Blog

The Fab Five: Five Cardinals Prospects Driving the Farm System’s Offense

The Cardinal Chronicle Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Homestand Against Rockies St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals needed the day off.Now they need to make sure they do something with it.After taking two of three from the New York Yankees in the Bronx, St. Louis returns to Busch Stadium tonight to open a three-game series against the Colorado Rockies. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. CT, with right-hander Kyle Leahy getting the ball for the Cardinals against Rockies right-hander Ryan Feltner.The Cardinals enter the series at 57-58, still trying to climb back to .500 and keep some life in the National League Wild Card picture. The Rockies arrive at 45-70, sitting at the bottom of the National League West and playing out a difficult season.On paper, this is the kind of series the Cardinals should win.That is also exactly why they cannot take it lightly.St. Louis closed the Yankees series with a needed 3-1 win Wednesday night in New York. Andre Pallante gave the Cardinals 5 1/3 strong innings, JJ Wetherholt delivered a two-run double in the fifth, and Iván Herrera followed with another run-scoring double as St. Louis turned one clean inning into enough offense to take the series. After Monday’s 13-7 slugfest and Tuesday’s 2-0 shutout loss, Wednesday was the kind of steadier win the Cardinals needed before heading home.Now comes the follow-up.The Cardinals have spent much of the second half trying to find consistent footing. They have had loud offensive nights, frustrating shutouts, strong starts, bullpen strain, roster movement and deadline fallout all rolled into the same stretch. At some point, though, the standings stop caring about context.The Cardinals need wins.This weekend gives them a chance to start stacking a few.Leahy enters tonight at 7-4 with a 3.44 ERA. He has been one of the steadier arms in a rotation that has needed stability, especially after the trade deadline reshaped the pitching picture. The Cardinals do not need him to be spectacular against Colorado. They need him to be efficient.Throw strikes. Get ground balls. Avoid free baserunners. Do not give a struggling Rockies club extra chances to hang around.That last part matters because Colorado still has bats capable of making a game uncomfortable. Hunter Goodman leads the Rockies with 33 home runs and 66 RBIs. TJ Rumfield has been one of their best contact bats, hitting .294 with a .374 on-base percentage and a team-leading 116 hits. Jake McCarthy brings average, speed and 17 stolen bases, while Mickey Moniak has supplied extra-base damage with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs.The Rockies may be buried in the standings, but they are not harmless.Leahy has to treat them accordingly.The Cardinals’ offense gets Feltner, who enters at 4-5 with a 5.75 ERA and 57 strikeouts. Feltner won his last start Aug. 1 against Kansas City, working six innings while allowing four earned runs, but he had dropped his previous two outings before that. His numbers suggest the Cardinals should have opportunities if they make him throw strikes and avoid helping him with chase swings.That has to be the offensive plan.Get traffic early. Make Feltner work from the stretch. Force Colorado’s defense to handle the baseball. Turn baserunners into runs instead of threats that die at second or third.The Cardinals cannot afford another night where the offense waits around for one swing to save the game. Against a team like Colorado, St. Louis needs to apply pressure from the first inning and make the Rockies feel like they are chasing uphill.Wetherholt remains one of the keys. His two-run double Wednesday was another reminder of how quickly he can change an inning when he gets a chance with runners on base. Herrera continues to give the lineup a quality bat and on-base presence. Jordan Walker’s power remains central to the middle of the order. Alec Burleson, Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan, Jimmy Crooks, Nelson Velázquez and the rest of the lineup have to keep things moving.The Cardinals are at their best when the pressure comes from more than one spot.That was the difference in New York. Monday was the Alec Burleson show, but the bottom of the order also helped flip the game. Wednesday was Wetherholt and Herrera doing damage in the same inning, with Pallante giving the staff room to breathe.That is the formula tonight.Get a start.Get traffic.Finish innings.This is also a series where the Cardinals need to act like a team that knows what is in front of it. Colorado has lost seven of its last 10 games, and the Rockies come into St. Louis after being swept by Tampa Bay. The Cardinals cannot control Milwaukee, Chicago, Cincinnati or anyone else in the race tonight. They can control how they play against a club they should beat at home.That is enough.The schedule will get harder. The margin will get thinner. The debate about what the Cardinals are after the deadline will continue. But for one night, the assignment is clean.Win the opener.Leahy gets the ball. Feltner stands in the way. The Cardinals are back at Busch Stadium after a needed road series win in New York.Now they need to take care of business at home.Game Info Matchup: Colorado Rockies at St. Louis Cardinals When: Friday, August 7, 2026 First Pitch: 7:15 p.m. CT Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP Ryan Feltner vs. RHP Kyle Leahy Feltner: 4-5, 5.75 ERA, 57 SO Leahy: 7-4, 3.44 ERA Records: Rockies 45-70; Cardinals 57-58 Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX / KMOV-4

Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Homestand Against Rockies

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Liam Doyle Misses Bats as Springfield Stands Alone St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurLiam Doyle did not work deep into Thursday night’s game, but the stuff was loud enough to carry the pitching headline.Doyle is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after striking out eight over 4.1 innings in Springfield’s 9-2 win over San Antonio.His final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 KThat is a strong swing-and-miss line.Doyle allowed three hits, walked two and gave up two runs, only one earned. The pitch count kept him from getting through five, but he gave Springfield the kind of start that kept the game under control while the offense went to work.The strikeouts were the story.Eight punchouts in 4.1 innings shows the stuff was playing. Doyle threw 87 pitches, 50 for strikes, and San Antonio had a difficult time doing much damage against him. The Missions managed only three hits while he was in the game, and Springfield’s bullpen took it from there.Andrew Schultz followed Doyle with 1.2 scoreless innings and struck out three. José Davila, Nolan Sparks and Domenic Picone finished the final three innings, with Springfield pitching allowing only four hits and one earned run on the night.The offense gave Doyle plenty of support. Won-Bin Cho went 4-for-5 with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base. Jesús Báez added two hits, a double and two RBIs. Dakota Harris hit his ninth home run and drove in two, while Josiah Ragsdale doubled, drove in a run, scored twice and walked twice.Springfield was the only full-season Cardinals affiliate to win Thursday, and Doyle’s outing helped make sure the Cardinals did not let that one get away.No, it was not a seven-inning masterpiece.But eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings will get your attention.And for a first-place Springfield club, it was more than enough.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Liam Doyle, LHP, Springfield Cardinals Final Line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 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: Liam Doyle, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Liam Doyle

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Won-Bin Cho Leads Springfield With Four-Hit Night St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurWon-Bin Cho made sure Springfield did not leave Thursday night empty-handed.Cho is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 4-for-5 with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base in Springfield’s 9-2 win over San Antonio.His final line: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, R, SBThat is a table-setter’s night, a run producer’s night and a reminder that Cho is doing real damage at Double-A.Springfield was the only full-season Cardinals affiliate to win Thursday, and Cho was right in the middle of it. The Cardinals scored once in the first, broke the game open with five runs in the second, and kept adding late with one in the eighth and two more in the ninth.Cho did not homer, did not need to. Four hits will carry plenty of weight.He drove in two runs, scored once, stole his fourth base, and raised his Double-A line to .303 with a 1.053 OPS. That is not just a good night. That is a player who has been making a strong impression since reaching Springfield.He also had help.Jesús Báez went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Josiah Ragsdale doubled, drove in a run, scored twice and walked twice. Dakota Harris hit his ninth home run of the season and drove in two. Tai Peete reached three times, scored twice and walked twice.But Cho owned the offensive headline.Every time Springfield needed traffic, he provided it. Every time the lineup turned over, he was part of the pressure. Four hits in a 13-hit team effort is how you stand out on a night when several players had something to say.On the mound, Liam Doyle struck out eight over 4.1 innings, and the bullpen finished the job from there. Springfield pitching allowed only four hits and one earned run.The win pushed Springfield to 55-49 overall and 24-12 in the second half, keeping the Cardinals alone in first place in the Texas League North.Memphis lost. Peoria was shut out. Palm Beach lost its fifth straight.Springfield stood alone in the winner’s circle.And Won-Bin Cho led the way.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Won-Bin Cho, RF, Springfield Cardinals Final Line: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, R, SB 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: Won-Bin Cho, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Won-Bin Cho

