Blog

Cardinals Add Athleticism, Power Arms and Upside on Day 1 of MLB DraftThe Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals entered Day 1 of the 2026 MLB Draft with one of the better opportunities in baseball.With six picks in the top 86, the Cardinals had a chance to reshape the front end of their farm system in a hurry. They used that opportunity to add a center-field athlete, two high-upside right-handed arms, a young defensive shortstop, another athletic outfielder and a college bat with offensive polish.It was not a quiet Day 1. It was a volume play with real intent.The Cardinals mixed tools, age, upside and position value, while continuing a recent trend of targeting power arms and athletic bats with room to grow.Pick No. 13 — Trevor Condon, OF&nbsp;&nbsp; The Cardinals opened their draft by selecting prep outfielder Trevor Condon, a left-handed hitter with center-field traits, speed and bat-to-ball ability. Condon brings a different kind of offensive profile to the system: athletic, aggressive, fast and capable of impacting the game with his legs as well as his bat.This is a bet on a true up-the-middle athlete. The Cardinals have added several power bats and catchers in recent years, but Condon gives them a potential center fielder with energy, defense and table-setting ability. If the hit tool carries, this could be one of the more important additions to the system.Pick No. 32 — Tegan Kuhns, RHP&nbsp; With their second pick of the day, the Cardinals went back to the University of Tennessee pipeline and selected right-hander Tegan Kuhns. Kuhns brings a big fastball, a quality breaking ball and the kind of strikeout ability the Cardinals have clearly prioritized in recent drafts.The appeal here is obvious. Kuhns has the ingredients to start if the third pitch and overall command continue to develop, but even if the path eventually shifts, the raw stuff gives him a strong fallback. You can never have too much pitching, and the Cardinals clearly agreed.Pick No. 50 — Rocco Maniscalco, SS The Cardinals used the 50th overall pick on high school shortstop Rocco Maniscalco, one of the younger players in the draft class. Maniscalco is a switch-hitting infielder with defensive actions, arm strength and a real chance to stay at shortstop.This is a projection pick. The bat will need time, but the defensive foundation gives the Cardinals something valuable to work with. Young shortstops with athleticism, baseball bloodlines and room to grow are exactly the kind of players worth betting on in this range.Pick No. 68 — Andrew Williamson, OF At No. 68, the Cardinals added another outfielder, selecting Andrew Williamson. Williamson is a compact left-handed hitter with some power, speed and the athleticism to handle the outfield, even if his long-term home may end up in a corner.This pick gives the Cardinals another bat with a chance to hit and enough athletic ability to keep the profile interesting. The organization did not simply chase one-dimensional power here. Williamson brings a broader set of tools, and that matters when trying to build depth beyond the first round.Pick No. 72 — Dawson Montesa, RHP The Cardinals went back to the mound at No. 72 with right-hander Dawson Montesa, a young college-eligible arm from West Virginia. Montesa brings a mid-90s fastball that can touch higher, a quality curveball and enough raw stuff to dream on.The question is command. That is the development challenge. But the Cardinals have been willing to take pitchers with real stuff and let the player-development group sort through role and refinement later. If Montesa throws enough strikes, there is starter upside. If not, the bullpen path still has teeth.Pick No. 86 — Caden Ferraro, 1B The Cardinals closed Day 1 by selecting Texas Tech first baseman Caden Ferraro. Ferraro is a left-handed college bat who produced at a high level and brings a hit-first profile with enough strength to grow into more game power.As a first baseman, the standard is simple: the bat has to carry. Ferraro will need to hit, and hit enough to separate himself from other corner bats in the system. But the Cardinals added a college hitter with approach, contact ability and production, giving them a more polished offensive piece to finish the day.Day 1 Takeaway The Cardinals did not draft one type of player. They spread their risk.They took a prep center fielder with speed and defensive value. They added two right-handed arms with real stuff. They grabbed a young shortstop who should stay on the dirt. They added another athletic outfielder. Then they finished with a college first baseman whose bat is the carrying tool.That is a pretty good use of a crowded Day 1 board.There is risk here, especially with the prep bats and the command profiles on the arms. But there is also upside. The Cardinals did not spend the day playing small. They leaned into athletes, tools, youth and stuff.That is how you try to build a better farm system. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Trevor Condon, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cardinals Add Athleticism, Power Arms and Upside on Day 1 of MLB Draft

