Memphis Takes Series in Norfolk, Bernal Sparks 11-7 Comeback
The Cardinal Chronicle
Daily Farm Report
St. Louis, MO
By Ray Mileur
Farm Report: Memphis Takes Series in Norfolk, Bernal Sparks 11-7 Comeback
The Cardinals’ full-season minor league affiliates went 1-3 on Sunday, with Memphis carrying the day.
The Redbirds closed out their road series at Norfolk with an 11-7 comeback win, taking five of six from the Tides and staying right in the middle of the International League first-half race. Springfield lost a 5-4 extra-inning game to Amarillo. Peoria fell 10-3 at South Bend in the series finale. Palm Beach dropped a rain-shortened 3-1 game to St. Lucie, officially losing ground as Jupiter clinched the Florida State League East first-half title.
It was not a clean day across the system.
But Memphis finished its week like a club that knows what is at stake.
Memphis Redbirds
Record: 43-26, International League West
Standings: 1st place, International League West
Result: Memphis 11, Norfolk 7
Memphis finished the road trip the right way.
The Redbirds beat Norfolk 11-7 on Sunday afternoon at Harbor Park, closing out a strong week by taking five of six from the Tides. The win moved Memphis to 43-26 and kept the Redbirds in a virtual tie with Rochester in the International League first-half race, though Rochester holds the edge by winning percentage.
Memphis had to climb out of trouble early.
The Redbirds fell behind, then answered in the second inning when Bligh Madris launched a three-run homer to give Memphis a brief lead. Norfolk responded, but Memphis punched back again in the fourth.
Ramón Mendoza tied the game with a two-run double, and Leo Bernal followed with the first of his two RBI doubles to put the Redbirds ahead for good.
Bernal had the best offensive day for Memphis, going 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI doubles. Victor Scott II, César Prieto, Madris and Mendoza each added two hits as all nine Redbirds starters collected at least one hit.
That is a full lineup doing damage.
Pete Hansen started for Memphis and had to battle through traffic. The left-hander allowed five runs, three earned, on seven hits over four innings. He walked one and struck out three.
The offense made sure Hansen’s rougher line did not decide the day. Memphis kept adding runs, and Scott Blewett came on in the ninth with two outs and the tying run on deck. Blewett got the ground ball he needed to close it out and earn his fourth save.
There are prettier wins.
There are cleaner wins.
But this was an important one. Memphis finished the series strong, took five of six on the road, and now heads home for a key six-game series against Nashville to close out the first half.
Springfield Cardinals
Record: 27-35, Texas League North
Standings: 4th place, Texas League North
Result: Amarillo 5, Springfield 4 — 10 innings
Springfield had a chance to finish the series with a win, but Amarillo took the finale in extras.
The Cardinals fell 5-4 in 10 innings Sunday night at Route 66 Stadium, dropping another close one in a series that had plenty of offense, momentum swings and frustration.
Amarillo scored first in the opening inning, but Springfield answered quickly. Rainiel Rodriguez reached, stole second, and came around to score on a Ryan Campos single to right field.
The Sod Poodles came back with two runs in the second to take a 3-1 lead, and for a while it looked as if that might be enough. Mason Molina settled in after the rough start, retiring the final seven batters he faced and finishing with six strikeouts.
Springfield kept chipping away.
The Cardinals scored in the sixth to cut the deficit to one, then came back again in the seventh. Campos delivered again with an RBI single, tying the game, and Miguel Ugueto followed with a sacrifice fly to give Springfield a 4-3 lead.
That lead did not hold.
Amarillo tied the game in the eighth, and after both clubs went quietly in the ninth, the Sod Poodles used the placed runner in the 10th to push across the deciding run.
Springfield had the tying run in position but could not answer in the bottom half.
Campos went 2-for-5 with two RBI singles, and Rodriguez went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Darlin Saladin also gave Springfield a strong relief appearance, throwing 1.2 perfect innings.
It was a better fight than some of the earlier losses in the series.
It was still a loss.
Peoria Chiefs
Record: 32-31, Midwest League West
Standings: 3rd place, Midwest League West
Result: South Bend 10, Peoria 3
Peoria’s series at South Bend ended with a rough Sunday afternoon.
The Chiefs lost 10-3 to the Cubs at Four Winds Field, dropping the series four games to two. South Bend had already clinched a postseason berth, and the Cubs finished the week by winning their sixth consecutive series.
For the second straight day, Peoria was in trouble early.
Blake Aita could not get out of the first inning after South Bend made him work deep counts throughout the frame. The Cubs opened the scoring on a two-run triple from Jose Escobar and added another run in the second to make it 3-0.