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Springfield Alone in the Winner’s Circle as Cho, Doyle Lead the Way St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThursday night belonged to Springfield.The Cardinals were the only full-season affiliate to win, beating San Antonio 9-2 behind a 13-hit attack and another strong swing-and-miss outing from Liam Doyle. Won-Bin Cho led the offense with four hits, while Jesús Báez, Josiah Ragsdale and Dakota Harris all helped drive the lineup.Memphis lost a tight 2-1 game to Nashville, Peoria was shut out by Quad Cities, and Palm Beach dropped its fifth straight in a rough loss to Jupiter.The full-season affiliates finished 1-3.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 62-49 Second Half: 15-21, 8th in the International League West, 8.0 GB Streak: L1Nashville 2, Memphis 1Memphis got good enough pitching to win, but the offense could not cash in.The Redbirds were held scoreless through eight innings before finally scratching across a run in the ninth. They finished with seven hits, but managed only one run in a 2-1 loss to Nashville at AutoZone Park.Thomas Saggese had the best night at the plate for Memphis, going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Victor Scott II went 2-for-4 and stole his 12th base. Noah Mendlinger doubled, while Nolan Gorman, Chase Davis and Saggese added singles.Davis drove in the lone Memphis run.On the mound, Jurrangelo Cijntje worked five innings, allowing two runs on three hits, with three walks and seven strikeouts. It was not perfect, but it was competitive. Jared Shuster followed with three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four. Ryan Fernandez added the ninth.Memphis pitching struck out 12 and allowed only five hits.Takeaway: The pitching staff gave Memphis a chance, but the bats could not solve Nashville. Seven hits, one run, and a missed opportunity.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 55-49 Second Half: 24-12, 1st in the Texas League North Streak: W1Springfield 9, San Antonio 2Springfield was the lone bright spot in the system Thursday night, and the Cardinals did not leave much doubt.The Cardinals scored once in the first, five times in the second, added another in the eighth and two more in the ninth to beat San Antonio 9-2.Won-Bin Cho earned Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after going 4-for-5 with two RBIs, a run scored and a stolen base.His final line: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, R, SBCho raised his average to .303 and his OPS to 1.053. That is a loud Double-A line.He had plenty of help. Jesús Báez went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Josiah Ragsdale doubled, drove in a run, scored twice and walked twice. Dakota Harris hit his ninth home run of the season and drove in two. Tai Peete reached three times with a hit, two walks and two runs scored.Deniel Ortiz added a hit, a walk and two stolen bases. Jack Gurevitch doubled, and Ryan Campos singled, walked and scored.On the mound, Liam Doyle earned Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honors after striking out eight over 4.1 innings. Doyle allowed three hits, two runs, one earned, and two walks.His final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 KThe bullpen took it from there. Andrew Schultz was excellent, striking out three over 1.2 scoreless innings. José Davila, Nolan Sparks and Domenic Picone finished the final three frames, with the staff allowing only four hits all night.Takeaway: Springfield was the only winner in the system, and it looked every bit like a first-place club. Cho had four hits, Doyle missed bats, and the Cardinals remain four games up in the Texas League North.