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Cardinal Chronicle Morning Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurMemphis Rallies Late, but Cardinals Affiliates Drop Three of FourThe St. Louis Cardinals’ full-season affiliates went 1-3 Tuesday night, with Memphis providing the lone win in a wild 10-inning comeback at Gwinnett.The Redbirds rallied from an early deficit, tied the game in the ninth and exploded for five runs in the 10th to beat the Stripers, 11-6. Springfield got a strong start from Braden Davis and home runs from Travis Honeyman and Dakota Harris, but lost 4-3 on the road at Tulsa. Peoria was buried by a pair of big middle innings in a 14-4 loss at Quad Cities, while Palm Beach fell behind early and lost 12-7 at Daytona despite a three-double night from Trevor Haskins and three RBIs from Ryan Weingartner.It was a rough night across the lower levels, but Memphis gave the system a comeback worth leading with.Memphis Redbirds Memphis 11, Gwinnett 6 — 10 innings Memphis: 53-35 overallMemphis turned a frustrating night into one of its better comeback wins of the season.The Redbirds beat the Gwinnett Stripers 11-6 in 10 innings Tuesday night, overcoming early deficits of 3-0 and 5-1 before tying the game in the ninth and blowing it open in the 10th.Gwinnett scored three runs in the second inning and added two more in the fourth, putting Memphis in a 5-1 hole. The Redbirds started the climb in the sixth with three runs, then trailed 6-4 entering the ninth before scoring twice to force extra innings.Once the game reached the 10th, Memphis unloaded.The Redbirds scored five runs in the top of the inning, turning a tied game into an 11-6 lead and giving the bullpen enough room to finish it.Leo Bernal and Matt Koperniak carried the big bats for Memphis. Bernal went 2-for-5 with his 10th home run of the season, four RBIs and two runs scored. Koperniak also drove in four runs, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and a walk. Nolan Gorman added his third home run and reached base five times, going 1-for-2 with four walks and two runs scored.Colton Ledbetter also had a strong night, going 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk and a run scored. César Prieto added two hits and an RBI.Brandt Thompson started for Memphis and allowed five runs on six hits over four innings. The game could have gotten away from the Redbirds there, but the bullpen changed the night.Cade Winquest was electric in relief, striking out six over two scoreless innings. Scott Blewett followed with two scoreless innings of his own, and Tink Hence worked the final two innings, allowing one run while striking out two.Old School Take: Memphis got buried early, but the Redbirds did not stay buried. Bernal and Koperniak drove in eight runs between them, Gorman kept getting on base, and Winquest helped flip the game from the bullpen. That is a comeback win with some teeth.Springfield Cardinals Tulsa 4, Springfield 3 Springfield: 40-41 overallSpringfield had the lead late, but Tulsa got the final swing.The Cardinals lost 4-3 to the Drillers on Tuesday night at ONEOK Field, falling on a ninth-inning run after Tulsa had already tied the game with two runs in the seventh.Springfield scored first when Travis Honeyman hit his seventh home run of the season in the opening inning. The Cardinals added another run in the third, then Dakota Harris homered in the sixth to give Springfield a 3-1 lead.That should have been enough with the way Braden Davis was throwing.Davis gave Springfield a strong start, allowing one run on three hits over 5.1 innings. He walked three and struck out eight, giving the Cardinals exactly the kind of outing needed to win on the road. His command was not perfect, but the swing-and-miss was there, and he kept Tulsa under control through the first half of the game.The bullpen could not hold it.Randel Clemente allowed two runs in 1.1 innings, Andrew Schultz kept the game tied with 1.1 scoreless innings, and Tyler Bradt allowed the winning run in the ninth.Springfield managed only five hits and struck out 14 times. Honeyman and Harris supplied the home runs, while Deniel Ortiz doubled and walked. Rainiel Rodriguez singled, stole a base and scored a run.Old School Take: Braden Davis gave Springfield a winning start. Eight strikeouts and one run over 5.1 innings should put a club in position to finish. But one-run leads on the road are fragile things, and Tulsa found the last answer.Peoria Chiefs Quad Cities 14, Peoria 4 Peoria: 38-43 overallPeoria started with a punch. Quad Cities answered with a haymaker.The Chiefs lost 14-4 to the Quad Cities River Bandits on Tuesday night at Modern Woodmen Park after the game unraveled in the middle innings.Peoria scored twice in the top of the first inning and had an early chance to set the tone. Quad Cities answered with one run in the bottom half, tied it in the third, moved ahead in the fifth and then broke the game wide open with seven runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh.That was the ballgame.Peoria finished with nine hits, but the Chiefs could not keep pace once Quad Cities started stacking crooked numbers. Jack Gurevitch led the offense, going 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Jalin Flores, Michael Dattalo and José Suárez each drove in a run. Sammy Hernandez added his 10th double of the season.Tai Peete went 1-for-3 and scored a run. Ian Petrutz also reached twice with a hit and a walk.Yhoiker Fajardo started for Peoria and allowed two runs on three hits over 3.1 innings. He walked two and struck out five. Gerardo Salas followed with 1.2 innings, allowing one run while striking out two.The game got away in the sixth when José Davila allowed seven runs on six hits. Jason Savacool gave up four more in the seventh, and by then Peoria was chasing a game it was not