The Cardinal Chronicle Liberatore, Nootbaar Lead Cardinals Past Braves, 4-1 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals needed one more strong statement before the All-Star break.Saturday night at Busch Stadium, they got it from Matthew Liberatore.They got it from Lars Nootbaar too.Behind six scoreless innings from Liberatore and one big first-inning swing from Nootbaar, the Cardinals beat the Atlanta Braves, 4-1, taking the first two games of the weekend series and giving themselves a chance to close the first half with a sweep.This was not a loud offensive night from start to finish.It did not have to be.The Cardinals struck early, added one more run in the fourth, then let the pitching staff carry the rest. After Friday night’s rain-delayed 2-1 win over Atlanta, Saturday was the cleaner version — a starter setting the tone, the offense doing enough, and the bullpen finishing the job.That is a good way to win a series.It is an even better way to go into Sunday with a chance to take all three from the Braves.Liberatore entered the night with something to prove. His season has had flashes, but also too many crooked innings and too many nights where the damage came in bunches. The Cardinals have continued to give him opportunities, and Saturday night was exactly the kind of outing they needed to see.He gave them six scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking one and striking out six. He threw 71 pitches, 50 for strikes, and worked with the kind of pace and command that has too often been missing when things have gone sideways.This was not a survival start.This was a winning start.Liberatore opened the game by striking out Michael Harris II, then walked Ozzie Albies. After a wild pitch moved Albies to second, Liberatore struck out Matt Olson and got Drake Baldwin to line out to second. It was an early test, and he passed it.Then the Cardinals gave him room.In the bottom of the first, JJ Wetherholt grounded out to second before Iván Herrera reached on an infield single to shortstop. Alec Burleson lined out to center, but Jordan Walker followed with a single to right, moving Herrera to second.That brought Nootbaar to the plate.He did not miss.Nootbaar drove a three-run homer to right field, giving the Cardinals a 3-0 lead before Atlanta starter Reynaldo López could get out of the opening inning. It was Nootbaar’s third home run of the season, and it gave St. Louis exactly what it needed — early separation against a Braves club that has enough power to change a game quickly.It was the biggest swing of the night.It also continued an encouraging stretch for Nootbaar, who has had to work his way back into rhythm after missing time earlier in the season. When he is healthy and producing, he changes the length of the Cardinals’ lineup. Saturday night was a reminder of why.Nootbaar did more than homer.He walked in the fourth, stole second and came home on Blaze Jordan’s two-out single to center, pushing the Cardinals’ lead to 4-0. That was an important add-on run, especially in a game where the offense was not going to pile up hits all night.Jordan’s single mattered.It was a young hitter staying in the middle of the field and cashing in a runner in scoring position. Those are the at-bats that can get buried under the highlight of a three-run homer, but they are the difference between protecting a lead and leaving a game too close.The Cardinals only had five hits.They made them count.Herrera singled and scored. Walker singled and scored. Nootbaar homered, walked, stole a base, scored twice and drove in three. Bryan Torres tripled in the second, though the Cardinals could not bring him home. Jordan added the RBI single in the fourth.That was enough because Liberatore did not let Atlanta back into the game.After working around the first-inning walk, he struck out Mauricio Dubón and Austin Riley to open the second before getting Eli White to fly out to right. In the third, he retired the bottom of the Braves’ order and Harris to keep the shutout moving. In the fourth, he allowed a two-out single to Baldwin but got Dubón to fly out to deep left.The fifth brought another small test.Riley singled to left-center, but Liberatore got White to bounce into a fielder’s choice. Joey Bart then lined out to third, and Jorge Mateo lined out to left. No damage.The sixth was the last real threat.Harris singled to shallow center, Albies flied out, and Olson singled to right-center, moving Harris to third. Atlanta finally