2-for-4 with one RBI. Moore was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Crooks scored two runs.
Moore was caught stealing.
Memphis is 27-17 on the season and is in first place in the International League.
Sunday’s game: vs. Jacksonville, Bruce Zimmermann LHP (4-1, 4.46) vs. Patrick Monteverde LHP (0-2, 7.11) 1:05 CT.
All four Springfield pitchers were scored upon as the Double-A Cardinals fell to the Drillers in Tulsa by a 10-6 score on Saturday. Starter Jurrangelo Cijntje pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up four runs, three earned, on four hits, walked three and fanned 10.
Jack Findlay relieved Cijntje and surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. Michael Watson yielded four runs in 1 2/3 innings and took the loss. Edwin Nuñez allowed one run in the final 1/3 of an inning.
Springfield went up 4-0 in the top of the third inning. Graysen Tarlow was hit by a pitch. Noah Mendlinger singled. Jon Jon Gazdar singled. Miguel Ugueto followed with a grand slam.
🚨 GRAND SLAM MIGUEL UGUETO 🚨 pic.twitter.com/ySCCbfs7T3
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 17, 2026
Tulsa answered with one run in the third and four in the fifth to move ahead 5-4.
The Cardinals tied the game in the top of the seventh. Zach Levenson and Tarlow walked. Mendlinger was hit by a pitch. Dakota Harris walked to force Levenson in.
The Drillers scored three runs in the home seventh to retake the lead 8-5.
Springfield made it 8-6 in the top of the eighth on a solo home run by Jeremy Rivas.
The Jeremy Rivas power surge continues! This solo blast is his third home run this week 👀 pic.twitter.com/tf5exAPI8d
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 17, 2026
Tulsa extended the lead to 10-6 in the home half of the inning and the Cardinals were unable to answer.
The Cardinals scored six runs on six hits. Mendlinger was 2-for-3. Ugueto had four RBI. Rivas homered.
Travis Honeyman stole his 14th base of the season. Tarlow made a throwing error. Levenson had an outfield assist at home plate.
Springfield is 16-22 on the season. They are in last place in the Texas League North.
Sunday’s game: at Tulsa, Braden Davis LHP (0-2, 6.28) vs. TBD (TUL) 1:00 CT.
Chiefs pitching allowed six long balls as they were routed by the Beloit Sky Carp by 12 runs on Saturday. Starter Leonel Sequera pitched three innings, gave up 12 runs on eight hits, walked five and fanned five. Sequera took the loss.
Aaron Holiday relieved Sequera and surrendered two runs in the fourth. Dominic Freeberger yielded three runs in the fifth. Gerardo Sallas threw two scoreless innings. Patrick Galle tossed a scoreless eighth.
Peoria went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Jack Gurevitch, his second at High-A.
Jack Gurevitch (@USDbaseball) back at it again today with another solo homer!
PEO 1 | BEL 0 pic.twitter.com/qEuAd5VdEc
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 16, 2026
Beloit took the lead in the second with two runs.
The Chiefs answered with three runs in the top of the third to regain the lead 4-2. Jesús Báez singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Josh Kross singled. Báez scored on a sac fly by Cade McGee. José Suárez followed with a two-run home run.
José Suárez with a 2-run HR to give us back the lead!
PEO 4 | BEL 2 pic.twitter.com/aynGm6YRTw
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 16, 2026
The Sky Carp responded with three runs in the home third and ran up the score to 14-4 with a nine-run fourth. The home team added three runs in the sixth to extend the lead to 17-4.
Peoria tacked on one final run in the seventh for the final score of 17-5. Gurevitch singled, advanced to second on a passed ball and took third on a wild pitch. McGee plated him on a sac fly.
The Chiefs scored five runs on nine hits. Gurevitch was 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Kross was 2-for-4. McGee and Suárez each had two RBI.
Jose Cordoba stole his sixth base of the season. Tre Richardson was caught stealing. Kross had a passed ball.
Peoria is 16-21 on the season. They are in last place in the Midwest League West.
Sunday’s game: at Beloit, Blake Aita RHP (0-2, 5.64) vs. TBD (BEL) 1:05 CT.
The Class-A Cardinals beat the Tortugas at Roger Dean Stadium on Saturday by the score of 8-4.
Starter Cade Crossland pitched five innings, gave up two runs on three hits, walked two and fanned seven to earn his first professional win.
Nelfy Ynfante relieved Crossland and surrendered two runs in 2 1/3 innings. Justin Militello tossed the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Palm Beach took the lead in the second inning on a solo home run by Yordalin Peña. They added two runs in the third to lead 3-0. Brayden Smith walked and stole second base. Ryan Weingartner tripled to score Smith. Weingartner scored on a sac fly by Jonathan Mejía.
Daytona cut the lead to 3-2 in the top of the fifth.
The Beach Birds extended their lead to 5-2 with two more runs. Weingartner walked and stole second base. Mejía followed with a two-run home run.
2-run homer for Jonathan Mejía! pic.twitter.com/pa4GarrokG
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 16, 2026
The Tortugas made it 5-4 in the sixth.
In the seventh, the Cardinals increased the lead to 8-4. Ryan Mitchell singled and was eliminated in a force out by Smith. Smith advanced to second on a wild pitch. Weingartner plated Smith on a double. Michael Dattalo walked. Peña plated Weingartner and Dattalo on a double.
point stands pic.twitter.com/QyJeyJdSoO
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 17, 2026
The Cardinals scored eight runs on eight hits. Peña was 2-for-3 with three RBI. Weingartner was 2-for-2 with two RBI and three runs scored. Mejía had three RBI.
Smith stole his ninth base of the season. Peña swiped his seventh bag. Weingartner stole his 12th base. Dattalo stole his first base. Mitchell, Smith, and Trevor Haskins were each caught stealing.
Mitchell made a fielding error.
The Cardinals are 21-17 on the season. They are in second place in the Florida State League East.
Sunday’s game: vs. Daytona, TBD vs. TBD 11:30 am CT.
FCL Cardinals 9 at FCL Astros 1 (seven innings)
The rookie Cardinals defeated the Astros by a 9-1 score on Saturday. It was Houston’s first loss after eight consecutive wins to open the season.
Starter Brian Holiday pitched three innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked one and struck out three.
Anthony Watts relieved Holiday and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings to earn the win. Jarol Baéz hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Earle Zulueta tossed the final two scoreless frames.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Cristofer Lebrón singled and stole second base. Sebastian Dos Santos walked. Miguel Hernández doubled to plate Lebrón and Dos Santos.
The Astros cut the lead to 2-1 in the second inning.
In the fourth, the Cardinals posted six runs to go ahead 8-1. Kenly Hunter walked and stole second base. Yaxson Lucena and Royelny Strop walked. Juan Rujano reached on an error and Hunter scored. Lucena came home on a sac fly by J.P. Cabrera. Bracewell Taveras doubled to bring home Strop. Rujano scored on a passed ball. Taveras came home on a wild pitch. Lebrón hit a solo home run.
The Cardinals added a final run in the fifth. Hernández walked and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Hunter and Lucena walked. Hernández scored on a sac fly by Strop.
The Cardinals scored nine runs on four hits. Lebrón was 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Hernández had two RBI.
Lebrón stole his second base of the season. Hunter swiped his fourth bag. Hernández was caught stealing.
Hunter made a throwing error.
The Cardinals are 4-5 on the season. They stand in third place the FCL East.
Sunday’s game: Off
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