Peoria did punch back in the third.
Jesús Báez reached on an error, Jack Gurevitch walked, and Jalin Flores tied the game with one swing, driving a three-run homer to left field. The home run was Peoria’s 100th of the season, marking the first time since 2021 that the Chiefs have reached that milestone.
That was the highlight of the day for Peoria.
The Chiefs’ bullpen held the tie briefly, but South Bend took control in the fifth. After the first two hitters were retired, the Cubs put together a two-out rally, capped by a three-run homer from Miguel Useche to make it 6-3.
South Bend added two more runs in the sixth and two more in the eighth, pulling away late.
Peoria had its moments in the series. The Chiefs won the 16-7 slugfest Thursday and the 3-1 pitchers’ duel Friday, but South Bend answered by taking the final two games.
Sunday’s loss drops Peoria to 32-31 as the Chiefs head home to begin a six-game series against Dayton.
Palm Beach Cardinals
Record: 31-32, Florida State League East
Standings: 2nd place, Florida State League East
Result: St. Lucie 3, Palm Beach 1 — rain-shortened, eight innings
Palm Beach’s tough week against St. Lucie ended with another loss.
The Cardinals dropped the series finale 3-1 on Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in a game called after eight full innings because of rain. With the loss, Palm Beach fell to 31-32, and Jupiter clinched the Florida State League East first-half title.
That ends Palm Beach’s first-half push.
St. Lucie took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on a solo home run from Simon Juan off Palm Beach starter Payton Graham. The Mets added another run in the third to make it 2-0.
Palm Beach got on the board in the bottom of the third. Jonathan Mejia doubled, Chase Heath singled, and Mejia scored on a throwing error during a failed pickoff attempt to cut the deficit to 2-1.
That was as close as the Cardinals would get.
Graham gave Palm Beach four innings and struck out six, setting career highs in both innings pitched and strikeouts. He allowed two runs and gave the Cardinals a chance to stay in the game.
Andrew Dutkanych IV made his 2026 home debut out of the bullpen in the fifth, but St. Lucie added an insurance run in the eighth after an error and a single set up a fielder’s choice that pushed the Mets’ lead to 3-1.
Palm Beach could not answer before the rain arrived.
The Cardinals were no-hit earlier in the week, then scored 17 runs, then went quiet again. Sunday was another reminder of how uneven young offenses can be. The chances were limited, and Palm Beach could not find the swing it needed.
The Cardinals now stay in Jupiter and shift into a six-game series against the Jupiter Hammerheads, but the first-half race is over.
Player of the Day
Leo Bernal, Memphis Redbirds
Leo Bernal is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after helping lead Memphis to an 11-7 comeback win at Norfolk.
Bernal went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI doubles. His first RBI double put Memphis ahead for good in the fourth inning, and his second added another important run as the Redbirds kept pushing the game away from Norfolk.
That was not empty production.
Memphis needed offense from the entire lineup, and it got it. All nine starters had at least one hit. Bligh Madris hit a three-run homer. Ramón Mendoza drove in two with a double. Victor Scott II, César Prieto, Madris and Mendoza all had two-hit games.
But Bernal had the best line and the biggest swing in the inning that put Memphis ahead for good.
That earns the nod.
Pitcher of the Day
Payton Graham, Palm Beach Cardinals
Payton Graham is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day after giving Palm Beach four innings with six strikeouts in Sunday’s 3-1 loss to St. Lucie.
Graham allowed two runs, but he set career highs in both innings pitched and strikeouts. On a day when the Cardinals’ affiliates did not have a dominant pitching line, Graham’s start stood out as a development step.
Mason Molina deserves mention for settling down after early trouble at Springfield, retiring the final seven batters he faced and striking out six. Darlin Saladin also deserves mention after throwing 1.2 perfect innings out of the Springfield bullpen.
But Graham gets the honor for the career-high workload and swing-and-miss in a tight game.
Old School Take
Memphis saved the day.
The full-season affiliates went 1-3, and three of the four clubs lost their series finales. Springfield had a lead late and lost in extras. Peoria tied the game and then watched South Bend pull away. Palm Beach’s first-half race ended with another quiet offensive day.
But Memphis did what a contender has to do.
The Redbirds went on the road, took five of six from Norfolk, and came home still right in the middle of the International League first-half race.
That matters.
Leo Bernal had a big day.
Memphis had a full-lineup win.
The rest of the system had lessons to take home.
That is the Farm Report.
The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports & MiLB Today
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Photo Credit: Leo Bernal, Memphis Redbirds | MiLB