photo: Jimmy Crooks (Memphis Redbirds)
The St. Louis Cardinals system was 1-4 on Saturday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis C Jimmy Crooks, went 2-for-4 including a home run with a walk and four RBI. Other standouts include Joshua Báez, Ramon Mendoza, Bryan Torres, Noah Mendlinger and Jack Gurevitch.
Results for games played on Saturday, May 2, 2026.
The Redbirds clobbered the Indians in a 13-4 rout at AutoZone Park on Saturday.
Starter Quinn Mathews pitched five innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked three and fanned seven. Mathews won his first game of the season.
Max Rajcic relieved Mathews and surrendered one unearned run in two innings of relief. Ryan Fernandez yielded two runs in the final two innings.
Indianapolis scored first with a run in the top of the first. Memphis answered with three runs in the home first. Joshua Báez and César Prieto singled. Blaze Jordan plated Báez on a single. Jimmy Crooks singled to score Prieto. Leo Bernal ground into a force out and Jordan came home.
The Redbirds added a run in the second on a solo home run by Bryan Torres. In the third, Bernal and Ramon Mendoza singled. A Matt Koperniak triple brought Bernal and Mendoza home to increase the lead to 6-1.
Koperniak for a triple!!!!@MatrixMidwest pic.twitter.com/G3awSRXdie
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 2, 2026
Three more runs were added in the fourth by Memphis to make it 9-1. Torres and Prieto singled. Crooks hit a three-run home run. In the sixth, the Redbirds made it 10-1 on a solo home run by Báez.
JIMMY GOES BIG FLY WITH A @LennysSubs LONGBALL!#LennysLongball @MatrixMidwest pic.twitter.com/ReAWkT1Rh5
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 2, 2026
The Indians scored a second run in the top of the seventh. The Redbirds responded in the bottom of the inning with a three-run frame to extend the lead to 13-2. Crooks and Bernal walked. Mendoza singled. Koperniak grounded into a force out, eliminating Crooks at home. Bernal scored on a single by Brody Moore. Báez plated Mendoza and Koperniak on a double.
Báez brings in some more!!!@MatrixMidwest pic.twitter.com/yt7vpHrLOq
— Memphis Redbirds (@memphisredbirds) May 2, 2026
Indianapolis added two additional runs in the ninth to bring the final score to 13-4.
The Redbirds offense scored 13 runs on 16 hits as all nine batters had at least one hit. Báez was 3-for-5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Crooks was 2-for-4 with four RBI. Mendoza was 3-for-4 with two runs scored. Torres was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Prieto was 2-for-5 with two runs scored. Koperniak had two RBI. Bernal scored two runs.
Crooks made a throwing error. Prieto had a fielding miscue.
Memphis is 22-10 on the season and is in first place in the International League West.
Sunday’s game: vs. Indianapolis, RHP Hancel Rincón (0-1, 3.52) vs LHP Hunter Barco (1-0, 2.45) 1:05 CT.
Springfield 5 at NW Arkansas 7
The Double-A Cardinals lost to the Naturals by a 7-5 score on Saturday. It was Springfield’s seventh consecutive defeat.
Starter Liam Doyle pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up one run on two hits, walked one and fanned five.
MLB's No. 29 prospect Liam Doyle looked strong today with five strikeouts across 4.1 IP, allowing just one run on a walk and two hits. pic.twitter.com/grHHNT64pc
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 3, 2026
Randel Clemente relieved Doyle and surrendered four runs, three earned, in 1 2/3 innings. Austin Love yielded two runs in 2/3 of an inning and took the loss. Darlin Saladin tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
NW Arkansas took a 1-0 lead in the third inning. Springfield tied the game in the fourth. Noah Mendlinger singled and scored on a double by Miguel Ugueto.
The Naturals took back the lead at 2-1 in the fifth. The Cardinals answered with two runs in the top of the sixth to lead 3-2. Carlos Linarez reached on an error and Mendlinger followed with a two-run home run.
Got all that one! Noah Mendlinger rips a two-run homer to give the Birds the lead. pic.twitter.com/W4QCaeYMK7
— Springfield Cardinals (@Sgf_Cardinals) May 3, 2026
NW Arkansas regained the lead with a three-run bottom of the sixth. Springfield tied the game again with two runs in the top of the seventh. Ryan Campos and Zach Levenson walked and advanced on a wild pitch. Trey Paige was hit by a pitch. Dakota Harris walked and Campos scored. Levenson came home on a walk by Mendlinger.
The Naturals again broke the tie with a two-run home seventh to lead 7-5, which they held
The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits. Mendlinger was 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Ugueto was 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Clemente made an error on a pickoff attempt. Campos had a passed ball.
Springfield is 7-19 on the season.
Sunday’s game: at NW Arkansas, Jurrangelo Cijntje SHP (1-2, 5.82) vs. TBD (NWA) 2:05 CT.
