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THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinals Rally Past Rockies to Take Series St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals needed Sunday afternoon to be more than just a bounce-back game.They needed the series.They got it.The Cardinals beat the Colorado Rockies, 7-4, at Busch Stadium, using a three-run eighth inning to break a late tie and take two of three from Colorado.It was not always clean. It was not always comfortable. The Rockies kept hanging around, and the Cardinals had to answer more than once.But this time, St. Louis did not let the game get away.After Colorado tied it in the top of the eighth, the Cardinals came right back in the bottom half with the kind of inning they have failed to produce too many times this season. Masyn Winn singled. Nathan Church followed with another single. José Fermín moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt.That brought JJ Wetherholt to the plate with the game tied, two runners in scoring position, and the Cardinals needing a swing.Wetherholt delivered.The rookie drove a double to deep center field, scoring Winn and Church to give St. Louis a 6-4 lead. Wetherholt moved to third on a fielding error by Rockies center fielder Cole Carrigg, and Iván Herrera followed with a single to center to bring him home.Three runs.One inning.Game turned.For a Cardinals club that has spent too many nights watching late opportunities disappear, this one mattered. They had let Saturday night get away in an 8-6 loss. They had already seen Colorado tie Sunday’s game in the eighth. The wrong kind of inning was sitting there waiting if the Cardinals let it happen.Instead, Wetherholt changed the story.St. Louis struck first in the bottom of the first after Colorado grabbed an early lead. Jake McCarthy doubled to open the game and scored on Hunter Goodman’s two-out single, putting the Rockies ahead 1-0.The Cardinals answered right away.Wetherholt walked to open the bottom half, Herrera singled, and Alec Burleson walked to load the bases. Jordan Walker then came through with a single to right field, scoring Wetherholt and tying the game at 1-1.It could have been more. Jimmy Crooks grounded into a double play, and Masyn Winn grounded out to end the inning. Still, the Cardinals had responded quickly, and that mattered on a day when they needed to control the series finale.Michael McGreevy settled in after the first. He worked around traffic, kept the ball in the yard until the sixth, and gave the Cardinals a chance to build a lead.St. Louis moved in front in the third.Herrera opened the inning with a single, and Burleson followed with another base hit. Walker then singled to load the bases, putting Colorado starter Michael Lorenzen in trouble again. Crooks lifted a sacrifice fly to right, scoring Herrera and moving Burleson to third.Winn followed with a double to deep center, bringing home Burleson and giving the Cardinals a 3-1 lead.It was the kind of offensive inning St. Louis needed: contact, traffic, a sacrifice fly, and a run-scoring extra-base hit. Nothing overly complicated. Just productive baseball.The Cardinals added another run in the fifth when Burleson drove a ball to right-center for his 19th home run of the season. That made it 4-1 and appeared to give McGreevy a little breathing room.But Colorado did not go away.The Rockies got back into the game in the sixth when Willi Castro reached and Brett Sullivan hit a two-run homer to right-center, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 4-3. McGreevy’s day ended after 5.2 innings. He allowed three runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out four.It was not dominant, but it was enough to keep the Cardinals in position to win.Justin Bruihl came in and did exactly what the Cardinals needed. He finished the sixth, worked through the seventh, and gave St. Louis 1.1 scoreless innings. That bridge mattered because the game was still sitting on a one-run margin.Then came the eighth.George Soriano entered and immediately found trouble. Goodman, who had already driven in a run in the first, hit a solo home run to left field, tying the game at 4-4. The lead was gone, and Busch Stadium had seen this script before.This time, the Cardinals rewrote the ending.Winn singled to start the bottom of the eighth. Church singled behind him. Fermín dropped down the sacrifice bunt. Wetherholt drove the ball to deep center, and Herrera finished the rally with his fourth hit of the day.That gave the Cardinals a 7-4 lead and put the game in Riley O’Brien’s hands.O’Brien entered in the ninth and closed it down, recording the final two outs and making sure the Cardinals left Busch Stadium with the series win.Herrera finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored. Wetherholt went 2-for-3 with two walks, two runs and two RBIs. Walker had two hits and drove in a