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THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinals Routed by Orioles at Busch St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals came home needing a reset after a brutal weekend in Philadelphia.They got the opposite.Baltimore scored four runs in the third inning, broke the game open with eight more in the fifth and handed the Cardinals a 13-1 loss Tuesday night at Busch Stadium in the opener of a three-game series.It was the Cardinals’ fourth straight loss and another damaging night for a team trying to keep any realistic postseason hopes alive. After being swept in Philadelphia, including a ninth-inning collapse Sunday, St. Louis needed to show some response at home. Instead, the Cardinals were buried by the middle innings and never gave themselves a chance to make the game competitive.The Orioles did most of their early damage with power. Pete Alonso hit a three-run homer in the third inning off Matthew Liberatore, scoring Leody Taveras and Jackson Holliday to give Baltimore a 3-0 lead. Christian Encarnacion-Strand followed later in the inning with a solo homer to left-center, stretching the Orioles’ lead to 4-0.Nathan Church gave the Cardinals their only answer in the bottom of the third, hitting a solo home run to right-center off Chris Bassitt. It was Church’s 10th home run of the season and briefly cut the deficit to 4-1.That was as close as St. Louis got.Baltimore turned the game into a blowout in the fifth. Holliday singled, Alonso followed with a base hit, Gunnar Henderson walked and Coby Mayo singled to left to bring home Holliday. Encarnacion-Strand followed with a two-run single after Peter Strzelecki replaced Liberatore, and the inning only got worse from there.Dylan Beavers walked with the bases loaded, Leody Taveras singled home two runs, Holliday added an RBI single and Alonso doubled home another run. By the time the inning ended, Baltimore had scored eight times and led 12-1.Beavers added an RBI double in the sixth to make it 13-1.Liberatore’s final line was rough. He allowed eight runs on eight hits over four innings, walking one and striking out seven. The strikeout total showed the swing-and-miss was there, but the Orioles punished too many mistakes and turned traffic into crooked numbers.Strzelecki also had a difficult outing, allowing four runs on four hits while recording one out. Caleb Ferguson and Ryan Fernandez handled the final innings, but the game had already gotten away.Alonso led Baltimore’s 15-hit attack, going 4-for-4 with a homer, a double, four RBIs and two runs scored. Encarnacion-Strand finished with two hits, a homer and three RBIs. Holliday had three hits, two runs and an RBI, while Taveras added two hits, two runs and two RBIs.The Cardinals managed six hits against Bassitt and Yennier Cano. Bassitt worked 6.2 innings, allowing one run, no walks and striking out five. He did not overpower St. Louis, but he stayed in the strike zone, avoided free passes and never let the Cardinals build an inning.Church had the lone run-scoring swing for St. Louis. JJ Wetherholt, Iván Herrera, Alec Burleson, Joshua Báez, Ramón Urías and Church accounted for the Cardinals’ hits, but St. Louis did not draw a walk and never created sustained pressure.The loss continued a difficult stretch for the Cardinals. Friday in Philadelphia, they lost in 10 innings after taking a lead in extras. Saturday, they were routed. Sunday, they carried a four-run lead into the ninth and lost. Tuesday, they returned home and were beaten by 12 runs.That is not a rough patch. That is a hard turn in the wrong direction.For a team that spent much of August trying to sell the idea that there was still time, the margin is getting thin. The Cardinals had a favorable portion of the schedule in front of them and came into this homestand needing to take advantage of it. The first night did not just go badly. It unraveled.Baltimore entered the series under .500 but still fighting in the American League Wild Card race. The Orioles played like a team that understood the urgency. The Cardinals did not.There are still two games left in the series, but Tuesday was another reminder that opportunity only matters if a team does something with it. St. Louis had a chance to come home, stop the slide and start repairing some of the damage from Philadelphia.Instead, the Cardinals were outpitched, outhit and outplayed.Orioles 13, Cardinals 1.Another ugly loss.Another game slipping away from a season that is running out of room. 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: Jackson Holliday, Baltimore Orioles | MLB

Cardinals Routed by Orioles at Busch