had the kind of inning that could change the night, with two on and one out and the middle of the order trying to get the Braves back in it.Liberatore answered.Baldwin grounded into a double play, second to short to first, ending the inning and preserving the shutout.That was the at-bat of the game from the pitching side.The Braves had traffic, momentum and a chance to cut into the lead. Liberatore got one pitch to do exactly what he needed, and the Cardinals turned it cleanly behind him.That is how a starter finishes an outing.Not by being perfect.By making the pitch that ends the threat.Liberatore left after six with a 4-0 lead, and the Cardinals turned the game over to the bullpen. Luis Gastelum took the seventh and was greeted by Dubón, who homered to left to cut the lead to 4-1. It was Atlanta’s only run of the night.Gastelum still kept the inning from growing. He struck out Riley, allowed a double to White, then got Bart to ground out and Jim Jarvis to strike out. The Braves had life, but they did not get the inning they needed.George Soriano took over in the eighth and was sharp. He retired Harris on a fly ball to right, struck out Albies swinging and struck out Olson looking. That was a strong shutdown inning against the top of Atlanta’s order.Riley O’Brien handled the ninth and closed the door.That final stretch mattered because the Cardinals did not add on after the fourth. Owen Murphy quieted the St. Louis lineup out of the Atlanta bullpen, retiring the Cardinals over the final few innings and keeping the Braves close enough to make the late innings matter.The Cardinals’ pitching made sure the lead held.Atlanta finished with one run on six hits. Dubón supplied the only run with his seventh-inning homer. White doubled. Olson, Baldwin, Riley and Harris each had hits. But the Braves went quiet in the biggest spots, struck out 10 times and never found the inning that could flip the game.The Cardinals did not commit an error.They turned the double play when they needed it.They pitched clean baseball.That is the part of the night that should not be overlooked.The offense will get the headline because Nootbaar’s swing changed the game in the first inning. Liberatore will get the headline because he gave the Cardinals six scoreless innings against a dangerous lineup. But the overall shape of the win was just as important.St. Louis played a complete game.Not a perfect one.A complete one.The starter gave them length. The offense struck early. The defense handled the ball. The bullpen bent only once and did not let the game get tight. Against an Atlanta club that came in with one of the better records in the National League, that is not a small thing.The Cardinals are still fighting for position. Every game before the break matters, especially after the frustration of the Milwaukee series and the uneven stretch that came before it. They needed to stabilize. They needed to finish the first half with some backbone. They needed to show they could beat a good team at home and not simply hang around.They have done that for two straight nights.Friday was messy because of the long rain delay, but the Cardinals found a way to win 2-1. Saturday was cleaner, more controlled and built on the kind of starting pitching they will need if they are going to stay in the postseason picture.That is the bigger takeaway.The Cardinals can talk about competing. They can talk about the race. They can talk about the opportunity in front of them. But the postseason push will only become real if the starting pitching gives them nights like this one.Liberatore gave them one.And the timing could not have been much better.The Cardinals have already won the series. On Sunday, they will have a chance to finish the weekend with a sweep and head into the All-Star break with momentum.That matters.The Braves are not a soft opponent. They have lineup depth, power and a record that reflects how good they have been. Taking the first two games of this series is meaningful. Closing the deal Sunday would make it even louder.For now, Saturday belongs to Liberatore and Nootbaar.Liberatore set the tone from the mound.Nootbaar delivered the swing.The Cardinals beat the Braves, 4-1.And for one more night at Busch Stadium, St. Louis looked like a club that still has something important to chase. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Lars Nootbarr, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Liberatore, Nootbaar Lead Cardinals Past Braves, 4-1