run. Winn had two hits and an RBI. Church added two hits and scored the go-ahead run in the eighth. Burleson homered, walked and scored twice.That is what a lineup is supposed to look like when it is working.The Cardinals finished with 14 hits and seven runs. More importantly, they did not fold when Colorado tied the game late.That is the bigger takeaway.There have been too many games this season where St. Louis has played well enough for seven innings, then watched one bad inning turn the night sour. Sunday had the chance to become another one of those games. The Rockies tied it. The Cardinals had every reason to feel the pressure.Instead, they answered immediately.That is how a team wins a series.It was also a necessary win. The Cardinals entered the day one game under .500 and walked off the field even again. That does not solve everything. It does not erase the inconsistency of the past few weeks. It does not suddenly make the postseason path simple.But it is better than the alternative.At this point in the season, the Cardinals do not need style points. They need wins. They need series wins. They need young players producing in big moments. They need games where the offense does not disappear late.Sunday checked those boxes.Wetherholt delivered the biggest swing.Herrera kept hitting.Burleson added power.Winn and Church set the table.The bullpen bent but did not break.And the Cardinals took care of a series they needed to win.Cardinals 7, Rockies 4.That’s a winner. 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: JJ Wetherholt, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cards Rally Past Rockies to Take Series

The Cardinal Chronicle Dobbins Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Crucial Series Against Phillies St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals did what they had to do against Colorado.Now the challenge gets heavier.St. Louis opens a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies tonight at Busch Stadium, and this one carries more weight than a normal Monday night in August. The Cardinals are back to .500, the Phillies are one of the clubs they are chasing in the National League Wild Card race, and the schedule is no longer offering much room for wasted opportunity.First pitch is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT, with right-hander Hunter Dobbins getting the ball for the Cardinals against Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter.The Cardinals enter at 59-59 after Sunday’s 7-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. Philadelphia comes in at 63-56 after a 7-6, 12-inning win over the Toronto Blue Jays.That makes this series simple.If the Cardinals still want to stay attached to the Wild Card race, this is the kind of series they have to win.Sunday gave St. Louis the finish it needed. The Cardinals had let Saturday get away against Colorado, then found themselves in another tight game in the finale. Hunter Goodman tied it in the eighth with his 34th home run of the season, but St. Louis answered immediately.JJ Wetherholt delivered the biggest swing, lining a two-out, two-run double in the bottom of the eighth to break the tie. Iván Herrera followed with an insurance run in a four-hit game, and Riley O’Brien handled a clean ninth for his 29th save. Everson Pereira also made his presence felt in left field, finishing the game with a diving catch that helped preserve the win.That is the kind of inning the Cardinals need more often.Traffic. Execution. A big swing from a young bat. Insurance from Herrera. A clean finish from the closer.It was not perfect baseball, but it was enough to win the series and pull the Cardinals back to even. St. Louis has now won five of its last seven games, taking two of three from both the Yankees and Rockies.That is useful.Now they need to prove it can carry over against a better opponent.Philadelphia is not coming to Busch Stadium in perfect shape. The Phillies avoided a sweep Sunday against Toronto, but they needed 12 innings to do it after blowing a lead. Kyle Schwarber hit two home runs in that win, giving him 35 on the season, and that alone should get the Cardinals’ attention.Schwarber is not the only concern.Bryce Harper remains a major presence in the middle of the order. Trea Turner can change a game with his bat and legs. Brandon Marsh has been one of Philadelphia’s better average bats. Bryson Stott, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Luis Arraez and the rest of the lineup give the Phillies enough length to make a pitcher work.Dobbins cannot afford to pitch from behind all night.His assignment is clear.Throw strikes. Keep the ball out of the middle of the plate. Avoid free baserunners in front of Schwarber and Harper. Make Philadelphia earn its offense.That last part matters because the Phillies have enough power to punish mistakes quickly. Schwarber can change a game with one swing. Harper