Cardinals Minor League Notebook – May 8, 2026

photo: Jimmy Crooks (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals minor league system was 3-2 on Thursday. The Cardinal Nation’s Player of the Day, Memphis catcher Jimmy Crooks, slugged a double and a home run in a three-walk, three-RBI performance. Other standouts: Leo Bernal, Matt Koperniak, Nelson Velázquez, Chen-Wei Lin, Rainiel Rodriguez, Yhoiker Fajardo, Jalin Flores and Ty Van Dyke.

Results for games played on Thursday, May 7, 2026.

Memphis Redbirds 11 at Toledo Mud Hens 4

Behind four long balls, the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds crushed the Mud Hens in Toledo on Thursday.

Hunter Dobbins made his sixth start for Memphis. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs on five hits, two walks, and two strikeouts.

Ryan Fernandez yielded a run in the sixth inning and picked up his first win with the Redbirds in 2026. Luis Gastelum followed with a shutout seventh. Scott Blewett gave up a run in the eighth. Max Rajcic tossed a scoreless ninth inning to finish the game and lower his ERA to 1.99.

The Redbirds opened the scoring with a two-run top of the second inning. Jimmy Crooks doubled and moved to third on a wild pitch. With one out, Nelson Velázquez belted a two-run home run, his fourth of 2026, to score Crooks and put the Redbirds in front 2-0.

Nelson Velázquez

Toledo tied the game at two in the home half of the second and grabbed a 3-2 lead with a run in the sixth. Memphis responded with a big six-run seventh.

Bryan Torres singled. Blaze Jordan scorched his 10th double of the season to put two runners in scoring position with one out. Crooks blasted his 11th home run on the year, a three-run shot, to give the Redbirds a 5-3 lead.

Jimmy Crooks

Leo Bernal followed with a single and advanced to second base via a wild pitch. Ramon Mendoza extended the inning with a two-out walk. Mendoza and Bernal moved up on a wild pitch. Matt Koperniak emptied the bags with the second three-run home run of the inning, the right fielder’s second long ball of the season, to extend the lead to 8-3.

Matt Koperniak

The Redbirds added a trio of insurance runs in the eighth. Torres lined a double and moved to third base on a groundout from Jordan. Crooks walked. Bernal rocketed his third home run of the season, the third three-run blast of the game, to stretch the lead to 11-3.

Leonardo Bernal

Memphis slugged eight extra-base hits and scored 11 runs on 12 total hits. Crooks was 2-for-2, including a double, a home run, three walks, three runs scored, and three RBI. Bernal went 2-for-5, including a home run, two runs scored, and three RBI. Koperniak was 2-for-5 with a home run and three RBI. Velázquez walked and hit a home run for two RBI. Torres was 4-for-5 with two doubles and two runs scored from the leadoff spot.

On the bases, Torres swiped third base for his seventh steal of the season.

Defensively, first baseman Bernal committed a fielding error.

Memphis is 24-12 on the season. They hold a 1.5 game lead in the International League West Division.

Friday’s game: at Toledo. LHP Pete Hansen (0-0, 1.33) vs. RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long (1-2, 4.42) 6:05 PM CT.

Springfield Cardinals 4, Corpus Christi Hooks 3 (7 innings, game one)

The Double-A Springfield Cardinals edged the Corpus Christi Hooks in game one of Thursday’s doubleheader at Route 66 Stadium.

Mason Molina started his sixth game for the Cardinals. The left-hander threw 4 ⅓ innings and allowed two runs on five hits, six walks, and five strikeouts.

Darlin Saladin yielded a run across 1 ⅔ innings with four strikeouts in relief of Molina and collected his first win of 2026. Mason Burns struck out two in a shoutout seventh inning to pick up his second save.

The Hooks struck first with a two-run top of the fourth inning.

The Cardinals answered with three runs in the home half of the frame. With two outs, Chase Davis reached on a fielding error. Ryan Campos walked. Zach Levenson crushed a three-run home run, his first of 2026, to put the Cardinals in front 3-2.

Zach Levenson

Springfield plated an insurance run in the fifth. Jeremy Rivas hit a leadoff single and stole second base. Rivas moved to third via a wild pitch and scored on a Noah Mendlinger sacrifice fly for a 4-2 Springfield lead.

Springfield pitching stranded 10 Hooks on base in the win.

The Cardinals scored four runs on four hits. Levenson was 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. Rivas singled and scored a run. Mendlinger walked and recorded an RBI on a sacrifice fly. Trey Paige singled.

On the bases, Rivas swiped his eighth bag of the season. Miguel Ugueto stole his 15th base and was caught stealing third base.

The Cardinals did not commit an error.

Springfield Cardinals 2, Corpus Christi Hooks 4 (7 innings, game two)

The Springfield Cardinals dropped the nightcap of Thursday’s doubleheader to the Corpus Christi Hooks at Route 66 Stadium. This was the makeup of Tuesday’s postponement.

Chen-Wei Lin made his fourth start in his sixth appearance overall for Springfield. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed two runs on four hits, two walks, and a season-high eight strikeouts.

Chen-Wei Lin

Left-hander Michael Watson surrendered two runs and struck out five over the final two innings of the game, taking the loss.

Corpus Christi plated two runs in the top of the first to take the lead.