The Cardinal Chronicle McGreevy Gets the Ball to Try to Wash Away Orioles Rout St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals do not need to dress up what happened Tuesday night.It was embarrassing.After being swept in Philadelphia, St. Louis came home needing to steady itself, protect a vulnerable pitching staff and start a six-game homestand with some urgency.Instead, the Cardinals were beaten 13-1 by the Baltimore Orioles at Busch Stadium, falling below .500 and extending their losing streak to four games.Now they have to play again.That may be the best thing about baseball after a night like that. There is no week to sit with it. No long break to replay every crooked number. No time to pretend it was something other than what it was.The Cardinals host the Orioles again tonight at Busch Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT. Right-hander Michael McGreevy gets the ball for St. Louis against Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish.Baltimore enters at 64-68, while the Cardinals come in at 66-67. The Orioles took the series opener in the loudest possible way, and the Cardinals now need a win just to keep this homestand from taking on the same ugly shape as the road trip that preceded it.Tuesday’s loss got away early, then completely unraveled in the fifth.Pete Alonso went 4-for-4 with a three-run homer and four RBIs. Christian Encarnacion-Strand also homered and drove in three. Jackson Holliday added three hits in his return to Busch Stadium, and Chris Bassitt worked into the seventh inning, allowing one run on six hits with five strikeouts and no walks.The Cardinals’ only run came on Nathan Church’s solo homer.That was it.Matthew Liberatore allowed a career-high eight runs on eight hits and a walk in four-plus innings. Baltimore scored four runs in the third and then turned the game into a rout with an eight-run fifth, sending 13 batters to the plate while the Cardinals searched for outs that never came quickly enough.By the ninth inning, Pedro Pagés was on the mound for his second pitching appearance in four days.That says enough.This is where McGreevy matters.McGreevy enters at 5-9 with a 3.54 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 95 strikeouts. His record does not tell the full story. He has been one of the Cardinals’ more reliable starters this season, and with Hunter Dobbins and Andre Pallante both on the injured list, reliable innings are no small thing.The Cardinals need him to give them structure.They need strikes. They need early contact. They need clean innings. They need a start that does not force the bullpen into emergency mode before the middle of the game.Most of all, they need somebody to take the ball and slow the night down.Baltimore’s offense showed exactly what can happen when a starter loses the zone or falls behind in counts. Alonso remains the first name on the scouting report. He now has 31 home runs, and his history against St. Louis only adds to the problem. He came into Tuesday with 13 career homers in 39 games against the Cardinals, then added another one with the kind of swing that changed the shape of the game.But Baltimore is not just Alonso.Gunnar Henderson gives the Orioles another left-handed impact bat. Jackson Holliday can put pressure on a defense. Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo, Encarnacion-Strand, Dylan Beavers, Leody Taveras and the rest of the lineup give Baltimore enough length that mistakes in the bottom half still find ways to turn into damage.The Cardinals cannot keep offering free traffic.McGreevy does not have to overpower Baltimore. That is not who he is. He has to pitch to his strengths, get the ball on the ground, keep hitters off the barrel and make the Orioles earn their way on base. A solo homer is survivable. Walks in front of power are not. Extended innings after two outs are not. Another early crooked number would put St. Louis right back in the same place it lived Tuesday.On the other side, the Cardinals get Bradish, who enters at 7-12 with a 3.70 ERA, a 1.38 WHIP and 129 strikeouts.Bradish has had success against St. Louis in the past, carrying a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 career innings against the Cardinals. He is not the kind of pitcher the Cardinals can let settle in, especially after the offense managed only one run Tuesday night.The approach has to be better.The Cardinals need traffic early. They need longer at-bats. They need to force Bradish to work from the stretch instead of allowing him to control the tempo. They need to make Baltimore’s defense handle the baseball and force the Orioles’ bullpen to cover meaningful outs.This is not a night for empty singles and quiet innings.Alec Burleson continues to give the Cardinals steady production, with 33 doubles, 21 home runs and 96 RBIs. Jordan Walker has been one of the hotter bats in the lineup, going 15-for-41 with four