can do the same. Turner can turn a single into pressure. If Dobbins starts giving away walks, falling behind hitters or letting the inning turn over for free, Philadelphia can make the night uncomfortable fast.Dobbins enters at 2-2 with a 3.60 ERA. For a Cardinals rotation still trying to sort itself out after the trade deadline, starts like this matter. He does not have to be a savior. He does have to give St. Louis a competitive start and keep the bullpen from carrying too much of the night.That has been a constant theme for the Cardinals.When the starter gives them structure, they can win games like Sunday. When the game turns into a scramble early, everything gets harder.On the other side, Painter comes in at 1-8 with a 6.48 ERA. The numbers suggest the Cardinals should have chances, but this is not the night to treat the matchup like a gift. Painter is still a talented arm, and pitchers with rough season lines can still make life miserable if hitters help them with impatient at-bats.The Cardinals need a professional offensive approach.Get traffic early. Make Painter throw strikes. Force him to work from the stretch. Do not chase him into quick outs. And when runners get into scoring position, finish the inning.That last part is the difference between a team hanging around the race and a team actually applying pressure.Wetherholt will be right in the middle of the story again. His eighth-inning double Sunday was another reminder of why the Cardinals need him at the top of the order. Herrera continues to be one of the club’s most important bats. Jordan Walker remains the biggest power threat in the lineup, entering with a team-leading 23 home runs and 83 RBIs. Alec Burleson hit his 19th homer Sunday and continues to give the Cardinals steady production.Masyn Winn, Nathan Church, José Fermín, Blaze Jordan, Jimmy Crooks, Pereira and the rest of the lineup also have to help lengthen the night.This cannot be a one-or-two-bat offense.Against Philadelphia, the Cardinals need pressure from multiple spots in the order. They need to avoid the empty middle innings that have hurt them too often this season. They need to make the Phillies’ bullpen work, especially with Philadelphia coming off a long, extra-inning game Sunday.That is one place where St. Louis may have an opening.The Phillies’ bullpen has been a trouble spot lately, and if the Cardinals can get Painter out early or create stress in the middle innings, they can turn the game toward the late-inning matchup they want. But that only matters if St. Louis does the work early.The Cardinals cannot wait until the eighth inning every night.The standings are the bigger picture here. St. Louis entered the week still 3 1/2 games behind Philadelphia and Arizona for the second and third National League Wild Card spots. That means the Cardinals are not just trying to win games in general. They are playing one of the teams directly in front of them.That changes the feel.Beat Philadelphia, and the Cardinals do more than help themselves. They put pressure on a team they are chasing. Lose the series, and the Phillies leave town with more separation and one fewer head-to-head opportunity on the Cardinals’ calendar.That is why this opener matters.It is not must-win in the mathematical sense, but it is the kind of game that starts shaping what August becomes. The Cardinals have spent too much of the season hovering around .500. They have climbed back there again. Now they have to move past it and stay there.Getting back to even is not the finish line.It is the doorway.Dobbins gets the ball. Painter stands in the way. The Phillies are in front of the Cardinals in the Wild Card race. Busch Stadium gets a meaningful August series.Now St. Louis has to treat it that way.Win the opener.Set the tone.Make the series matter in the right direction.Game Info Matchup: Philadelphia Phillies at St. Louis Cardinals When: Monday, August 10, 2026 First Pitch: 6:45 p.m. CT / 7:45 p.m. ET Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP Andrew Painter vs. RHP Hunter Dobbins Painter: 1-8, 6.48 ERA Dobbins: 2-2, 3.60 ERA Records: Phillies 63-56; Cardinals 59-59 Broadcast: FS1 / Cardinals.TV / NBC Sports Philadelphia Radio: KMOX 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: Hunter Dobbins, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Dobbins Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Crucial Series Against Phillies