going to catch.Jawilme Ramírez finished with a scoreless eighth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.Old School Take: Peoria had a 2-0 lead before some fans had settled into their seats, but the middle innings swallowed the game whole. When you give up 11 runs across two innings, there is not much mystery left in the box score.Palm Beach Cardinals Daytona 12, Palm Beach 7 Palm Beach: 43-39 overallPalm Beach showed some fight, but Daytona had too much offense.The Cardinals lost 12-7 to the Daytona Tortugas on Tuesday night at Jackie Robinson Ballpark, as Daytona scored seven runs over the first two innings and kept adding on from there.Palm Beach fell behind 4-0 in the first and 7-0 after the second. The Cardinals answered with four runs in the third and three more in the fourth, cutting into the deficit and making it a game. But Daytona scored in five of the first seven innings and finished with 17 hits.Trevor Haskins had the best offensive night for Palm Beach, going 3-for-4 with two doubles, two runs scored and an RBI. Ryan Weingartner doubled and drove in three runs, while Sebastian Dos Santos drove in two. Matthew Miura singled, stole a base and scored a run. Chase Heath singled, was hit by a pitch and scored twice.Chase Davis also appeared in the lineup for Palm Beach, going 0-for-3 with a walk.Cade Crossland started and had a rare rough outing, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks in one inning. Yadiel Batista followed and allowed five runs, four earned, over three innings. Jesús García gave Palm Beach two innings and allowed one unearned run, while Anthony Watts and Antoni Cuello each allowed a run in relief.Palm Beach had six hits, drew four walks and scored seven runs, but the early deficit was too much to overcome.Old School Take: Palm Beach did not quit after falling behind 7-0, and that matters. But Daytona kept swinging, kept adding on and made sure the Cardinals never got all the way back.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Matt Koperniak, OF, MemphisMatt Koperniak earns Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors after helping power Memphis’ comeback win at Gwinnett.Koperniak went 2-for-4 with a home run, four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk in the Redbirds’ 11-6, 10-inning win. On a night when Memphis had to rally from a four-run deficit, Koperniak’s production was a major part of the comeback.Leo Bernal had an equally strong case after going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs of his own. Nolan Gorman also reached base five times and homered. But Koperniak’s full line, including the walk and four RBIs, gives him the edge.The Redbirds needed offense in waves Tuesday night. Koperniak gave them one of the biggest ones.That is why he is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Braden Davis, LHP, SpringfieldBraden Davis gets the nod as Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after giving Springfield a strong start in its 4-3 loss at Tulsa.Davis worked 5.1 innings, allowing one run on three hits while walking three and striking out eight. He kept the Drillers off balance, gave the Cardinals a chance to win and left with Springfield in position to take the opener.The bullpen could not hold the lead, but that should not take away from Davis’ outing.Cade Winquest also deserves mention after striking out six over two scoreless innings for Memphis, but Davis’ length and effectiveness as a starter make him the choice here.A road start with 5.1 innings, one run and eight strikeouts will play. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Matt Koperniak, Memphis Redbirds | MLB

Memphis Rallies Late, but Cardinals Affiliates Drop Three of Four

Cardinals Designate Bruce Zimmermann for Assignment After One-Day StintThe Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBruce Zimmermann’s stay on the St. Louis Cardinals’ active roster was brief, but it was not meaningless.The Cardinals designated the veteran left-hander for assignment between games of Tuesday’s doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers, ending a single-day roster stint that began with a morning call-up and ended with an afternoon roster move.Zimmermann was selected from Triple-A Memphis before Game 1 to give the Cardinals length and bullpen protection during a demanding doubleheader against the first-place Brewers. He did exactly what the Cardinals needed him to do.Working behind opener Matt Svanson, Zimmermann covered five innings in relief, allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out two. It was not a dominant outing, but it was valuable. On a day when St. Louis needed someone to absorb innings and keep the bullpen from being overexposed, Zimmermann gave the club bulk coverage.That matters in a doubleheader.The move, however, also showed the reality of roster management in July. After Game 1, the Cardinals needed a fresh arm for the nightcap and selected the contract of left-hander Jared Shuster from Triple-A Memphis. To create the necessary 40-man roster spot, Zimmermann was designated for assignment.It was a harsh transaction, but not an unusual one.Zimmermann’s situation was always complicated by the fact that he is out of minor-league options. Once the Cardinals selected his contract, they could not simply send him back to Memphis after the game. If he was not going to remain on the active roster, he had to be exposed to waivers.Now the process begins.If another club claims Zimmermann, the Cardinals will lose the veteran left-hander. If he clears waivers, St. Louis could outright him back to Triple-A Memphis, where he would remain valuable organizational depth.Before the call-up, Zimmermann had pitched well for Memphis, posting a 5-3 record with a 3.78 ERA and 84 strikeouts over 78.2 innings. That production earned him the look in