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Payton Graham Sets the Tone in Palm Beach Win St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurPalm Beach needed a steady start Saturday night, and Payton Graham gave the Cardinals exactly that.Graham is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working four strong innings in Palm Beach’s 8-2 win over Daytona at Jackie Robinson Ballpark.His final line:4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 KThat is clean work.Graham allowed two runs in the second inning, but both were unearned. More importantly, he did not let the inning unravel. He kept throwing strikes, kept the ball on the ground and gave Palm Beach a chance to take control of the game.The right-hander threw 60 pitches, 41 for strikes, and the most encouraging part of the outing was the way he attacked the zone. No walks. That matters. At the lower levels, free passes can turn an ordinary inning into a mess in a hurry. Graham avoided that trap and made Daytona earn what it got.He also produced nine groundouts against just one flyout, which tells the story of the outing. This was not a pitcher trying to blow everybody away. It was a pitcher working downhill, getting contact on the ground and keeping the game under control.That kind of start plays.Palm Beach took the lead with a four-run fourth inning, and Graham’s work gave the offense time to get there. From that point on, the bullpen finished the job. Yadiel Batista, Anthony Watts and Zeke Wood combined for five scoreless innings, with Watts throwing 2.1 hitless innings and Wood striking out both batters he faced.The offense gave Graham plenty of help. Ryan Mitchell hit his ninth home run of the season, Jonathan Mejía added his 11th, and the Cardinals finished with 11 hits, four doubles and two home runs.But Graham’s start set the tone.This was the kind of outing Palm Beach needed after a wild 19-run win the night before. Instead of another track meet, the Cardinals got a much cleaner game. Graham held the line early, the bullpen slammed the door, and Palm Beach rolled to another win.The victory also helped Palm Beach move into first place in the Florida State League East second-half race. That makes the outing matter even more. These games are no longer just developmental box scores. They are tied to a standings race.Graham did not need a flashy strikeout total to earn the spotlight. He earned it by doing the starter’s job the right way.Throw strikes. Limit damage. Keep the ball on the ground. Give your team a chance to win.Payton Graham did all of that.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Payton Graham, RHP, Palm Beach Cardinals Final Line: 4 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Payton Graham