doubles, four home runs and 12 RBIs over his last 10 games. Those are the bats St. Louis needs to drive the middle of the order.But the Cardinals cannot ask Burleson and Walker to carry the entire lineup.JJ Wetherholt, Iván Herrera, Joshua Báez, Nathan Church, Blaze Jordan, Pedro Pagés, José Fermín and the rest of the order have to lengthen the night. Church gave St. Louis its only run Tuesday. That is not enough. Not at home. Not after a sweep. Not when the team is trying to keep itself within reach of the National League Wild Card race.The injuries make everything tighter.Masyn Winn is on the injured list. Everson Pereira is on the injured list. Dobbins and Pallante are down. Max Rajcic remains on the 60-day injured list. The Cardinals are not operating with a full deck, but the schedule does not make allowances for that.The Orioles are not coming to Busch Stadium to help them regroup.Baltimore is four games under .500, but the Orioles remain in the middle of a crowded American League Wild Card race. They played like a team with urgency Tuesday. They took advantage of mistakes, added on and never allowed the Cardinals to pretend they were close.St. Louis has to match that edge tonight.The Cardinals are 4-6 over their last 10 games, and the pitching staff has allowed too many nights to get away. Their team ERA sits at 4.20, ninth in the National League, and the combination of short starts and bullpen strain is starting to show.That is why this game feels bigger than one night in late August.The Cardinals are not out of it. But they are running out of room to keep absorbing losses like Tuesday’s. A team can survive a bad game. It cannot survive letting bad games become the new direction.Tonight is about control.Control the strike zone.Control the first three innings.Control Alonso.Control the pace.Control the damage.McGreevy gives the Cardinals a chance to do that. He has been steady enough to stop this kind of slide before, and St. Louis needs him to do it again.The Cardinals do not need to win by 12 runs to make Tuesday disappear.They need to play a clean baseball game.They need to get a start.They need to score before the night gets heavy.They need to win.That is the only reset that matters now.Game Info Matchup: Baltimore Orioles at St. Louis Cardinals When: Wednesday, August 26, 2026 First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. CT / 7:45 p.m. ET Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP Kyle Bradish vs. RHP Michael McGreevy Bradish: 7-12, 3.70 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 129 SO McGreevy: 5-9, 3.54 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, 95 SO Records: Orioles 64-68; Cardinals 66-67 Broadcast: MASN / Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 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 McGreevy | MLB

McGreevy Gets the Ball to Try to Wash Away Orioles Rout

The Cardinal Chronicle In the Spotlight: Josiah Ragsdale, a Rising Star St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJosiah Ragsdale did not arrive in the Cardinals system as the loudest name in the Dustin May and JoJo Romero trade.That honor belonged to Alexander Frias, the younger, higher-upside outfielder who came over from Milwaukee with big raw tools and long-term projection.But Ragsdale may be the player in the deal who is closer to making things interesting.The 22-year-old outfielder came to St. Louis from Milwaukee at the trade deadline and was immediately placed at Double-A Springfield. MiLB Today lists Ragsdale as the batting and throwing left-hander, with a Cardinals system ranking of No. 10. That alone says the Cardinals did not acquire him as a throw-in. They acquired a player whose stock had already started moving.&nbsp;Ragsdale’s full-season numbers tell the first part of the story.MiLB’s official player page currently lists him with a .303 average, 22 home runs, 57 RBI, 33 stolen bases and a .981 OPS in 2026. Those are not “nice organizational depth” numbers. Those are breakout numbers. They point to a player who has blended speed, patience and growing power into one of the more well-rounded offensive seasons in the upper minors.&nbsp;That is the dream.The Springfield line shows the adjustment.MiLB Today’s player profile lists Ragsdale at .214 with a .696 OPS, two home runs, five RBI, eight walks and 21 strikeouts since joining Springfield. (MiLB Today) That is not a failure. That is Double-A baseball doing what Double-A baseball is supposed to do. It tests players. It forces them to adjust. It separates short hot streaks from sustainable development.For Ragsdale, the early Springfield snapshot is a reminder that the Cardinals did not acquire a finished product.They acquired a fast-rising one.Ragsdale made one of the loudest first impressions imaginable after the trade. In his first at-bat in the Cardinals organization, he launched a 110 mph home run for Springfield. MLB Pipeline noted that the homer was his 20th of the season and made him just the second player in affiliated baseball at that point in 2026 to reach the 20-homer, 30-steal plateau.