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 51-53 Second Half: 19-19, 5th in the Midwest League West, 4.5 GB Streak: L3Quad Cities 7, Peoria 0Peoria’s offense never got going.The Chiefs were shut out on two hits in a 7-0 loss to Quad Cities at Dozer Park. After a six-game winning streak last week, Peoria has now dropped three straight and has fallen back to .500 in the second half.Caden Ferraro and Sammy Hernandez had Peoria’s only hits. Ferraro also drew the club’s only walk. There was no extra-base damage, no run production and very little pressure against Quad Cities pitching.On the mound, Jack Martinez allowed five runs, two earned, over four innings. He gave up four hits, walked two and struck out five. Peoria’s defense did not help, committing two errors.Trey Pooser allowed two runs in 1.2 innings. Zeke Wood followed with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Nelfy Ynfante finished with two scoreless frames.Takeaway: Not much to dress up here. Two hits, 12 strikeouts and a shutout loss. Peoria needs the bats to wake back up.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 52-52 Second Half: 19-19, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 5.5 GB Streak: L5Jupiter 12, Palm Beach 3Palm Beach’s slide continued with a 12-3 loss to Jupiter.The Cardinals trailed 4-0 early, tried to climb back with two runs in the sixth and one in the seventh, but Jupiter blew the game open late with three runs in the eighth and five more in the ninth.Yairo Padilla provided the biggest swing for Palm Beach, hitting his third home run of the season and driving in two. Cristofer Lebrón had a strong offensive night, going 3-for-4 with two stolen bases. Ryan Mitchell drove in a run, while Gabe Camacho doubled.Jayden Lobliner added a hit in his Palm Beach debut, and Owen Henne walked and stole a base.On the mound, Andrew Dutkanych IV allowed four runs, three earned, over three innings. He walked two and struck out five. Alan Reyes was the bright spot, throwing three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.The game unraveled late. Joseph King allowed three runs, two earned, in 1.2 innings, and Anthony Watts was charged with five runs in the ninth. Palm Beach also committed four errors.Takeaway: Padilla homered and Lebrón had three hits, but Palm Beach was undone by late pitching trouble and four errors. The losing streak is now five.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Won-Bin Cho, RF, Springfield CardinalsCho earns the honor after leading Springfield’s offense in a 9-2 win over San Antonio.His final line: 4-for-5, 2 RBI, R, SBFour hits. Two RBIs. A stolen base. And an OPS now sitting at 1.053.Cho has been one of Springfield’s hottest bats, and Thursday night was another reminder that he is becoming a real problem for Double-A pitching.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Liam Doyle, LHP, Springfield CardinalsDoyle gets the nod after missing bats again for Springfield.His final line: 4.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 KThe pitch count kept him from working deeper, but the stuff was loud. Eight strikeouts in 4.1 innings will get your attention, and Springfield’s bullpen finished the job from there.The Final Word The Springfield Cardinals were the only affiliate to win, and they did it convincingly. Won-Bin Cho had four hits. Liam Doyle struck out eight. Jesús Báez drove in two. Josiah Ragsdale reached base three times. Dakota Harris went deep.Springfield is now 24-12 in the second half and remains alone in first place.Memphis got pitching but not enough offense. Peoria was shut out. Palm Beach lost its fifth straight.So yes, Springfield was alone in the winner’s circle.And on a night like this, that circle looked pretty good. 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: Dakota Harris, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

