photo: Jose Fermin (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-2 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis second baseman José Fermín, was 2-for-2 plus two walks, two stolen bases, and three RBI. Other standouts include Ryan Vilade, Tekoah Roby, Luis Pino, Yordy Herrera and Darlin Saladin.
Results from games played on Thursday, May 22.
Memphis Redbirds 5 at Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp 2
The Triple-A Memphis Redbirds edged the Jumbo Shrimp in Jacksonville on Thursday.
Michael McGreevy started for the Redbirds. The right-hander pitched six-plus innings and allowed two runs on seven hits, two walks, and six strikeouts.
Michael McGreevy with six @LeBonheurChild strikeouts through six! pic.twitter.com/5kokoE9eya
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 23, 2025
Rob Kaminsky tossed a scoreless seventh inning in relief. Zack Weiss threw a scoreless eighth inning. Riley O’Brien retired the side in order in the ninth inning to earn his first save of the season. Kaminsky picked up his first win of the year.
Memphis fell behind 1-0 early but quickly tied the score in the second inning as Bryan Torres crushed his third home run of 2025.
A Torres Torpedo!
Third @HueysRestaurant home run of the season! pic.twitter.com/ZolHUIZj2R
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 22, 2025
Memphis took their first lead at 2-1 in the fourth inning. Ryan Vilade tripled and Torres walked to put the runners at the corners. Michael Siani drew a walk to load the bases. José Fermín was hit by a pitch to bring Vilade in.
Jacksonville tied the game at two in the seventh.
Memphis responded with a three-run eighth. Vilade singled and Torres walked. Gavin Collins sacrificed the runners up. Fermín singled to plate Vilade and Torres for a 4-2 Memphis lead.
Jose cashes in! We lead again! pic.twitter.com/zxzsX2mMn7
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 23, 2025
Matt Koperniak followed with a single to score Siani and extend the lead to 5-2.
In their three innings, the Redbirds’ bullpen allowed just one hit and fanned three in the victory.
The Redbirds scored five runs on 10 hits. Fermín was 2-for-2, including two walks and three RBI. Vilade was 3-for-5, including a triple and two runs scored. Torres launched a solo home run and walked twice.
Fermín stole two bases to increase his season total to 15. Siani swiped his fourth bag and was picked off at first base. Koperniak snagged his second base of the season. Thomas Saggese was caught stealing second.
The Redbirds did not commit an error.
Memphis is 25-21 on the season.
Friday’s game: at Jacksonville, LHP Alex Cornwell (1-3, 9.11) vs. RHP Janson Junk (4-3, 2.78) 6:05 PM CT.
Springfield Cardinals 9 at Tulsa Drillers 3
The Springfield Cardinals thumped the Drillers in Tulsa on Thursday for their fifth consecutive win.
Tekoah Roby made his eighth start for Springfield. The right-hander fired six innings and allowed two runs on four hits, no walks, and six strikeouts. Roby earned his second win of the season.
Left-hander Nick Raquet pitched 1 ⅔ innings of one-run ball and fanned three in relief. Luis Gastelum struck out two and recorded the final four outs of the game.
Springfield pounced first with a run in the top of the first inning. JJ Wetherholt walked and swiped second base. Chase Davis lined a single to score Wetherholt.
Tulsa tied the game at one in the second inning.
Springfield responded with three runs in the third inning. Nathan Church and Wetherholt hit back-to-back singles. Leonardo Bernal lined the third consecutive single to plate Church and put Springfield ahead 2-1. Bernal stole second and Wetherholt took third on a double steal. Wetherholt crossed home plate on a Chase Davis sacrifice fly, with Bernal to third base on the play. R.J. Yeager tallied the fourth single of the inning to bring Bernal home and extend the lead to 4-1.
The Cardinals stretched the lead further with a pair of runs in the fourth. Dakota Harris singled and advanced to second base on a passed ball. Harris scored on Ramon Mendoza’s fourth home run of the year, a two-run shot, for a 6-1 lead.
Springfield plated three more runs in the seventh inning to pad the lead. Mendoza singled and Darlin Moquete reached on a fielding error. Church walked to load the bases. Wetherholt drew the second consecutive free pass to score Mendoza. Moquete and Church touched home plate on a Bernal single to cement a 9-2 lead.
Springfield never trailed in the victory. The Cardinals scored nine runs on nine hits. Bernal was 2-for-3, including a run scored and three RBI. Mendoza was 2-for-4, including a two-run home run and two runs scored. Davis tallied a single and two RBI. Wetherholt recorded a single, two walks, two runs scored, and one RBI.
On the basepaths, Wetherholt swiped two bags to increase his season total to six. Bernal stole his third base. Yeager was caught stealing second base.
The Cardinals did not commit an error.
Springfield is 22-20 this season.
Friday’s game: at Tulsa, LHP Brycen Mautz (0-0, 3.81) vs. LHP Jackson Ferris (2-3, 5.23) 7:00 PM CT.
Peoria Chiefs 0, Dayton Dragons 1
The High-A Peoria Chiefs were blanked by the Dayton Dragons in a pitchers’ duel at Dozer Park on Thursday.