&nbsp;That is the kind of sentence that changes a prospect profile.Before this season, Ragsdale looked more like a speed-first outfielder with on-base skills and defensive value. Now, the power has entered the conversation in a real way. When a player can run, defend, draw walks and start driving the baseball out of the park, he stops looking like a depth piece and starts looking like a possible big-league contributor.The scouting report supports that shift.Baseball Savant lists Ragsdale with a 45 hit tool, 50 power, 70 run, 40 arm, 55 field and 45 overall grade. That is a useful profile: left-handed bat, plus-plus speed, enough glove to handle the outfield and improving power. The arm is not a carrying tool, which puts more pressure on the bat if he eventually settles into a corner, but the speed and defensive range give him a wider path. (baseballsavant.com)Ragsdale’s development this year has been especially interesting because it has not been built on one skill.He has walked. He has run. He has hit for average. He has driven the ball in the air. He has added home run power without completely giving away the rest of his offensive game.MLB Pipeline noted that after a slow start to the season, Ragsdale slashed .338/.454/.621 over an extended stretch and became more of a fly-ball hitter. His fly-ball rate jumped dramatically during his Double-A Biloxi run, where he slugged .698 before the trade.&nbsp;That is the key development marker.Ragsdale did not simply get hot. He changed the way the ball came off his bat.That matters.There is still swing-and-miss to watch. MLB Pipeline noted that his strikeout rate was elevated, but also pointed out that his walk rate rose alongside it. That is a livable tradeoff if the power is real. A hitter who strikes out some but controls the zone, steals bases and produces extra-base damage can still be valuable.The platoon split is another area to monitor. Baseball Savant’s 2026 splits show Ragsdale has been far more dangerous against right-handed pitching, producing a .325 average and 1.069 OPS against righties, compared with a .226 average and .679 OPS against lefties.&nbsp;That does not close the book on him.It just gives the Cardinals a development target.Can he improve against left-handed pitching? Can he keep the power without becoming too launch-happy? Can he cut down the strikeouts enough to let the speed and on-base skills keep playing? Can he remain playable in center field often enough to maximize his value?Those are fair questions.But fair questions are not the same as warning signs.Ragsdale has already made one important adjustment this season by turning a speed-and-contact profile into something much louder. He went from a seventh-round pick out of Boston College to a Top 10 Cardinals prospect in barely a year. That does not happen unless the player changes the conversation.And Ragsdale has changed the conversation.The Cardinals need more prospects like this.Not every player in the system can be a teenage lottery ticket. Not every prospect is going to be Rainiel Rodriguez, Alexander Frias or a first-round headline name. Organizations also need fast-moving college bats who can climb the ladder, pressure the upper-minors roster and give the major-league club more options.Ragsdale fits that lane.He is old enough and advanced enough to move quickly if the bat holds. He is athletic enough to offer defensive and baserunning value. He is left-handed. He gets on base. He runs. And now, he has shown enough power to make evaluators look again.That is why his Springfield adjustment matters.The first home run was a headline. The full-season line is the reason for excitement. But the next few weeks at Double-A may tell the Cardinals even more. Springfield is where the league pushes back. It is where pitchers find the holes. It is where a prospect has to prove that the breakout can survive better scouting reports and better arms.Ragsdale does not have to dominate every night.He just has to keep adjusting.That is the real story.Josiah Ragsdale arrived in the Cardinals system as the second outfielder in the May-Romero trade. He may not stay in the background for long.His first full professional season has already produced power, speed, walks and a Top 10 ranking in the Cardinals system. Now the next step is proving that the breakout can carry through Springfield and beyond.For a Cardinals organization trying to build its next wave, that makes Ragsdale more than just a name from a deadline deal.It makes him one of the more intriguing outfield prospects to watch down the stretch. 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: Josiah Ragsdale, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

