photo: Noah Mendlinger (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 4-0 on Wednesday as Memphis manager Ben Johnson set a career milestone. TCN’s Player of the Day, Springfield RF Noah Mendlinger, was 2-for-4 with a walk, three RBI and two runs scored. Other standouts: Mike Antico, José Fermín, Ramon Mendoza, Leonardo Bernal, Nathan Church, Hancel Rincon and Brandt Thompson.
Results for games played Wednesday, May 21.
The Triple-A Redbirds defeated the Jumbo Shrimp by a 7-3 score on Wednesday. In the process, Memphis manager Ben Johnson set the new team career record for wins with 368.
The record-breaking moment, as heard on https://t.co/Y3O0QRcxfK pic.twitter.com/BeVGnyInm2
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 22, 2025
Starter Curtis Taylor pitched six innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on five hits, struck out four and walked two to earn his second win.
Andre Granillo, Oddanier Mosqueda and Roddery Muñoz finished the win with a scoreless inning each.
Memphis went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Michael Siani. The Redbirds added two runs in the top of the second. Jimmy Crooks and César Prieto singled. Both runners advanced on a passed ball. Crooks scored on a sac fly by Ryan Vilade. Mike Antico drove in Prieto on a sac fly.
Jacksonville scored single runs in the second and third to shrink the lead to 3-2.
In the top of the fourth, Memphis made it 4-2. Crooks reached on an error. Prieto reached on a fielder’s choice. Antico plated Crooks on a single.
Antico pads the lead!
Listen Live: https://t.co/D2E3XGWVGY pic.twitter.com/QxA8tzbBwr
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 22, 2025
Jacksonville made it 4-3 in the bottom of the fourth.
Memphis increased its lead to 5-3 on a fifth-inning solo home run by Luken Baker. Two more Redbirds runs came home in the sixth. Vilade drew a walk. Antico singled. Both runners advanced on a sac bunt by Siani and scored on a single by José Fermín.
The Redbirds scored seven runs on 11 hits. Antico was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Fermín was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Siani was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Prieto was 2-for-4.
On defense, Vilade made a throwing error.
Memphis is 24-21 on the season and is in fourth place in the International League West, 3.5 games back of Indianapolis.
Thursday’s game: at Jacksonville, RHP Michael McGreevy (5-1, 3.26) vs. Eury Pérez RHP (0-0, 0.00) 6:05 CT.
The Double-A Cardinals pounded the Drillers in a 13-3 road win on Wednesday. Starter Max Rajcic pitched 3 1/3 innings, gave up three runs on five hits, fanned five and walked three.
The pen delivered 5 2/3 innings of no-hit, no-run ball. Andrew Marrero threw 2 2/3 innings with four strikeouts to earn the win. Nathanael Heredia hurled two frames and Austin Love took the ninth.
Springfield took a 5-0 lead in the top of the second inning. Chase Davis doubled. Jeremy Rivas singled and stole second base. Davis scored on a ground out by Noah Mendlinger. Ramon Mendoza walked and stole second base. Carlos Linarez walked. Nathan Church followed with a grand slam to right center field.
Aint it grand? Nathan Church. GRAND SLAM! pic.twitter.com/v4fLfAlEup
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 22, 2025
Tulsa answered with one run in the home second. The Cardinals added two runs in the third to increase their lead to 7-1. Rivas was hit by a pitch and stole second base. Mendlinger walked. Both runners advanced on a balk. Rivas came home on a ground out by Dakota Harris. Mendoza plated Mendlinger on a single.
The Drillers put up two runs in the fourth to cut the lead to 7-3.
In the sixth, Springfield posted six runs to widen the lead to 13-3. JJ Wetherholt walked and scored on a two-run home run by Leonardo Bernal. Davis walked, advanced to second on a balk and to third on a wild pitch. Rivas walked and stole second base. Mendlinger drove in Davis and Rivas on a single. Harris walked. Mendoza doubled and Mendlinger scored. Harris came home on a wild pitch.