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Brody Moore Delivers Perfect Night for Springfield St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSpringfield needed a fast start Saturday night, and Brody Moore helped make sure the Cardinals got one.Moore is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored in Springfield’s 10-4 win over Tulsa at ONEOK Field.His final line:3-for-3, a Grand Slam HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R&nbsp;That is about as clean as it gets.In a shortened five-inning game, Moore made every at-bat count. He reached safely in all three plate appearances, drove the baseball with authority, and gave Springfield the kind of production that helped turn the game early.The Cardinals scored seven runs in the first inning, setting the tone before Tulsa ever had a chance to settle in. Moore was right in the middle of it. His bat helped Springfield build immediate separation, and that mattered on a night when the Cardinals were trying to stay locked into the top of the Texas League North second-half race.Moore’s home run was his second of the season, and his four RBIs pushed him to 12. He also lifted his average to .393 and his OPS to .942, continuing a strong stretch since joining the Springfield lineup.This was not empty production tucked into a blowout after the game was already decided. Moore’s damage came as part of the early punch that defined the night. Springfield did not ease into this one. The Cardinals came out swinging, put Tulsa on its heels, and never let the Drillers turn it into a serious threat.Moore had plenty of help. Travis Honeyman went 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Jesús Báez added his seventh home run and drove in two runs. Won-Bin Cho singled, walked and drove in a run.But Moore stood above the rest because he was perfect at the plate and drove in four runs from the lower half of the lineup. When that part of the order produces like that, it changes the whole feel of an offense.That is how good lineups become dangerous. Not just one or two bats at the top doing all the work, but production coming from everywhere.For Springfield, the win was bigger than one box score. The Cardinals improved to 11-6 in the second half, staying tied with Tulsa for first place in the Texas League North. After an uneven first half, Springfield has put itself squarely in the second-half race.Moore helped keep them there.A perfect night at the plate. Three hits. Two extra-base hits. Four runs driven in on a grand slam. A first-place race still alive.That earns the headline.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Brody Moore, SS, Springfield Cardinals Final Line: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 2 R The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Brody Moore, Springfield Cardinals |&nbsp;