In the Spotlight: Josiah Ragsdale

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland Dominates in Peoria Shutout St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCade Crossland gave Peoria exactly what it needed Tuesday night.Crossland, the MLB Pipeline No. 28 prospect in the Cardinals’ system, worked 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit and two walks while striking out nine in the Chiefs’ 2-0 win over West Michigan.His final line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 KThat is a dominant start.Crossland controlled the game from the beginning, missed bats and gave Peoria length in a game where every run mattered. The Chiefs did not have much room to work with offensively, but Crossland made sure they did not need much.Peoria scored twice in the sixth inning, and that was enough.Jalin Flores doubled, scored and drove in his 82nd run of the season. Caden Ferraro went 3-for-4 and drove in the other run. Sammy Hernandez reached three times and stole two bases.But the story was the pitching.Crossland allowed one hit. The Peoria staff allowed two hits. The Chiefs struck out 12. West Michigan never scored.Bobby Olsen, Liam Best and Nelfy Ynfante finished the shutout, combining for 2.2 scoreless innings after Crossland left the game.For Peoria, it was a clean 2-0 win.For Crossland, it was one of his best outings of the season.And for the Cardinals’ system, it was the best pitching performance of the night.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland, Peoria Chiefs MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 28Final Line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 K 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: Cade Crossland, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Cade Crossland

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Deniel Ortiz Fills the Line as Springfield Keeps Rolling St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe day after I tell Cardinal fans to keep an eye on Deniel Ortiz, he had the cleanest offensive line in the Cardinals’ system Tuesday night.Ortiz, the MLB Pipeline No. 27 prospect in the Cardinals’ system, went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in Springfield’s 8-0 win over San Antonio at Route 66 Stadium.His final line: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BBThat is a complete night.Three hits. Two extra-base hits. Three RBIs. Two runs scored. Four times on base.Ortiz hit his seventh home run of the season and helped lead a Springfield offense that finished with 15 hits and four home runs. On a night when Rainiel Rodriguez homered twice and Josiah Ragsdale also went deep, Ortiz still had the most complete offensive performance.That says something.Springfield has become the story that will not slow down. The Cardinals have now won seven straight, sit in first place in the Texas League North, and continue to get production from up and down the lineup.Ortiz was right in the middle of it Tuesday.The home run supplied the power. The double added another extra-base hit. The walk made it a perfect night reaching base. The three RBIs helped turn the game into another Springfield runaway.For a first-place club playing its best baseball of the season, this was another strong night from a ranked prospect.And for Ortiz, it was a Player of the Day performance.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Deniel Ortiz, 3B, Springfield Cardinals MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 27Final Line: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BB

MiLB Player of the Day: Deniel Ortiz

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: The Stars Came Out Last Night St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinal Chronicle Farm Report is your most complete daily look at the Cardinals’ minor league system — from box scores and standings to standout performances, prospect notes and the daily Top 30 Prospect Watch.Springfield just keeps rolling.The Cardinals beat San Antonio, 8-0, Tuesday night at Route 66 Stadium, stretching their winning streak to seven and pushing their second-half lead in the Texas League North to five games.Deniel Ortiz, the MLB Pipeline No. 27 prospect in the Cardinals’ system, earned Hitter of the Day honors after going 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.Cade Crossland, the MLB Pipeline No. 28 prospect, earned Pitcher of the Day honors after throwing 6.1 scoreless innings for Peoria, allowing one hit and striking out nine.The full-season affiliates finished 2-2, with Springfield and Peoria picking up the wins.