Blog

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Affiliates Run the Table, Encarnación Fills It Up, Eagen Fans 10 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 and prospect notes.Friday night was one of those nights you circle.The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates ran the table, with Memphis, Springfield, Peoria and Palm Beach all landing in the win column.Anyelo Encarnación earned Player of the Day honors after a monster night for Peoria, going 4-for-4 with two triples, a double, an RBI and three runs scored. Daniel Eagen, now listed at No. 17 in the Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Watch, earned Pitcher of the Day honors after striking out 10 over 6.1 innings for Springfield.The full-season affiliates finished 4-0.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 68-56 Standings Snapshot: 2nd, 3.5 GB Streak: W1Memphis 4, Jacksonville 2Memphis got back in the win column behind a steady start from Brandt Thompson and a bullpen that finished the job.The Redbirds trailed 2-1 after three innings, but scored twice in the fifth to take the lead and added another run in the seventh. Memphis finished with nine hits and held Jacksonville to two runs on six hits.Victor Scott II went 1-for-4 with two runs scored, a walk and his 18th stolen base. Colton Ledbetter drove in his 47th run, while Ramón Urías and César Prieto each added an RBI. Prieto doubled for the 19th time this season, and Brody Moore doubled, scored and stole his 12th base.On the mound, Thompson worked five innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and three walks while striking out seven.His final line: 5.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, 7 KThe bullpen was excellent. Brycen Mautz worked a scoreless inning, Austin Love followed with 1.1 scoreless innings and two strikeouts, and Ryan Murphy closed it with 1.2 hitless innings.Takeaway: Memphis got a needed win, Thompson gave the Redbirds five solid innings, and the bullpen covered the final four without allowing a run.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 62-55 Second Half: 31-18, 1st in the Texas League North, 2.0 games ahead Streak: W4Springfield 5, Arkansas 3Springfield keeps rolling.The Cardinals scored twice in the first, twice in the fourth and added an insurance run in the ninth to beat Arkansas 5-3. Springfield has now won four straight and remains in first place in the Texas League North.Daniel Eagen, now No. 17 in the Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Watch, earned Pitcher of the Day honors after working 6.1 innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs and no walks while striking out 10.His final line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 10 KThat is a strong line, especially with no walks.Eagen gave Springfield length, missed bats and left the bullpen with a lead to protect. Randel Clemente struck out both batters he faced, Domenic Picone added a scoreless inning, and Andrew Schultz closed it with a clean ninth.At the plate, Rainiel Rodriguez, the No. 1 prospect in the Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Watch, stayed hot. He went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI, raising his average to .314 and OPS to .935.Josiah Ragsdale, the No. 10 prospect, went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs scored and a walk. Deniel Ortiz, the No. 27 prospect, doubled and drove in two runs. Zach Levenson hit his 10th home run and drove in two. Won-Bin Cho added a hit and scored.Takeaway: Springfield got a 10-strikeout start from Eagen, three more hits from Rodriguez, and another first-place win.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 56-61 Second Half: 24-27, 5th in the Midwest League West, 8.5 GB Streak: W1Peoria 7, Lansing 4Peoria finally stopped the slide, and Anyelo Encarnación had the loudest night in the system.The Chiefs beat Lansing 7-4 behind 14 hits, including five doubles, two triples and a home run. Encarnación led the way, going 4-for-4 with two triples, a double, an RBI and three runs scored.His final line: 4-for-4, 2 3B, 2B, RBI, 3 RThat is a full night.Andrew Williamson also had a big game, going 3-for-4 with a double, a home run and three RBIs. Ryan Weingartner went 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and two walks. Sammy Hernandez doubled, walked and stole his 19th base, while Jalin Flores drove in his 81st run of the season.On the mound, Brandon Clarke, the No. 7 prospect in the Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Watch, had a wild but electric outing. He worked 2.1 hitless innings, allowing one run with five walks and six strikeouts.Nelfy Ynfante followed with 2.2 scoreless innings, Rubén Menes worked two innings, and Christian Worley closed it with two scoreless innings.Takeaway: Encarnación filled the box score, Williamson added the power, and Peoria snapped its losing streak with a 14-hit win.