Darlin Saladin started for the Chiefs. The right-hander threw five scoreless innings, his longest outing of 2025, on one hit, one walk, and five strikeouts.
Angel Gonzalez fanned two across a pair of scoreless innings in relief. D.J. Carpenter surrendered the game’s only run in the eighth inning on four consecutive walks through he struck out three. Joseph King also fanned three in a scoreless ninth inning. Carpenter took the loss.
The Chiefs had an early scoring opportunity in the second inning. Miguel Villarroel singled and stole second base with one out, but was stranded.
Peoria didn’t put another man on base until the seventh inning. Ian Petrutz drew his second walk of the game but was unable to score.
The Chiefs, down by one, looked to rally in the bottom of the ninth. Graysen Tarlow hit a lead-off single, moved to second base on a balk but was left on as the rally fell short.
Peoria had a total of four baserunners in the close loss. The Chiefs scored no runs on two hits. Villarroel and Tarlow singled. Petrutz walked twice. Peoria was 0-for-3 with a runner in scoring position.
On the bases, Villarroel stole his 14th bag, and was also caught stealing third base.
On defense, pitcher Gonzalez committed an error on a pickoff attempt.
Peoria is 17-24 on the season.
Friday’s game: vs. Dayton, RHP Gerardo Salas (1-4, 9.19) vs. RHP Brian Edgington (2-1, 3.34) 7:05 PM CT.
Palm Beach Cardinals 5, Daytona Tortugas 4
The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals came back late to steal a win from the Daytona Tortugas at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Thursday.
Leonel Sequera made his ninth start for Palm Beach. The right-hander pitched four innings and allowed three runs, two earned, on three hits, four walks, and four strikeouts.
Yordy Herrera pitched three hitless, scoreless frames in his longest outing of the season in relief. Sam Brodersen tossed a scoreless eighth inning. Charles Harrison yielded one run in the ninth but hung on for his first professional save.
The Tortugas scored first in the top of the first inning.
The Cardinals immediately answered. Christian Martin drew a leadoff walk, and advanced to second base on a two-out Luis Pino single. Yordalin Pena singled to load the bases. Martin crossed home plate on a wild pitch to tie the game at one.
Palm Beach took the lead in the second inning.
Deniel Ortiz legged out an infield single and stole second base. Martin bunted for a single to score Ortiz and give Palm Beach a 2-1 lead.
Daytona answered with a pair of runs in the third inning to take a 3-2 lead.
Palm Beach rallied for three runs in the seventh to regain the lead. Ortiz singled and Cade McGee doubled, with Ortiz thrown out at home plate. Josh Kross was hit by a pitch to put two runners on. Pino blasted a three-run home run, his third of the season, to put Palm Beach ahead 5-3.
STANDING ON BUSINESS😤
Luis Pino hits his third homer and gets the Birds in the lead! pic.twitter.com/EFWkRyNQ4c
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 23, 2025
Palm Beach scored five runs on 10 hits. Pino was 3-for-4, including a go-ahead three-run home run. Ortiz was a perfect 3-for-3, with a run scored. Pena tallied two singles. McGee doubled.
Ortiz and Martin each stole their 10th base of the season.
Defensively, first baseman Ortiz committed a fielding error. Second baseman Martin and shortstop Anyelo Encarnacion committed a fielding error apiece. Pitcher Sequera picked off a runner at first base.
Palm Beach is 22-20 on the season.
Friday’s game: vs. Daytona, RHP Jason Savacool (4-1, 1.15) vs. RHP Kenya Huggins (0-1, 2.90) 5:30 PM CT.
FCL Cardinals 3 at FCL Astros 5
The Florida Complex Cardinals lost a close road contest to the Astros on Thursday.
Jefferson Moran started for the Cardinals. The right-hander pitched four innings of one-run baseball on three hits, two walks, and six strikeouts to lower his ERA to 1.86. Moran took the loss.
Samuel Fabian surrendered four runs, three earned, across 2 ⅔ innings in relief. Alan Reyes tossed 1 ⅓ scoreless innings.
The Cardinals put two runners in scoring position in the fourth inning but were unable to get either home.
Down 5-0 in the ninth inning, the Cardinals mounted a rally that fell short. Rainiel Rodriguez and Bracewell Taveras drew back-to-back walks, and Facundo Velasquez singled to load the bases. Paulo Asprilla singled in Rodriguez and Taveras. Yoerny Junco reached on a fielding error to load the bags again. Romtres Cabrera walked to bring Velasquez home and narrow the Astros’ lead to 5-3.
The Cardinals scored three runs on three hits. Rodriguez and Velasquez each tallied a single and a walk. Asprilla singled and recorded two RBI. Taveras, Junco and Cabrera each walked twice. Cabrera collected an RBI.
On defense, center fielder Andru Arthur made a throwing error. Second baseman Junco also had a throwing error. Shortstop Yairo Padilla committed a fielding error.
The Cardinals did not record a stolen base.
The FCL Cardinals are 5-8 on the season. They will head home to Roger Dean Stadium Complex to play the FCL Marlins on Friday.
Friday’s game: vs. FCL Marlins. Pitching probables have not yet been announced. First pitch is scheduled for 11:00 AM CT.
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