The Chiefs were defeated by the Loons by a 9-5 score on Saturday. Starter Nate Dohm pitched 2 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, walked two and struck out two.
Jawilme Ramírez relieved Dohm and threw 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Nolan Sparks surrendered three runs in three innings. Patrick Galle yielded one run in the eighth.
Great Lakes went up 2-0 in the first inning. Peoria cut the lead to 2-1 in the top of the third on a solo home run by Miguel Villarroel.
Villarroel solo HR to get us going in the 3rd!
PEO 1 | GL 2 pic.twitter.com/4BBivuWpuG
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 2, 2026
The Loons scored three runs in the home third and added a run in the fifth to lead 6-1.
In the top of the seventh, the Chiefs put up one run. Cade McGee walked. Ian Petrutz singled and stole second. Villarroel was hit by a pitch. Sammy Hernandez walked and McGee scored.
Great Lakes continued to pad the lead with two runs in the home seventh to extend the lead to 8-2.
Peoria rallied for three runs in the top of the eighth to shrink the gap to 8-5. Jesús Báez drew a walk and advanced to second a balk. Jalin Flores plated Báez on a single. Flores stole second base. Ian Petrutz reached on an error and Flores scored. Won-Bin Cho plated Petrutz on a single.
RBI single by Jalin Flores in the top of the 8th!
PEO 3 | GL 8 pic.twitter.com/mUYuADniC4
— Peoria Chiefs (@peoriachiefs) May 3, 2026
The Loons added a run in the ninth for the 9-5 win.
The Chiefs scored five runs on five hits. The Villarroel home run was the only extra base hit.
Petrutz stole his first base of the season. Flores swiped his second bag. Cho stole his ninth base. Báez made a throwing error. McGee had a passed ball.
Peoria is 11-14 on the season.
Sunday’s game: at Great Lakes, Tanner Franklin RHP (0-1, 4.76) vs. Jakob Wright LHP (1-0, 3.95) 12:05 CT.
The Low-A Cardinals lost to the Threshers by the score of 9-6 on Saturday at Roger Dean Stadium. Starter Ethan Young pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up six runs, three earned, on seven hits, walked one and fanned six. Young took the loss.
Yadiel Batista relieved Young and surrendered two runs in three innings. Justin Militello yielded one unearned run in the final 1 2/3 innings.
Palm Beach scored first in the second on a solo home run by Jonathan Mejía. Clearwater scored three runs in the third and three runs in the fourth to take a 6-1 lead.
The Beach Birds cut the lead to 6-2 in the sixth on a solo home run by Chase Heath. The Threshers answered with two runs in the top of the seventh to extend the lead to 8-2.
YES HE DID!!!!!
Chase Heath with his 3rd homerun of the season! pic.twitter.com/XIUl1DedFA
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 2, 2026
The Cardinals rallied for three runs in the home seventh to shrink the deficit to 8-5. Trevor Haskins singled. Luis Pino and Ryan Mitchell walked. Jack Gurevitch doubled to clear the bases. Palm Beach put up another run in the eighth on a solo home run by Cameron Nickens to make it 8-6.
Jack Gurevitch keeping the Iguanas alive🦎 pic.twitter.com/8eNDFQZTl4
— Palm Beach Cardinals (@GoPBCardinals) May 3, 2026
Clearwater added a final run in the ninth to win 9-6.
The Cardinals scored six runs on 12 hits. Gurevitch was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Brayden Smith and Ryan Weingartner were 2-for-5.
Mejía made two throwing error. Weingarten had a fielding miscue. Militello picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals are 15-11 on the season.
Sunday’s game: vs. Clearwater, Cade Crossland LHP (0-2, 6.63) vs. Cody Bowker RHP (0-2, 6.75) 11:30 am CT.
FCL Cardinals 1, FCL Marlins 4 (eight innings)
The Cardinals fell to the Marlins in the opening game of the Florida Complex League season on Saturday.
Starter Payton Graham pitched three scoreless innings, allowed two hits, walked one and fanned five.
Brian Holiday relieved Graham and surrendered one run in 1 2/3 innings. Jésus García threw 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Alejandro Lóiza yielded three runs, two earned, in the eighth and took the loss.
The game was scoreless for the first four innings. In the fifth, the Marlins scored one run. The Cardinals tied the game in the seventh. Edward Guribe singled. Juan Rujano doubled to plate Guribe.
The Marlins broke the tie with three runs in the eighth to win the game 4-1.
The Cardinals scored one run on five hits. Guribe was 2-for-3. The offense was 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
Yaxson Lucena stole his first base of the season. Kenly Hunter was picked off and caught stealing. J.P. Cabrera made two throwing errors. Hunter had an outfield assist at second base. Lucena had an outfield assist at second and another assist at home plate. Graham picked a runner off first base.
The Cardinals are 0-1 on the season.
Sunday’s game: Off day.
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