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Brayden Smith Sparks Peoria Rally St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBrayden Smith picked a good day to put himself in the middle of the Peoria offense.Smith is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored in the Chiefs’ 9-8 win over Quad Cities on Sunday afternoon at Dozer Park.His final line:3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 RPeoria needed every bit of offense it could find.The Chiefs trailed 8-6 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning before scoring three times to complete the comeback. Smith was part of a 15-hit attack that included six doubles, a triple and contributions up and down the lineup.That is the kind of game where one swing does not tell the whole story.Smith kept finding ways to help.He doubled twice, scored twice, drove in a run and helped keep traffic moving in a game where Peoria had to keep answering. The Chiefs scored in the second, third, fourth, seventh and eighth innings, and the late rally gave them a much-needed win after dropping Saturday’s game by one run.José Suárez also had a big day, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Michael Dattalo added two hits and two RBIs. Cade McGee reached four times with two hits, two walks and a triple. Alex Birge added two hits, a double and an RBI. Ian Petrutz doubled and drove in two runs.But the Player of the Day spotlight goes to Smith.Three hits. Two doubles. Two runs scored. A one-run win.That is a strong day’s work.Peoria has had several loud individual performances lately, and Sunday’s win was more of a full-lineup effort than a one-man show. But Smith’s three-hit game helped set the tone and helped the Chiefs climb out of an early hole.Sometimes the best Player of the Day line is not the flashiest one.Sometimes it is the player who keeps showing up in the middle of a rally.That was Brayden Smith on Sunday.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Brayden Smith, 2B, Peoria Chiefs Final Line: 3-for-5, 2 2B, 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: Brayden Smith, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Brayden Smith, Sparks Peoria Rally

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Ixan Henderson Flirts With No-Hitter for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurIxan Henderson did not have a typical dominant pitching line Sunday afternoon.He did not pile up strikeouts. He did not overpower Nashville with swing-and-miss stuff. He walked four batters and had to work around traffic.But he also did something that matters most.He did not allow a hit.Henderson is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working 4.2 no-hit, scoreless innings in Memphis’ 7-3 win over Nashville at AutoZone Park.His final line: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 KThat is not a line you see every day.The four walks kept Henderson from working deeper into the game, and the lack of strikeouts makes the line unusual. But Nashville could not square him up. He kept the Sounds out of the hit column, kept runs off the board and gave Memphis exactly the kind of start it needed.Henderson faced 17 batters, threw 62 pitches, 32 for strikes, and handed the ball off in the fifth inning with the no-hit bid still alive. Ryan Fernandez came in and stranded the inherited runner, keeping Nashville scoreless through five.That set the tone for a Memphis win.The Redbirds backed Henderson with a 12-hit day and plenty of pressure on the bases. Nolan Gorman hit his 11th home run of the season. Graysen Tarlow scored three runs. Leo Bernal drove in two. Ramon Mendoza doubled and drove in a run. Memphis also stole six bases, with Victor Scott II, Ramón Urías, Bernal, Colton Ledbetter, Chase Davis and Brody Moore all swiping bags.But the pitching headline belonged to Henderson.No hits. No runs. No earned runs. A Memphis win.It may not have been overpowering, but it was effective. Sometimes pitching is not about lighting up the strikeout column. Sometimes it is about avoiding barrels, working through trouble and keeping the other team off the scoreboard.That is what Henderson did.He flirted with a no-hitter, gave Memphis a chance to build a lead, and helped the Redbirds get back in the win column.That earns the spotlight.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Ixan Henderson, LHP, Memphis Redbirds Final Line: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 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: Ixan Henderson, Memphis Redbirds | MLB

Ixan Henderson Flirts with No-Hitter; MiLB Pitcher of the Day

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Peoria Rallies, Palm Beach Wins Again, Henderson Sets Tone for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurSunday’s farm report had a little bit of everything.Memphis beat Nashville behind 12 hits and 4.2 no-hit innings from Ixan Henderson. Peoria rallied late to beat Quad Cities, 9-8, with Brayden Smith leading the offense. Palm Beach won its second straight, using a six-run eighth inning to beat Jupiter. Springfield dropped its third straight despite 10 hits and 14 strikeouts from the pitching staff.The full-season affiliates finished 3-1.