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 59-59 Second Half: 26-26, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 7.0 GB Streak: W1Palm Beach 7, Fort Myers 6Palm Beach joined the win parade with a 7-6 victory over Fort Myers.The Cardinals led 5-4 after six innings, fell into a 6-5 hole after the seventh, then scored twice in the eighth to pull back in front.Sebastian Dos Santos, the No. 14 prospect in the Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Watch, delivered the biggest swing, going 1-for-2 with his sixth home run, three RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.Ryan Mitchell, the No. 24 prospect, went 3-for-5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. Alexander Frias, the No. 4 prospect, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. J.P. Cabrera added two hits, a double, two runs and a walk, while Trevor Haskins singled, scored and stole his 21st base.On the mound, Palm Beach had to work through traffic. Jan Cabrera allowed four runs, three earned, over four innings. Jaden Alba struck out five over three innings, and Brian Garmon slammed the door with two perfect innings and two strikeouts.His final line: 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 KTakeaway: Dos Santos drove in three, Frias added two RBIs, and Garmon finished the final two innings cleanly as Palm Beach held on.Prospect Watch NotesRainiel Rodriguez, No. 1, went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Springfield.Alexander Frias, No. 4, went 2-for-5 with a double and two RBIs for Palm Beach.Brandon Clarke, No. 7, struck out six over 2.1 hitless innings for Peoria.Josiah Ragsdale, No. 10, went 2-for-4 with a triple, two runs and a walk for Springfield.Sebastian Dos Santos, No. 14, homered, drove in three and walked twice for Palm Beach.Daniel Eagen, No. 17, struck out 10 over 6.1 innings for Springfield.Brycen Mautz, No. 23, threw a scoreless inning for Memphis.Ryan Mitchell, No. 24, went 3-for-5 with a double and an RBI for Palm Beach.Deniel Ortiz, No. 27, doubled and drove in two for Springfield.Quick Hits: 10 Players, 10 Stats 1. Anyelo Encarnación, Peoria: 4-for-4, two triples, double, RBI, three runs.2. Daniel Eagen, Springfield: 6.1 innings, four hits, three earned runs, no walks, 10 strikeouts. Prospect Watch: No. 173. Rainiel Rodriguez, Springfield: 3-for-5, double, RBI. Prospect Watch: No. 14. Andrew Williamson, Peoria: 3-for-4, double, home run, three RBIs.5. Sebastian Dos Santos, Palm Beach: 1-for-2, home run, three RBIs, two runs, two walks. Prospect Watch: No. 146. Ryan Mitchell, Palm Beach: 3-for-5, double, RBI, run scored. Prospect Watch: No. 247. Alexander Frias, Palm Beach: 2-for-5, double, two RBIs. Prospect Watch: No. 48. Josiah Ragsdale, Springfield: 2-for-4, triple, two runs, walk. Prospect Watch: No. 109. Brandt Thompson, Memphis: 5.0 innings, five hits, two earned runs, three walks, seven strikeouts.10. Brian Garmon, Palm Beach: 2.0 scoreless innings, no hits, no walks, two strikeouts.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Anyelo Encarnación, 2B, Peoria ChiefsEncarnación had the best offensive line in the system and helped Peoria snap its losing streak.His final line: 4-for-4, 2 3B, 2B, RBI, 3 RFour hits. Three extra-base hits. Two triples. Three runs scored.That is a Player of the Day line.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Daniel Eagen, RHP, Springfield Cardinals Prospect Watch: No. 17Eagen gave Springfield another strong start and missed bats all night.His final line: 6.1 IP, 4 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 0 BB, 10 KNo walks. Ten strikeouts. A first-place Springfield win.The Final Word That is about as clean as a farm report gets.Memphis won. Springfield won. Peoria won. Palm Beach won.The affiliates ran the table.Encarnación gave Peoria a four-hit night. Eagen struck out 10. Rodriguez kept hitting. Frias and Dos Santos helped carry Palm Beach. Clarke flashed big swing-and-miss stuff. Springfield won its fourth straight and stayed in first place.The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates finished 4-0. 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 Rodriguez, Springfield Cardinals | MLB