Springfield Alone in the Winner’s Circle as Cho, Doyle Lead the Way

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinals Take Series in the Bronx St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals needed a win after being shut out Tuesday night.They got one.It was not loud like Monday’s homer-filled win. It was not clean all the way through. It was not easy.But it was enough.The Cardinals beat the New York Yankees, 3-1, Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, using one decisive fifth-inning rally, a strong start from Andre Pallante, and just enough bullpen work to take the rubber game of the three-game series.That matters.After opening the series with a 13-7 win, then getting blanked 2-0 the next night, the Cardinals had a chance to leave New York with a series win or another frustrating missed opportunity.This time, they finished the job.The game was scoreless through four innings as Pallante and Will Warren traded zeroes. The Cardinals had a few early baserunners, including Nathan Church’s single in the second and Alec Burleson’s double in the fourth, but they could not break through.Pallante kept the Yankees quiet on the other side. Heliot Ramos doubled in the second, and Austin Wells singled in the third, but New York could not turn either into a run. Pallante worked through traffic, got ground balls when he needed them, and kept the Cardinals in position to strike first.That strike came in the fifth.Blaze Jordan opened the inning with a single to right. Bryan Torres followed by reaching on a fielder’s choice, with Jordan retired at second. Jimmy Crooks then singled to right, moving Torres into scoring position and setting the table for JJ Wetherholt.After César Prieto struck out, Wetherholt came through with the swing of the night.The Cardinals’ rookie drove a double to deep center field, scoring Torres and Crooks to give St. Louis a 2-0 lead.That was the hit the Cardinals could not find Tuesday night.One night earlier, St. Louis had chances and left Yankee Stadium with nothing on the scoreboard. This time, Wetherholt made sure the opportunity did not get wasted.Iván Herrera followed with another double to deep center, scoring Wetherholt and pushing the lead to 3-0.Three runs.Two doubles.All with two outs.That was the ballgame.It was also a good reminder of how quickly this offense can change a night when it strings together quality at-bats. The Cardinals did not need a home run. They did not need a crooked number built on walks and mistakes. They needed a couple of young hitters to deliver in big spots.Wetherholt and Herrera did exactly that.Pallante carried the 3-0 lead into the sixth, but that inning turned into his biggest challenge of the night. Ben Rice walked with one out, and Luis García Jr. followed with another walk after Rice moved to third on a throwing error. With runners at the corners, Oliver Marmol went to George Soriano.Soriano immediately hit Heliot Ramos with a pitch, loading the bases and bringing the tying run to the plate.That was the danger point.Spencer Jones struck out looking for the second out, but Jazz Chisholm Jr. drew a walk to force in Rice and cut the Cardinals’ lead to 3-1.The Yankees had life. The bases were still loaded. Yankee Stadium was waiting for one big swing.Soriano got Ryan McMahon to strike out swinging.Inning over.Lead protected.That was one of the biggest moments of the night. The Cardinals had just enough offense, but they still needed the bullpen to hold the line. Soriano bent in the sixth, but he did not let the game get away.From there, the Cardinals kept the Yankees from finding the big hit.Paul Goldschmidt, facing his former club, doubled as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, but Justin Bruihl helped keep the Yankees off the board. Ryne Stanek worked through traffic in the eighth, walking two but escaping without damage.That set up the ninth.Riley O’Brien finished it off, giving the Cardinals a much-needed series win in the Bronx.For Pallante, the final line was strong: 5.1 innings, three hits, one run, three walks and four strikeouts. He threw 103 pitches and held a Yankees lineup that can punish mistakes to just one run.It was not a dominant start in the traditional sense, but it was a winning start.He controlled the game, kept the ball in the yard, and gave the Cardinals a chance to win on the road against a good club.That is what this rotation needs more of.The Cardinals finished with nine hits, and the production came from several places. Wetherholt drove in two. Herrera drove in one. Church had two hits. Jordan had two hits. Burleson doubled. Crooks doubled late and was part of the fifth-inning rally.It was not an offensive explosion, but it was more balanced than Tuesday’s shutout and more situationally effective.That is the key.The Cardinals did not leave the Bronx because they overwhelmed the Yankees. They left with a series win because they took advantage of the inning that mattered most.The fifth inning decided the game.The sixth inning preserved it.The ninth inning closed it.After the way the last couple of weeks have gone, the Cardinals needed that kind of win. Not pretty. Not perfect. Just complete enough.They also needed it because this was a series that could have slipped away. Monday’s 13-run outburst looked like a possible spark. Tuesday’s shutout looked like the same old frustration. Wednesday gave the Cardinals a better ending.Now they leave New York with two wins in three games.That does not fix everything.It does not erase the rough stretch, the missed chances, the deadline questions, or the inconsistency that has followed this club around for too long.But it gives them something they badly needed.A road series win.A good start from Pallante.A big hit from Wetherholt.A clean enough finish.And a reminder that there is still baseball to be played.The Cardinals’ bullpen had to work through traffic, but it kept the Yankees from finding the tying swing. Soriano, Bruihl, Stanek and O’Brien handled the final innings.Series Win in New YorkAfter splitting the first two games, the Cardinals took the finale and left Yankee Stadium with a series win. In a stretch where every win matters, that is no small thing.The Bottom Line The Cardinals needed a win on the road.JJ Wetherholt delivered the biggest hit. Iván Herrera added on. Andre Pallante gave St. Louis a strong start, and the bullpen held the Yankees to one run.Cardinals 3, Yankees 1.A series win in the Bronx.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: Ivan Herrera, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cardinals Take Series in the Bronx

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

The Fab Five: Five Cardinals Prospects Driving the Farm S...

Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Homestand Against R...

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Liam Doyle

MiLB Player of the Day: Won-Bin Cho

Springfield Alone in the Winner’s Circle as Cho, Doyle Le...

Cardinals Take Series in the Bronx