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 63-51 Second Half: 16-23, 8th in the International League West, 9.0 GB Streak: W1Memphis 7, Nashville 3Memphis got back in the win column with a 7-3 win over Nashville at AutoZone Park.The Redbirds scored in the first, third, fourth and eighth innings, using a 12-hit attack and an aggressive day on the bases to beat the Sounds.Ixan Henderson earned Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honors after working 4.2 no-hit, scoreless innings. He walked four and did not record a strikeout, so the line had some traffic, but Nashville could not square him up.His final line:4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 KThat is not a line you see every day.Offensively, Nolan Gorman went 2-for-5 with his 11th home run of the season. Graysen Tarlow went 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a walk, setting the table from the bottom of the order. Leo Bernal drove in two runs, while Ramon Mendoza doubled and drove in a run.Colton Ledbetter had two hits and stole his 19th base. Victor Scott II, Ramón Urías, Bernal, Chase Davis and Brody Moore also stole bases as Memphis swiped six bags on the day.Ryan Fernandez, Cade Winquest and Brandt Thompson finished the final 4.1 innings, with Thompson allowing three runs late before the Redbirds closed it out.Takeaway: Memphis got a strong start from Henderson, plenty of traffic from the offense and a rare six-steal day. That will work.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 55-52 Second Half: 24-15, 1st in the Texas League North Streak: L3San Antonio 7, Springfield 4Springfield had enough offense to stay in it, but one bad inning turned the game.The Cardinals scored in the first, third, fourth and sixth innings, but San Antonio put up four runs in the sixth and beat Springfield, 7-4.Rainiel Rodriguez had a strong day, going 3-for-5 with an RBI. Tai Peete went 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored, while Won-Bin Cho came off the bench and went 1-for-2 with an RBI and a stolen base.Deniel Ortiz hit his fifth home run of the season. Ryan Campos doubled, scored and stole his 15th base. Jesús Báez added an RBI single, and Dakota Harris chipped in a hit.On the mound, the Cardinals struck out 14, but walks and one key inning hurt. Braden Davis allowed three runs over 3.1 innings, walking four and striking out four. Andrew Schultz struck out two in two-thirds of an inning, Darlin Saladin struck out two in a scoreless inning, and Randel Clemente added two strikeouts in a clean frame.The game got away in the sixth, when San Antonio scored four runs against José Davila, though all four were unearned.Takeaway: Springfield had 10 hits and 14 strikeouts from the staff, but the sixth inning decided it. The Cardinals still remain alone in first place, but the losing streak is now three.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 53-54 Second Half: 21-20, 5th in the Midwest League West, 3.5 GB Streak: W1Peoria 9, Quad Cities 8Peoria needed a late push, and the Chiefs found one.Down 8-6 entering the bottom of the eighth, Peoria scored three times and beat Quad Cities, 9-8, at Dozer Park.Brayden Smith earned Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after going 3-for-5 with two doubles, an RBI and two runs scored.His final line:3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 RSmith was part of a 15-hit day for the Chiefs.José Suárez went 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Michael Dattalo had two hits and two RBIs. Cade McGee reached four times with two hits, two walks and a triple. Alex Birge went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Ian Petrutz doubled and drove in two.Yordalin Peña doubled, drove in a run and scored twice. Tristan Bissetta also drove in a run.On the mound, Jacob Odle had a rough start, allowing five runs over three innings. Trey Pooser and Bobby Olsen each allowed runs in relief, but Zeke Wood and Nelfy Ynfante combined to finish the final two innings without allowing a run.Takeaway: This was not clean, but Peoria hit its way through it. Fifteen hits, six doubles, a triple and a three-run eighth made the difference.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 54-53 Second Half: standings not included in supplied table Streak: W2Palm Beach 8, Jupiter 4Palm Beach has found its footing again.The Cardinals beat Jupiter, 8-4, scoring two runs in the sixth and then breaking the game open with six more in the eighth.Ryan Mitchell led the offense, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Yairo Padilla doubled, walked and scored twice. Sebastian Dos Santos drove in two runs, while Alexander Frias, Gabe Camacho and J.P. Cabrera each drove in one.Miguel Hernández walked three times and scored. Frias also scored, while Palm Beach took advantage of six walks and three Jupiter errors.On the mound, Keiverson Ramírez allowed two runs over 4.1 innings. Justin Militello struck out five over 1.2 scoreless innings, though he walked three. Joseph King was excellent, throwing two perfect innings with