Farm Report: Affiliates Run the Table

The Cardinal Chronicle Series Preview: Cardinals Take Their Winning Ways to Philadelphia St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals are headed to Philadelphia with some momentum — and straight into one of the tougher pitching assignments on their remaining schedule.St. Louis opens a three-game series Friday night at Citizens Bank Park after taking four of five in Cincinnati, capped by Thursday’s remarkable 10-9 comeback victory. Down to their final strike, the Cardinals scored six times in the ninth inning to steal the finale and secure their fifth consecutive series win.Now comes Philadelphia.The Cardinals enter the weekend at 66-63 while the Phillies are 70-58. St. Louis has won seven of its last 10, but Philadelphia has been even hotter, winning six straight and eight of 10.And although the Cardinals have yet to announce their starting pitchers, Philadelphia has its rotation lined up.Friday — 5:40 p.m. CDT Cardinals: TBD vs. LHP Jesús Luzardo (11-5, 3.23 ERA, 185 K)There is no easing into this series.Luzardo has been one of Philadelphia’s best starters, striking out 185 batters in 150 1/3 innings while allowing opponents to hit just .227. His combination of velocity and swing-and-miss stuff gives the Cardinals another significant test after a difficult five-game series in Cincinnati.With a left-hander on the mound, St. Louis should have opportunities to lean more heavily on its right-handed bats, including Iván Herrera, Jordan Walker, José Fermín and Joshua Báez.Saturday — 5:05 p.m. CDT Cardinals: TBD vs. RHP Andrew Painter (2-8, 6.43 ERA, 71 K)Painter’s record and ERA suggest this is the most favorable matchup of the weekend.The Cardinals know better.They saw Painter on Aug. 10 at Busch Stadium, when the highly regarded young right-hander carried a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and earned the victory in Philadelphia’s 6-5 win. St. Louis eventually got into the Phillies bullpen, but Painter controlled the game for much of his outing.Saturday could therefore be the swing game of the series. The Cardinals cannot afford to look at Painter’s season numbers and assume this is the soft spot between two outstanding left-handers.Sunday — 12:35 p.m. CDT Cardinals: TBD vs. LHP Cristopher Sánchez (16-4, 2.51 ERA, 187 K)The toughest assignment may come Sunday.Sánchez has emerged as one of the National League’s top starting pitchers, going 16-4 with a 2.51 ERA and 187 strikeouts over 161 2/3 innings. He has allowed just 13 home runs all season.There is at least some recent history working in the Cardinals’ favor.Sánchez faced St. Louis on Aug. 11, and Andre Pallante matched him pitch for pitch as the Cardinals found a way to win. St. Louis ultimately took two of three from Philadelphia at Busch Stadium despite facing Painter, Sánchez and Zack Wheeler in succession.These Teams Are Closer Than Their Records SuggestOne of the more interesting numbers entering the series is the run differential.Philadelphia has scored 574 runs and allowed 559. St. Louis has scored 572 and allowed 562.That is remarkably close.The Phillies have scored only two more runs than the Cardinals this season and allowed only three fewer, yet Philadelphia owns a four-and-a-half-game advantage in the standings.Kyle Schwarber remains the most obvious danger in the Philadelphia lineup. He enters the series with 37 home runs, 74 RBIs and an .888 OPS, providing enormous power in a lineup that also features Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Luis Arraez.The Cardinal Chronicle TakeThe first question is how the Cardinals line up their rotation after a demanding five-game series in Cincinnati. Until those starters are announced, it is difficult to handicap the individual pitching matchups.What we do know is this: the Phillies are giving the Cardinals no favors.Luzardo and Sánchez give Philadelphia two high-end left-handers bookending the series, while Painter already showed St. Louis firsthand that his 6.43 ERA does not tell the entire story.But the Cardinals aren't arriving in Philadelphia simply trying to survive the weekend. They have won five consecutive series, they just took two of three from these Phillies at Busch Stadium, and Thursday's comeback in Cincinnati added another chapter to a club that continues to find ways to hang around.Take two of three in Philadelphia, and that five-series winning streak becomes six.More importantly, with September approaching, those games in the standings start getting awfully expensive to give away. 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: LHP Jesús Luzardo, Philadelphia Phillies | MLB