Springfield trimmed the lead in half in the home third. With two away, Graysen Tarlow hit a solo home run, his second long ball of the season.

Graysen Tarlow

The Cardinals tied the game in the fourth. Miguel Ugueto walked and stole second base. Ryan Campos followed with a single to score Ugueto and tie the game at two.

Ryan Campos

The game remained tied at two until the Hooks scored a pair of runs in the top of the seventh to move ahead 4-2. Springfield was unable to answer.

The Cardinals scored two runs on three hits. Tarlow hit a home run. Campos singled and notched an RBI. Ugueto walked, singled, and scored. Jon Jon Gazdar and Travis Honeyman walked.

On the bases, Ugueto swiped his 16th bag.

On defense, catcher Tarlow was charged with a passed ball. No defender was tagged with an error.

Springfield is 10-20 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Corpus Christi. RHP Brandt Thompson (1-1, 2.75) vs. RHP Brandon McPherson (0-1, 2.95) 6:35 PM CT.

Peoria Chiefs 7, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers 6

The High-A Peoria Chiefs walked off the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers in a come-from-behind thriller at Dozer Park on Thursday.

Yhoiker Fajardo made his fourth start in his sixth appearance overall for the Chiefs. The right-hander pitched five innings and allowed one run on three hits, no walks, and seven strikeouts. Fajardo lowered his ERA to 1.46 with his strong start.

Yhoiker Fajardo

Rubén Menes surrendered four runs and recorded just two outs in relief of Fajardo and was tagged with a blown save. Bobby Olsen followed with 2 ⅓ scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Dominic Freeberger yielded a run in the ninth but collected his first win with the Chiefs.

Wisconsin scored first with a run in the top of the first.

Peoria took the lead with three runs in the home third. Won-Bin Cho walked and Jose Cordoba and Tre Richardson III hit back-to-back singles to load the bases with no outs. Ian Petrutz grounded out to the pitcher, with Cho home on the play. Rainiel Rodriguez singled to center field to bring Cordoba and Richardson III home and move the Chiefs in front 3-1.

Rainiel Rodriguez

The Timber Rattlers answered with four runs in the sixth and an insurance run in the ninth to take a 6-3 lead.

Down to their final three outs, the Chiefs mounted a big rally. José Suárez led off with a double. Cordoba took first base on catcher’s interference. Richardson III legged out an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Rodriguez grounded a single to score Suárez and Cordoba to bring the Chiefs within a run at 6-5. Richardson III crossed home plate via a wild pitch. Jalin Flores ripped a deep single to plate Rodriguez for a 7-6 walk-off win in Peoria.

Jalin Flores

The Chiefs scored seven runs on nine hits. Rodriguez was 3-for-5 with a run scored and four RBI. Flores hit a walk-off single for an RBI. Petrutz tallied an RBI. Cordoba and Richardson III each singled twice and scored two runs. Suárez hit the lone extra-base hit for the Chiefs, a double.

On the basepaths, Rodriguez stole his fourth bag of the campaign. Cordoba snagged his fifth base.

On defense, shortstop Flores committed a fielding error.

Peoria is 14-15 on the season.

Friday’s game: vs. Wisconsin. RHP Nate Dohm (0-1, 5.91) vs. LHP J.D. Thompson (0-0, 0.00) 6:35 PM CT.

Palm Beach Cardinals 0 at Jupiter Hammerheads 1

The Low-A Palm Beach Cardinals lost their second consecutive contest by a 1-0 score to the Jupiter Hammerheads at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, this time on a walk-off home run.

Ty Van Dyke made his sixth start for Palm Beach. The right-hander fired five scoreless innings on two hits, two walks, and five strikeouts. The 22-year-old lowered his ERA to 1.24.

Ty Van Dyke

Alex Breckheimer threw three innings in relief of Van Dyke and yielded a run to take the tough-luck loss.

Palm Beach looked to break the scoreless tie in the top of the fifth inning. Christian Martin and Luis Pino hit back-to-back singles. Martin was caught stealing third base and Heriberto Caraballo struck out to halt the scoring opportunity.

Palm Beach sought to enter the scoreboard in the seventh. Martin walked and stole second base, though back-to-back strikeouts prevented him from scoring.

After stranding the potential go-ahead run for Palm Beach on third base in the top of the ninth, Jupiter hit a walk-off solo home run in the home ninth to win the contest.

Palm Beach scored no runs on just two hits. Martin singled and walked twice. Pino tallied a single. Both hits came in the fifth inning. Cameron Nickens and Alex Birge walked.

The Cardinals were busy on the bases. Martin stole his second bag of 2026 and was caught stealing third base. Yordalin Peña swiped his fourth base. Birge snagged third base for his second steal.

The Cardinals did not commit an error on defense.

Palm Beach is 16-14 on the season. They reside in second place in the Florida State League East Division, one game behind Jupiter.

Friday’s game: at Jupiter. RHP Ethan Young (0-2, 6.75) vs. LHP Julio Mendez (2-0, 2.00) 5:30 PM CT.

FCL Cardinals (off day)

The Florida Complex League Cardinals were off on Thursday, as they prepare for a home contest at Roger Dean Stadium Complex with the FCL Mets on Friday.

The FCL Cardinals are 0-2 on the season.

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

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