three strikeouts.Jupiter scored twice in the ninth against Nathan Shinn, but Palm Beach had already built enough of a cushion.Takeaway: Palm Beach has won two straight after a six-game skid. The offense did not need a big extra-base night — it cashed in traffic and let the bullpen carry the middle innings.Quick Hits: 10 Players, 10 Stat Lines1. Brayden Smith, Peoria: 3-for-5, two doubles, RBI, two runs scored.2. Ixan Henderson, Memphis: 4.2 no-hit, scoreless innings.3. Ryan Mitchell, Palm Beach: 3-for-4, two RBIs, two runs scored, walk.4. Rainiel Rodriguez, Springfield: 3-for-5 with an RBI.5. Nolan Gorman, Memphis: 2-for-5 with his 11th home run.6. Graysen Tarlow, Memphis: 2-for-3 with three runs scored and a walk.7. José Suárez, Peoria: 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI.8. Michael Dattalo, Peoria: 2-for-4 with two RBIs.9. Justin Militello, Palm Beach: 1.2 scoreless innings, five strikeouts.10. Tai Peete, Springfield: 2-for-3 with a triple and two runs scored.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Brayden Smith, 2B, Peoria ChiefsSmith earns the honor after helping lead Peoria’s 15-hit attack in a 9-8 win over Quad Cities.His final line: 3-for-5, 2 2B, RBI, 2 RPeoria needed every bit of offense it could find, and Smith was right in the middle of the comeback.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Ixan Henderson, LHP, Memphis RedbirdsHenderson gets the nod after giving Memphis 4.2 no-hit, scoreless innings in a win over Nashville.His final line: 4.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 0 KIt was an unusual pitching line, but no hits and no runs across 4.2 innings is still a strong day’s work.The Final WordSunday was a good rebound day for the system.Memphis got back in the win column. Peoria rallied late and won a one-run game. Palm Beach has now won two straight after a six-game losing streak.Springfield was the only loss, and even there, the Cardinals had 10 hits and struck out 14 Missions hitters.The headline goes to Peoria’s comeback and Brayden Smith’s three-hit day, but Ixan Henderson’s no-hit start for Memphis deserves plenty of attention too.Three wins. A late Peoria rally. A second straight Palm Beach win. And a no-hit start from Henderson.That is a better way to close the week. 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: Ixan Henderson, Memphis Redbirds | MLB

The Farm Report: 3-1, A Little Bit of Everything

The Cardinal Chronicle McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Try to Salvage the Series From the Rockies St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals had a chance Saturday night to take care of business.They did not.Now Sunday becomes more important than it should have been.St. Louis hosts the Colorado Rockies this afternoon at Busch Stadium in the final game of a three-game series, with the Cardinals still trying to win the set after letting Saturday’s game get away. First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. CT, with right-hander Michael McGreevy getting the ball for the Cardinals against Rockies right-hander Michael Lorenzen.The Cardinals enter the finale at 58-59, while Colorado comes in at 46-71. On paper, this is still a series St. Louis should win. But after Saturday night, the Cardinals do not have much room to talk about what should happen.They have to go do it.Friday gave St. Louis a clean enough start to the homestand. Kyle Leahy gave the Cardinals five useful innings, Iván Herrera homered, the bullpen threw four scoreless innings, and Riley O’Brien closed out a 3-2 win. It was not overwhelming, but it was enough.Saturday was different.The Cardinals had chances all night, but too many of them turned into missed opportunities. Colorado beat St. Louis 8-6, with Jake McCarthy putting together a career night and the Rockies taking advantage of mistakes, traffic and the kind of defensive and pitching lapses that have followed the Cardinals too often this season.McCarthy was the story for Colorado. He went 4-for-5 with two home runs, three RBIs, four runs scored and two stolen bases, becoming only the second player in the live-ball era to reach at least four hits, four runs, three RBIs, two homers and two stolen bases in the same game. Both of his home runs came on the first pitch of an at-bat, including a leadoff blast against Matthew Liberatore on the first pitch of the game.That set the tone.The Cardinals briefly answered in the bottom of the first. Herrera doubled, Alec Burleson reached on a passed ball after a strikeout, and José Fermín worked a strong eight-pitch at-bat before pulling a two-run double into the left-field corner to give St. Louis a 2-1 lead.But the lead did not last.Liberatore ran into trouble in the third inning, with McCarthy reaching on an infield single, Kyle Karros getting hit by a pitch, and both runners stealing before Cole Carrigg doubled them home. Hunter Goodman followed with