The Cardinals Not Looking For Brotherly Love in Philadelphia

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinals Stun Reds, Take Fifth Straight Series St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCINCINNATI — The St. Louis Cardinals were down to their final strike Thursday afternoon at Great American Ball Park, one pitch away from a frustrating series-ending loss and another wasted opportunity.Then the Reds gave them life.JJ Wetherholt’s fly ball to deep center field was misplayed by Dane Myers, allowing José Fermín and Masyn Winn to score on Cincinnati’s second error of the game, and the Cardinals turned that opening into a six-run ninth inning before holding on for a 10-9 win over the Reds.The victory gave St. Louis the five-game series and extended the Cardinals’ streak to five straight series wins.It was not clean. It was not comfortable. It was not the way the Cardinals would have drawn it up after taking an early four-run lead. But in August, with every game carrying weight, style points do not matter nearly as much as finding a way to win.The Cardinals found one.St. Louis led 4-0 after three innings behind Jordan Walker, who drove in the first run with a groundout in the first and then launched a three-run homer in the third. Wetherholt and Iván Herrera scored ahead of Walker’s 26th home run, giving Michael McGreevy an early cushion.For five innings, that looked like enough.McGreevy kept Cincinnati scoreless through the first five and carried a 4-0 lead into the sixth. The Reds finally broke through after McGreevy left traffic for the bullpen, and the inning changed quickly. JJ Bleday singled in a run against Ryne Stanek, and Matt McLain followed with a grand slam to left field, turning a four-run Cardinals lead into a 5-4 deficit.From there, the game held until the ninth.The Cardinals had been quiet since Walker’s home run, but the bottom of the order started the final push. Fermín came off the bench and singled as a pinch hitter. Winn entered as a pinch runner after Bryan Torres was hit by a pitch, and the Cardinals eventually had two runners in scoring position with two outs.That brought up Wetherholt.With St. Louis down to its last strike, Wetherholt drove a ball to deep center. Myers could not make the play, and both Fermín and Winn scored as Wetherholt reached second on the error. Instead of a 5-4 loss, the Cardinals had a 6-5 lead.They did not stop there.Herrera was walked intentionally, and Alec Burleson followed with a single to right, scoring Wetherholt and moving Herrera to third. Jordan Walker walked to load the bases, and Joshua Báez worked a bases-loaded walk to force in Herrera and push the lead to 8-5.Fermín then came back to the plate for the second time in the inning and delivered again, driving in two more runs with his second hit of the ninth.That made it 10-5.Those two runs turned out to be critical.Cincinnati answered in the bottom of the ninth and nearly stole the game back, scoring four times before the Cardinals finally secured the last out. What had looked like a comfortable five-run lead became a one-run escape.But it held.That is the part that matters.Walker finished with four RBIs, including the three-run homer that gave the Cardinals their early lead. Fermín came off the bench and went 2-for-2 in the ninth inning, driving in two runs and scoring one. Wetherholt scored three times, including the go-ahead run after his deep fly was misplayed. Herrera reached base twice and scored twice, while Báez drove in a run without needing to swing the bat.The Cardinals had only eight hits, but they turned Cincinnati’s two errors into six unearned runs in the ninth. They also made the Reds pay for free baserunners, something they had failed to do often enough earlier in the week.The Reds, to their credit, did not go quietly. McLain drove in four with his grand slam, and Cincinnati made the Cardinals earn every out in the ninth. The final inning was almost a collapse layered on top of a comeback, but St. Louis survived it.That is sometimes what a late-season race looks like.Not every win is crisp. Not every win makes sense. Some wins are pulled out of a mess, protected by a thread and carried home because one team kept playing long enough for the other team to make a mistake.The Cardinals were one strike away from losing.Instead, they won the game and the series.They took three of five in Cincinnati, responded after Wednesday night’s one-run loss, and continued a stretch that has kept them in the National League Wild Card conversation. The schedule gave St. Louis an opportunity this week, and the Cardinals did enough to take the series.Thursday’s win will not go on any teaching tape for clean baseball, but it might go on the list of games that mattered.Down to their last strike.A deep fly to center.A two-run error.A bases-loaded walk.A pinch hitter with two hits in the same inning.A six-run ninth.A 10-9 win.And a fifth straight series victory.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