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 69-58 Second Half: 22-30, 9th in the International League West, 10.0 GB Streak: L2Charlotte 8, Memphis 2Memphis had 10 hits Tuesday night, but five errors and a rough middle stretch on the mound made the difference in an 8-2 loss to Charlotte.The Redbirds scored in the first and fifth innings, but Charlotte put up two runs in the third, four in the fourth and two more in the sixth.Victor Scott II went 2-for-5 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, giving him 21 steals on the season. César Prieto went 2-for-5 with two RBIs, while Ramon Mendoza had three hits.Colton Ledbetter doubled and walked, and Leo Bernal, the MLB Pipeline No. 6 prospect, went 1-for-4 with a walk.On the mound, Jurrangelo Cijntje, the MLB Pipeline No. 9 prospect, struck out six over 3.1 innings, but allowed six hits, five runs and four earned runs. Brycen Mautz, the MLB Pipeline No. 23 prospect, allowed two unearned runs while recording two outs.Austin Love, Cade Winquest and Skylar Hales combined for the final 2.1 scoreless innings.Takeaway: Memphis had hits, but not enough run production, and the five errors made this one hard to overcome.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 65-55 Second Half: 34-18, 1st in the Texas League North, 5.0 games ahead Streak: W7Springfield 8, San Antonio 0Springfield opened the series with another loud win.The Cardinals shut out San Antonio, 8-0, behind 15 hits, four home runs and 13 strikeouts from the pitching staff.Deniel Ortiz, the MLB Pipeline No. 27 prospect, had the best offensive line of the night, going 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk.His final line: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BBOrtiz hit his seventh home run and drove in runs 30, 31 and 32.Rainiel Rodriguez, the MLB Pipeline No. 1 prospect, continued his power surge, going 2-for-5 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored. Rodriguez now has 23 home runs and 74 RBIs on the season.Josiah Ragsdale, the MLB Pipeline No. 10 prospect, went 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and three runs scored. Jack Gurevitch, the MLB Pipeline No. 30 prospect, went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs.Tai Peete, the MLB Pipeline No. 19 prospect, added two hits, including a double.On the mound, Liam Doyle, the MLB Pipeline No. 2 prospect, gave Springfield 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six.His final line: 5.1 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 6 KNolan Sparks, Andrew Schultz, Sandro Santana and Domenic Picone finished the shutout. Santana, the MLB Pipeline No. 22 prospect, struck out two in a scoreless eighth. Picone struck out two in a clean ninth.Takeaway: Springfield has won seven straight, leads the division by five games and continues to get major production from its top prospects.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 57-63 Second Half: 25-29, 5th in the Midwest League West, 9.5 GB Streak: W1Peoria 2, West Michigan 0Peoria got exactly what it needed Tuesday night: pitching.Cade Crossland, the MLB Pipeline No. 28 prospect, delivered the best pitching performance in the system, throwing 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out nine in a 2-0 win over West Michigan.His final line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 KThat is a shutdown start.Crossland gave Peoria length, swing-and-miss and control of the game. The Chiefs’ bullpen handled the rest. Bobby Olsen, Liam Best and Nelfy Ynfante combined for 2.2 scoreless innings, with the staff finishing with 12 strikeouts and allowing just two hits.The offense did just enough.Sammy Hernandez went 1-for-2 with two walks, a run scored and two stolen bases, giving him 21 steals on the year. Jalin Flores doubled, walked, scored and drove in his 82nd run. Caden Ferraro went 3-for-4 with an RBI, while Anyelo Encarnación had a hit, a walk and his 18th stolen base.Takeaway: Crossland dominated, the bullpen finished the shutout, and Peoria snapped back with a clean 2-0 win.