an RBI single, and the Rockies had the lead back.The Cardinals kept threatening. They loaded the bases in the fourth. They loaded the bases again in the fifth. Jordan Walker later gave them a jolt with a 432-foot home run in the eighth, his first homer since July 9 and his 23rd of the season. Nathan Church added an RBI single in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate.But the big swing never came.St. Louis went 3-for-16 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 runners. That is not bad luck. That is a missed chance.Now McGreevy gets the job of trying to bring the series back under control.McGreevy has been one of the more important arms in the Cardinals’ rotation this season because he gives them something they badly need: competitive, usable innings. He does not have to overpower a lineup to help this club. When he is right, he throws strikes, works efficiently, keeps the defense involved and gives the Cardinals a chance to play a normal baseball game.That is exactly what St. Louis needs Sunday.After Saturday’s mess, the Cardinals do not need drama from the mound. They need calm. They need first-pitch strikes. They need McGreevy to avoid the leadoff walks, hit batters and extra baserunners that allow a struggling team to hang around.Colorado may have one of the worst records in the National League, but the Rockies have shown in this series that they are not going to simply hand the Cardinals wins. They outhit St. Louis on Friday. They beat St. Louis on Saturday. McCarthy, Goodman, Carrigg, TJ Rumfield, Mickey Moniak and the rest of that lineup have enough bat-to-ball ability and athleticism to make a game uncomfortable if pitchers help them.The Cardinals cannot let Colorado feel comfortable again.That means McGreevy has to attack.The Rockies counter with Lorenzen, who enters at 3-10 with a 6.94 ERA and 80 strikeouts. His numbers suggest the Cardinals should have opportunities, but Saturday should have erased any thought that opportunity automatically turns into runs.The Cardinals need a better offensive finish.Getting runners on base is not enough. Loading the bases is not enough. A threat that dies without damage is still an empty inning. Against a pitcher carrying an ERA near seven, St. Louis has to make Colorado pay early and keep pressure on throughout the game.Herrera continues to look like one of the better bats in the lineup. Fermín reached base all five times Saturday, with two hits, three walks and two RBIs. Walker’s homer was a needed sign after a long drought. Masyn Winn, JJ Wetherholt, Alec Burleson, Blaze Jordan, Church, Bryan Torres, Everson Pereira and the rest of the lineup have to make sure Sunday does not turn into another night of runners left all over the bases.This is not a game where the Cardinals need one miracle swing.They need professional at-bats with men on base.That means a runner on third with less than two outs has to feel like a run, not a suggestion. That means two-out chances need to be cashed in. That means forcing Lorenzen to work from the stretch and making the Rockies’ bullpen cover more innings than it wants.The Cardinals are still trying to figure out exactly what they are after the trade deadline. They have moved pieces, added others, and created opportunity for younger players. But whatever direction the organization is leaning, the big-league club still has games to win, and series like this are where the frustration builds if they do not take care of business.A home series against Colorado should not feel like a heavy lift.Yet here they are.The Cardinals are under .500 again, still trying to find traction, still trying to keep the season from drifting into evaluation-only territory. Taking two of three from the Rockies will not solve everything, but losing the series at home would be the kind of result that makes every larger question feel louder.That is why Sunday matters.A win gives the Cardinals the series, gets them back to .500 and at least sends them forward with something useful from the weekend. A loss would hand Colorado a road series win at Busch Stadium and turn a winnable homestand into another missed opportunity.The assignment is simple.Get a real start from McGreevy.Put pressure on Lorenzen.Finish innings.Win the series.Game Info Matchup: Colorado Rockies at St. Louis Cardinals When: Sunday, August 9, 2026 First Pitch: 1:15 p.m. CT Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP Michael Lorenzen vs. RHP Michael McGreevy Lorenzen: 3-10, 6.94 ERA, 80 SO Records: Rockies 46-71; Cardinals 58-59 Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX 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, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Try to Salvage the Series from  the Rockies

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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

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