Cardinals Stun Reds, Take Fifth Straight Series

The Cardinal Chronicle The Quiet Man: Jalin Flores Keeps Producing Under the Radar at Peoria St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurNot every prospect announces himself with national rankings, viral highlights or breathless scouting buzz.Some just keep showing up.Some just keep driving in runs.Some just keep putting baseballs over the fence until it becomes impossible to ignore.That is where Jalin Flores finds himself now.The Peoria infielder last night hit his 17th home run of the season and drove in his 80th run, another strong marker in what has quietly become one of the more productive seasons in the Cardinals’ lower-minor system. Flores may not be the loudest name in the organization, but the production is starting to speak for him.Call him The Quiet Man.Because while others have drawn more attention, Flores has spent the season stacking numbers.Flores at 99 games for High-A Peoria, is hitting .254 with a .316 on-base percentage, .459 slugging percentage and .775 OPS, along with 24 doubles, four triples, 17 home runs and 80 RBI, giving Flores one of the strongest run-producing seasons on the Peoria roster.&nbsp;That kind of production matters.It especially matters coming from a player who was not a first-round pick, not a bonus-baby headline and not one of the most heavily promoted names in the system.Flores was selected by the Cardinals in the 11th round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of the University of Texas. MLB Pipeline’s draft coverage noted that the Cardinals liked his pop and potential after he hit 18 doubles and 13 home runs during his junior season with the Longhorns. The same report also pointed to his track record of playing up the middle at a major college program as part of what made him intriguing in the 11th round.&nbsp;That was the bet.Power potential. Middle-infield background. Big-school experience. Enough raw ability to believe there might be more there than the draft position suggested.So far, that bet has become interesting.Flores has not been a perfect hitter. The strikeouts are part of the profile, and that cannot be brushed aside. The numbers show him with 115 strikeouts in 390 at-bats before the latest updates last night, so the swing-and-miss remains something he will need to tighten as he climbs.But the run production has been steady, and that is something we shouldn't ignore..Eighty RBI at High-A is a real number. Seventeen home runs from a player with infield defensive background is a real number. Twenty-four doubles and four triples show that the power is not limited to one kind of contact. Flores has been driving the baseball, producing extra-base damage and giving Peoria a consistent presence in the lineup.He has also been part of a Peoria team that has made home runs one of its calling cards. The Chiefs broke their franchise record for home runs in July, and fittingly, Flores was the player who hit the record-breaking blast, pulling a solo home run over the left-field fence to give Peoria its 123rd homer of the season.&nbsp;That moment fits his season.Not necessarily a household name for those even following the system closely.But right in the middle of the production this season Peoria, you'll find Jalin Flores.Flores’ background also gives his 2026 season more context. At Texas, he was known as a talented shortstop with power, but his junior year came with uneven offensive results. He still showed the extra-base impact the Cardinals liked, but he was not drafted as a finished product. Baseball America’s draft review called him the Cardinals’ most interesting pick in rounds 11-20, noting that he had once ranked as the No. 114 player in the 2024 class before returning to school, and that he benefited from working with former Gold Glove shortstop Troy Tulowitzki at Texas.That is important because Flores is not coming from nowhere.The tools have been there. The questions were about consistency, contact and where the defensive profile would settle.Baseball America currently lists Flores with scouting grades of 45 hit, 60 power, 50 run, 50 field and 60 arm. That tells you why the Cardinals were willing to take the swing. The power and arm strength are real carrying tools, and if the hit tool continues to develop, the profile becomes much more than organizational filler.&nbsp;That is the line Flores is walking.He is not yet a polished offensive player. He still has to prove he can handle more advanced pitching, particularly as pitchers attack the swing-and-miss. He still has to show that the power will travel beyond the Midwest League. And the Cardinals still have to determine where he best fits defensively over the long term.But there is a difference between a player with questions and a player without a path.Flores has a path.Power gives him one. Arm strength gives him another. Production gives him a reason to keep getting opportunities.And that is why his season deserves more attention.In a system where Rainiel Rodriguez, Joshua Báez, Jesús Báez, Alexander Frias and Josiah Ragsdale have generated plenty of deserved excitement, Flores has remained a little under the radar. That is understandable. Prospect attention tends to follow age, ranking, bonus size and loud tools.But baseball also rewards players who produce.Flores has produced.Seventeen home runs and 80 RBI do not happen by accident. They are the product of at-bats, adjustments, strength and the ability to do damage when opportunities arrive. He may not be the first name fans mention when discussing the Cardinals’ farm system, but he has done enough to earn his place in the conversation.The next test will be refinement.Can he cut down the strikeouts enough for the power to keep playing? Can he continue driving the baseball against better pitching? Can he maintain enough defensive value to keep the bat from having to carry the entire profile?Those questions remain.But the first step for any under-the-radar prospect is making people notice.Jalin Flores is doing that now.Quietly, steadily and with 17 home runs and 80 RBI attached to his name. 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: Jalin Flores, Peoria Chiefs | MiLB