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 60-61 Second Half: 27-28, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 6.5 GB Streak: L1Dunedin 7, Palm Beach 1Palm Beach scored first, but Dunedin took control in the middle innings and beat the Cardinals, 7-1.Travis Honeyman gave Palm Beach its lone run with his first home run, finishing 1-for-3 with a homer, an RBI, a run scored and a walk.Sebastian Dos Santos, the MLB Pipeline No. 14 prospect, went 2-for-4 with a double. Alexander Frias, the MLB Pipeline No. 4 prospect, went 1-for-4, while Miguel Hernández and Gabe Camacho also had hits.On the mound, Branneli Franco allowed two runs over four innings while striking out five. Kaden Echeman struck out all three batters he faced in a clean eighth inning.Palm Beach pitching struck out 11, but Dunedin scored twice in the fourth and five times in the sixth to put the game away.Takeaway: Honeyman hit his first home run, Dos Santos added two hits, but Palm Beach could not hold the early lead.Top 30 Prospect Watch Rainiel Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline No. 1, went 2-for-5 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored for Springfield. His live season line is now listed at .322 AVG, .979 OPS, 23 HR and 74 RBI.Liam Doyle, MLB Pipeline No. 2, threw 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out six for Springfield. His live season line is now listed at 3.90 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 121 K and 92.1 IP.Alexander Frias, MLB Pipeline No. 4, went 1-for-4 for Palm Beach. His live season line is listed at .320 AVG, .923 OPS, 10 HR and 70 RBI.Leo Bernal, MLB Pipeline No. 6, went 1-for-4 with a walk for Memphis. His live season line is listed at .281 AVG, .843 OPS, 16 HR and 77 RBI.Jurrangelo Cijntje, MLB Pipeline No. 9, struck out six over 3.1 innings for Memphis.Josiah Ragsdale, MLB Pipeline No. 10, went 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI and three runs scored for Springfield.Sebastian Dos Santos, MLB Pipeline No. 14, went 2-for-4 with a double for Palm Beach.Tai Peete, MLB Pipeline No. 19, went 2-for-5 with a double for Springfield.Jesús Báez, MLB Pipeline No. 21, went 1-for-5 with a run scored for Springfield.Sandro Santana, MLB Pipeline No. 22, worked a scoreless inning with two strikeouts for Springfield.Brycen Mautz, MLB Pipeline No. 23, recorded two outs for Memphis and allowed two unearned runs.Ryan Mitchell, MLB Pipeline No. 24, went hitless for Palm Beach.Deniel Ortiz, MLB Pipeline No. 27, went 3-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, two runs scored and a walk for Springfield.Cade Crossland, MLB Pipeline No. 28, threw 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and two walks while striking out nine for Peoria.Jack Gurevitch, MLB Pipeline No. 30, went 3-for-4 with a double and two RBIs for Springfield.Quick Hits: 10 Players, 10 Stats 1. Deniel Ortiz, Springfield: 3-for-3, home run, double, three RBIs, two runs, walk. MLB Pipeline No. 272. Cade Crossland, Peoria: 6.1 scoreless innings, one hit, two walks, nine strikeouts. MLB Pipeline No. 283. Rainiel Rodriguez, Springfield: 2-for-5, two home runs, two RBIs, two runs. MLB Pipeline No. 14. Liam Doyle, Springfield: 5.1 scoreless innings, four hits, one walk, six strikeouts. MLB Pipeline No. 25. Josiah Ragsdale, Springfield: 3-for-4, home run, RBI, three runs. MLB Pipeline No. 106. Jack Gurevitch, Springfield: 3-for-4, double, two RBIs. MLB Pipeline No. 307. Caden Ferraro, Peoria: 3-for-4, RBI.8. Sammy Hernandez, Peoria: 1-for-2, two walks, run, two stolen bases.9. Victor Scott II, Memphis: 2-for-5, two runs, two stolen bases.10. Travis Honeyman, Palm Beach: 1-for-3, home run, RBI, run, walk.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Deniel Ortiz, 3B, Springfield Cardinals MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 27Ortiz filled the line in Springfield’s 8-0 win over San Antonio.His final line: 3-for-3, HR, 2B, 3 RBI, 2 R, BBHe reached base four times, hit his seventh home run, doubled and drove in three.On a night when Springfield had 15 hits and four home runs, Ortiz still had the cleanest offensive line in the system.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Cade Crossland, LHP, Peoria Chiefs MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 28Crossland gave Peoria a dominant start in a 2-0 shutout win over West Michigan.His final line: 6.1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 9 KHe allowed one hit, struck out nine and helped set the tone for a two-hit shutout.The Final Word Springfield is becoming the story that will not slow down.The Cardinals won their seventh straight, shut out San Antonio and got another power display from the heart of the order. Ortiz filled the line. Rodriguez homered twice. Ragsdale homered and scored three times. Doyle gave Springfield another strong start.Peoria got a gem from Crossland and snapped back with a shutout win of its own.Memphis had 10 hits but lost behind five errors, while Palm Beach fell despite Honeyman’s first home run and a two-hit night from Dos Santos.The affiliates split the night, but the prospect production was loud.Springfield keeps winning. Crossland keeps dealing. Ortiz gets the spotlight.That is the farm report. 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: Rainiel Rodgriquez, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

The Farm Report: The Stars Came Out Last Night

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.