MiLB Player of the Day: Brody Moore a Perfect Night for Springfield

The Cardinal Chronicle May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Go for Sweep Over the Braves St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals needed to turn the page after losing four of five to the Milwaukee Brewers and they didn, now they have a chance to close the first half with a broom.St. Louis hosts the Atlanta Braves this afternoon at Busch Stadium in the final game of a three-game series and the final game before the All-Star break. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. CT, with right-hander Dustin May getting the ball for the Cardinals against Braves right-hander JR Ritchie.After a frustrating five-game series against Milwaukee, the Cardinals have answered with exactly the kind of weekend they needed. They beat Atlanta 2-1 in a rain-delayed opener Friday, then came back Saturday night with a cleaner, stronger 4-1 win to clinch the series.Now the Cardinals enter Sunday at 50-44, while the Braves come in at 54-40.That matters.The Cardinals cannot erase the Brewers series, but they have done the next best thing. They have stopped dragging it around with them. They have played cleaner baseball, gotten better starting pitching, protected late leads and beaten a first-place club on back-to-back nights.Now they have a chance to finish the job.Saturday was one of the better responses of the week. Lars Nootbaar gave the Cardinals early control with a three-run homer in the first inning, his third of the season and the swing that put Atlanta on its heels. Matthew Liberatore gave St. Louis six scoreless innings, allowing four hits while striking out six and walking one. Blaze Jordan added a two-out RBI single in the fourth after Nootbaar walked and stole second.That was enough.Luis Gastelum, George Soriano and Riley O’Brien handled the final three innings, with O’Brien working through a little ninth-inning traffic to secure his 24th save. After the late-inning problems that defined too much of the Milwaukee series, the Cardinals have now spent two nights looking far more composed at the end of games.That is no small thing.Friday was tight. Saturday was controlled.Sunday is about finishing.May enters at 5-6 with a 4.55 ERA and 85 strikeouts. His season has had enough sharp turns to keep every start interesting, but this is the kind of outing the Cardinals need from him heading into the break. Give the club length. Keep the ball on the ground. Stay out of traffic. Avoid the crooked inning.When May is right, his movement can make hitters uncomfortable and produce quick contact. When he is not, the walks, deep counts and hard contact can stack up quickly. Against Atlanta, there is not much room for searching.The Braves still have plenty of damage in the lineup, even if St. Louis has held them down through the first two games of the series. Matt Olson remains a major power threat. Ozzie Albies can create trouble from both sides of the plate. Austin Riley drove in Atlanta’s lone run Friday. Michael Harris II, Drake Baldwin, Mauricio Dubón, Joey Bart and the rest of the order give Atlanta enough ways to make a pitcher pay for mistakes.May does not need to pitch around the whole lineup.He needs to attack it.That means first-pitch strikes. That means finishing hitters when he gets ahead. That means no free passes in front of Olson, Albies or the middle of the order. The Cardinals have controlled the first two games because the pitching staff has not allowed Atlanta to build big innings.May has to keep that pattern in place.The Braves counter with Ritchie, who enters at 1-2 with a 4.60 ERA and 42 strikeouts. Ritchie gives Atlanta a young right-handed arm in a game the Braves badly need after dropping the first two of the series. He has enough stuff to compete, but the Cardinals should not let him settle into an easy rhythm.The approach has to be simple.Get traffic early. Make Ritchie work from the stretch. Force him to throw strikes. Do not chase him into quick outs. And when he gives the Cardinals something over the plate, do not miss it.That has been one of the better signs of the weekend. St. Louis has not needed a huge offensive outburst to beat Atlanta. The Cardinals have gotten timely swings, important baserunners and enough run prevention to make those swings stand up. That is a good formula, especially for a club still trying to stabilize the pitching staff.But Sunday would be a good day to give May more breathing room.Jordan Walker remains the biggest power presence in the lineup and heads into the break with his Home Run Derby appearance waiting. Alec Burleson continues to be one of the steadier bats on the club. Iván Herrera gives the Cardinals another quality on-base threat. JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn can create pressure at the top. Nootbaar gave the lineup a needed jolt Saturday. Blaze Jordan, Jimmy Crooks, Nolan Gorman, Pedro Pagés and the rest of the group have to keep the order from shrinking around one or two bats.The Cardinals do not need to win Sunday with one swing.They need to keep applying pressure.That is how a team finishes a series. Not by assuming yesterday carries over, but by putting the next starter under stress, making the defense handle the ball and giving its own pitcher a lead to work with.The bigger picture is clear enough.St. Louis has had an uneven first half. There have been stretches where the Cardinals looked like a club with enough young talent, enough fight and enough offense to stay firmly in the race. There have also been stretches, especially on the pitching side, where the holes have been impossible to ignore.That is why this weekend matters.Not because sweeping Atlanta would make everything whole. It would not. The Cardinals still need pitching answers. They still need steadier bullpen management. They still need to decide how aggressive they are going to be before the trade deadline.But a sweep would send them into the break with a different tone.It would mean three straight wins over a first-place Braves team. It would mean the Milwaukee series did not become a slide. It would mean the Cardinals answered a rough week by playing better baseball immediately instead of waiting for the break to reset them.That is what good teams do.They do not get to skip frustration. They have to respond to it.The Cardinals have already won the series.Now they have a chance to make the response louder.May gets the ball. Ritchie stands in the way. The Braves are trying to avoid getting swept. The Cardinals are trying to finish the first half with one more clean win at Busch Stadium.The break can wait.There is still one game left.Go get the sweep.Game InformationMatchup: Atlanta Braves at St. Louis Cardinals When: Sunday, July 12, 2026 First Pitch: 1:15 p.m. CT Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP JR Ritchie vs. RHP Dustin May Ritchie: 1-2, 4.60 ERA, 42 SO May: 5-6, 4.55 ERA, 85 SO Records: Braves 54-40; Cardinals 50-44 Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / BravesVision The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Go for Sweep Over the Braves