The Quiet Man: Jalin Flores

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin Gives Springfield Six Strong Innings St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurTanner Franklin gave Springfield exactly what it needed Thursday night.The Cardinals right-hander worked six innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs and two walks while striking out eight in Springfield’s 3-2, 10-inning win over Arkansas.His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 2 BB, 8 KThat is a winning start.Franklin did not have much margin for error, and he handled it well. Springfield scored once in the first, once in the third and then had to wait until the 10th inning to push across the deciding run. That meant Franklin had to keep the game right where it was.He did.Franklin missed bats, limited the damage and gave the Cardinals six important innings in a first-place race. He left the game tied, and Chen-Wei Lin followed with four scoreless innings to give Springfield a chance to win it late.This was not a blowout where the starter could simply ride the offense.This was a tight road game. A one-run win. A 10-inning game. A first-place team needing a steady arm.Franklin answered.He has now pushed his season strikeout total higher while continuing to show why he remains one of the Cardinals’ important Double-A arms. The ERA has had some ups and downs, but the swing-and-miss continues to stand out.Six innings. Two earned runs. Eight strikeouts. A Springfield win.That earns the spotlight.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin, RHP, Springfield Cardinals&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Final Line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 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: Tanner Franklin, Springfield Cardinals | MiLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Tanner Franklin

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Colton Ledbetter Fills the Line for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurColton Ledbetter gave Memphis the best all-around offensive line in the Cardinals’ system Thursday night.The Redbirds center fielder went 1-for-3 with a home run, an RBI, two runs scored, a walk and a stolen base in Memphis’ 8-4 loss to Jacksonville at AutoZone Park.His final line: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, SBThat is a complete night.Ledbetter hit his 11th home run of the season, drove in his 46th run, scored twice and stole his 21st base. On a night when Memphis managed only four hits, he still found a way to impact the game in multiple ways.The Redbirds carried a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning before Jacksonville scored five runs to take the game. It was a tough finish for Memphis, but Ledbetter’s night stood out.Power. Speed. Run production. Two runs scored.Ledbetter has been one of the more steady performers in the upper levels of the Cardinals’ system, and Thursday was another reminder of the different ways he can help a lineup. He does not have to collect three hits to make an impact. A home run, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored will do just fine.Memphis did not get the win.Ledbetter still earned the spotlight.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Colton Ledbetter, CF, Memphis Redbirds&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; Final Line: 1-for-3, HR, RBI, 2 R, BB, 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: Colton Ledbetter, Memphis Redbirds | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Colton Ledbetter

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.