The Cardinals scored 13 runs on 11 hits. Mendlinger was 2-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Mendoza and Bernal were both 2-for-4 with two RBI. Wetherholt was 2-for-5. Church had four RBI. Rivas scored three runs. Davis scored two runs.
Rivas stole three bases. Mendoza swiped his first bag. Mendlinger was caught stealing. On defense, Wetherholt made a fielding error.
Springfield is 21-20 on the season and is in second place in the Texas League North, two games back of first place Arkansas and Wichita.
Thursday’s game: at Tulsa, Tekoah Roby RHP (1-2, 3.10) vs. Peter Heubeck RHP (0-2, 4.15) 7:00 CT.
The High-A Chiefs edged the Dragons by a 3-2 score at Dozer Park on Wednesday.
Starter Hancel Rincon pitched 5 2/3 innings, gave up two runs on five hits, fanned six and walked two.
Hunter Hayes relieved Rincon and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings of relief to earn his first win. Michael Watson tossed the final two hit-less, scoreless innings for his third save.
Dayton went up 2-0 in the third inning. Peoria scored one run in the fourth. Miguel Villarroel singled. Johnfrank Salazar doubled. Villarroel came home on a sac fly by Trey Paige.
Paige hits a sac fly in the bottom of the 4th, Villarroel scores!
PEO 1 | DAY 2 pic.twitter.com/GvUYQPOUps
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 22, 2025
The Chiefs took the lead 3-2 in the sixth. Ryan Campos singled. Salazar walked. Paige plated Campos and Salazar on a triple.
Peoria scored three runs on seven hits. Villarroel was 2-for-4. Paige had all three RBI.
On defense, Ian Petrutz made a fielding error.
Peoria is 17-23 on the season and is in fifth place in the Midwest League West, eight games back of Quad Cities.
Thursday’s game: vs. Dayton, Darlin Saladin RHP (1-2, 8.54), Luke Hayden RHP (1-0, 2.17) 6:35 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals edged the Tortugas by a 5-4 score on Wednesday at Roger Dean Stadium.
Starter Tink Hence, opening his rehab assignment from Memphis, pitched one scoreless, hitless inning with a strikeout, a walk and a pickoff.
Tink Hence does a little bit of everything in his first rehab appearance for Single-A @GoPBCardinals!
The @Cardinals' No. 3 prospect works a hitless inning with a strikeout and a pickoff. pic.twitter.com/2R4vF2nMaA
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) May 21, 2025
Regular starter Brandt Thompson followed Hence and surrendered two runs in six innings. Jack Findlay threw a scoreless eighth. Randel Clemente yielded two runs in the ninth but received the win.
Daytona took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning. The Beach Birds answered with four runs in the home half to lead 4-2. Luis Pino walked. Yordalin Pena singled. Anyelo Encarnacion grounded into a force out with Pena out at second. Deniel Ortiz singled to plate Pino. Travis Honeyman singled to drive in Encarnacion. Ortiz and Honeyman scored on a single by Christian Martin.
The score remained 4-2 until the ninth inning when Daytona tied the game at 4-4. In the bottom of the ninth, Palm Beach scored one run to win in a walk off. Cade McGee singled and stole second base. McGee came home on a double by Josh Kross.
The Cardinals scored five runs on nine hits. Kross was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Martin drove in two.
Pino stole his first base of the season. McGee swiped his ninth bag. On defense, Pena had an outfield assist at home plate. Hence picked a runner off first base.
Palm Beach is 21-20 on the season and is in second place in the Florida State League East, one game back of St. Lucie.
Thursday’s game: vs. Daytona, RHP Leonel Sequera (0-4, 3.66) vs. Ty Floyd RHP (0-1, 3.25) 5:30 CT.
FCL Cardinals – Off day
The rookie level Cardinals are 5-7 on the season and are tied with the Mets for last place in the Florida Complex League East, 2.5 games back of the FCL Astros.
Thursday’s game: at FCL Astros, RH Jefferson Moran (0-0, 1.59) vs. TBD 11:00 am CT.
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