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Farm Report: Moore Leads Springfield, Peoria Rallies Late, Palm Beach Wins Clean St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSaturday finally brought a better night across the Cardinals’ full-season affiliates.Memphis continued to stumble in Gwinnett, but Springfield, Peoria and Palm Beach all won, giving the system a 3-1 night after several rough days on the farm.Brody Moore delivered the biggest individual offensive performance, going perfect at the plate for Springfield. Peoria rallied from an early six-run hole and won it late. Palm Beach got a clean all-around victory behind strong pitching from Payton Graham and the bullpen.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 54-38 Second Half: 7-10, 9th in the International League West, 3.0 GB Streak: L3Gwinnett 9, Memphis 2Memphis dropped its third straight game, falling 9-2 to Gwinnett.The Redbirds were held to six hits and never found much traction after scoring twice in the third inning. Leo Bernal drove in both Memphis runs, going 1-for-4 with two RBIs. Victor Scott II singled, scored and stole his seventh base, while Thomas Saggese, César Prieto, Yohel Pozo and Matt Koperniak each added a hit.Nolan Gorman did not record a hit but reached base three times with three walks. That is something, even if Memphis badly needed more damage from the middle of the order.The pitching staff had a difficult night. Ryan Murphy allowed four runs over 2.1 innings, Victor Santos gave up a run, Tink Hence allowed two runs in one inning, and Austin Love was charged with two more over the final two frames. Gwinnett finished with 11 hits and three home runs.Takeaway: Memphis remains strong overall, but the second half has been a grind. The Redbirds are now 7-10 since the break and have lost three straight.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 42-43 Second Half: 11-6, tied for first in the Texas League North Streak: W1Springfield 10, Tulsa 4Springfield wasted no time Saturday night, jumping Tulsa for seven runs in the first inning and rolling to a 10-4 win in a five-inning finish.The Cardinals did their damage early and made it count. Brody Moore was the headliner, going 3-for-3 with a home run, a grand slam, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. That is a complete night in a shortened game, and it made him the clear Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day.Travis Honeyman also had a strong game, going 2-for-3 with a home run, three RBIs, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base. Jesús Báez added his seventh home run and drove in two, while Won-Bin Cho singled, walked and drove in a run.On the mound, Cooper Hjerpe had an unusual line. He recorded only five outs but struck out five, while also walking four and allowing two runs. Randel Clemente steadied the game with 2.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out three. Tyler Bradt finished the final inning, allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out three.Takeaway: Springfield is now tied with Tulsa for first place in the second-half race. That is the big-picture story. The Cardinals are 11-6 since the break, and Saturday’s first-inning ambush was exactly the kind of statement they needed.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 40-45 Second Half: 8-11, fifth in the Midwest League West, 5.0 GB Streak: W2Peoria 9, Quad Cities 8Peoria pulled off one of the better comeback wins of the night, rallying from an early 6-1 deficit to beat Quad Cities 9-8.The Chiefs trailed 6-1 after two innings, but kept climbing back. They scored four runs in the sixth, then delivered the decisive blow with three runs in the ninth.Michael Dattalo had the swing of the night, hitting his first home run of the season and driving in three runs. Josh Kross added his 11th home run, while Luis Pino continued a strong stretch with a 3-for-4 night and two RBIs.Sammy Hernandez added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Christian Martin doubled, walked and drove in two, while Jalin Flores walked twice and scored.The pitching line was not clean early. Leonel Sequera allowed six runs over four innings, but the bullpen gave Peoria a chance. Bobby Olsen worked two innings, Nolan Sparks allowed one unearned run over two frames, and Rubén Menes finished it with a scoreless ninth.Takeaway: This was a gritty win. Peoria has had some ugly pitching nights lately, but Saturday the bullpen held the line just enough for the offense to steal one late.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 45-41 Second Half: 12-8, first in the Florida State League East Streak: W2Palm Beach 8, Daytona 2Palm Beach followed Friday’s 19-run explosion with a much cleaner 8-2 win over Daytona.The Cardinals scored four runs in the fourth, two more in the sixth, and added single runs in the eighth and ninth. They finished with 11 hits, including four doubles and two home runs.Ryan Mitchell hit his ninth home run and drove in a run. Jonathan Mejía added his 11th homer and drove in two. Ryan Weingartner went 2-for-5 with a double, while Yordalin Peña went 2-for-4 with a double and a stolen base. Johnfrank Salazar added two hits, an RBI and a stolen base.The pitching was the real story. Payton Graham worked four innings, allowing four hits and two unearned runs with no walks and two strikeouts. After that, the bullpen slammed the door.Yadiel Batista, Anthony Watts and Zeke Wood combined for five scoreless innings. Watts was especially sharp, throwing 2.1 hitless innings with three strikeouts, and Wood struck out both batters he faced.Takeaway: Palm Beach is back on top in the second-half race. After pounding Daytona on Friday, the Cardinals came back Saturday with a much more complete win — offense, pitching and bullpen finish.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Brody Moore, SS, Springfield CardinalsMoore earns the honor after going 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored in Springfield’s 10-4 win over Tulsa.He was perfect at the plate and delivered the biggest offensive night in the system.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Payton Graham, RHP, Palm Beach CardinalsGraham gets the nod after throwing four innings, allowing four hits, no earned runs, no walks and striking out two in Palm Beach’s 8-2 win over Daytona.The final line was steady, clean and exactly what Palm Beach needed to build a win.The Final WordSaturday was a much-needed bounce-back night.Springfield stayed tied for first in the second-half race. Palm Beach moved into first place in the Florida State League East. Peoria won its second straight with a late rally. Memphis was the lone stumble, and the Redbirds’ second-half slide continued with a third straight loss.The best signs were easy to find: Brody Moore was perfect at the plate, Payton Graham gave Palm Beach a steady start, Michael Dattalo came through late for Peoria, and Springfield’s lineup looked dangerous from the first inning on.After a rough stretch, the farm system finally had a night with more answers than problems. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Michael Dattalo, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB

The Farm Report: Winners - Springfield; Peoria & Palm Bech

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle 

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur

The Cardinal Notebook

Cardinals Add Athleticism, Power Arms and Upside on Day 1...

Liberatore, Nootbaar Lead Cardinals Past Braves, 4-1

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Payton Graham

MiLB Player of the Day: Brody Moore a Perfect Night for S...

May Gets the Ball as Cardinals Go for Sweep Over the Braves

The Farm Report: Winners - Springfield; Peoria & Palm Bech