St. Louis, and it may still make him useful to the Cardinals if he remains in the organization.The transaction also says plenty about where the Cardinals are right now.They are trying to survive a critical stretch before the All-Star break, including a five-game series against Milwaukee and a weekend set with Atlanta. Pitching depth is being tested. Bullpen usage matters. Every roster spot is being treated like a moving part.Zimmermann became part of that roster carousel.He was called up to provide innings. He provided them. Then the Cardinals moved on to the next arm because the schedule demanded it.That may not be fair, but it is baseball in July.For Zimmermann, the immediate future now depends on waivers. For the Cardinals, the goal remains the same: get through this stretch with enough pitching to stay competitive and enough flexibility to keep adjusting.Bruce Zimmermann’s one-day stop in St. Louis may not be remembered for long.But for five innings in Game 1, he gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed — and sometimes, in the middle of a doubleheader, that is the whole job. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Bruce Zimmermann, St. Louis Cardinals | Getty

Bruce Zimmermann Designated for Assignment After One-Day Stint

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Drop Both Ends of Doubleheader as Brewers Tighten Grip on NL Central St. Louis, MO By Ray Mileur The St. Louis Cardinals entered Tuesday’s doubleheader against Milwaukee needing to slow down the Brewers and make a dent in the National League Central race.Instead, Milwaukee walked out of Busch Stadium with two wins, a stronger hold on first place, and another reminder that the road through the division still runs through the Brewers.Milwaukee took the opener, 4-3, then broke open the nightcap with a seven-run seventh inning on the way to a 10-2 win. The sweep dropped the Cardinals to 47-43, while Milwaukee improved to 58-33 and stretched its division lead over St. Louis to 10.5 games.Game 1: Brewers 4, Cardinals 3The Cardinals struck first in the opener when Jordan Walker launched a two-run homer in the first inning, scoring JJ Wetherholt and giving St. Louis a quick 2-0 lead.Milwaukee answered in the third. Joey Ortiz doubled home Cooper Pratt, and Christian Yelich followed with an RBI single to tie the game at 2. The Cardinals briefly grabbed the lead back in the bottom half when Iván Herrera homered to left, making it 3-2.That was the last run St. Louis would score.Garrett Mitchell tied the game with an RBI single in the sixth, and Yelich delivered the deciding blow in the seventh with an RBI double that scored Pratt and put Milwaukee ahead 4-3.Jacob Misiorowski gave the Cardinals fits, striking out 11 over seven innings. He allowed three runs on three hits, did not walk a batter, and threw 103 pitches. Walker and Herrera both took him deep, but the Cardinals could not do enough against him after the early damage.Matt Svanson served as the opener for St. Louis and worked a scoreless first. Bruce Zimmermann, selected from Triple-A Memphis before the game, followed with five innings, allowing three runs on six hits with two strikeouts and one walk.Ryne Stanek took the loss after both batters he faced reached in the seventh. He also exited after rolling his ankle on an awkward play at first base, adding injury concern to an already frustrating day.Game 2: Brewers 10, Cardinals 2The nightcap stayed within reach for six innings before the game unraveled in a hurry.Hunter Dobbins, serving as the Cardinals’ 27th man for the doubleheader, gave St. Louis five competitive innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, struck out four and walked three.Milwaukee took a 1-0 lead in the third when Cooper Pratt tripled and scored on a Christian Yelich groundout. The Brewers added two more in the fifth when Luis Lara, making his major league debut, collected his first big league hit and RBI with a two-run single.The Cardinals finally answered in the sixth. Jordan Walker singled, and Nelson Velázquez followed with a two-run homer to center, cutting Milwaukee’s lead to 3-2.For a moment, there was life.Then came the seventh inning.Joey Ortiz led off with a solo homer off Jared Shuster. Brice Turang doubled in Lara. Gary Sánchez singled home two more. Jackson Chourio added an RBI single, and Pratt capped the inning with a two-run double. By the time the inning ended, Milwaukee had scored seven runs and turned a one-run game into a 10-2 runaway.Robert Gasser handled the Cardinals for 7 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with four strikeouts and one walk. The only real damage came on Velázquez’s two-run homer.Walker had two of the Cardinals’ four hits in Game 2, finishing 2-for-4. Velázquez provided the only runs with his fourth home run of the season.St. Louis used Bryan Torres on the mound for the final two innings, and the utilityman turned in two scoreless frames. That was about the only late-game bright spot.Game NotesThe Brewers have won four straight overall and seven straight against the Cardinals.The Cardinals have dropped four straight.Milwaukee now leads the five-game series 3-0.The Cardinals finished the doubleheader with seven total hits across 18 innings.Jordan Walker homered in Game 1 and had two hits in Game 2.Iván Herrera homered in Game 1, while Nelson Velázquez homered in Game 2.St. Louis continues the series Wednesday night, with Michael McGreevy scheduled to start against Milwaukee left-hander Kyle Harrison.Bottom LineThis was not just a bad doubleheader. This was a measuring-stick day, and the Cardinals came up short.The opener was there to be taken. The nightcap was still a game entering the seventh. But Milwaukee finished innings, pressured the Cardinals’ pitching depth, and looked every bit like the team sitting atop the division.For St. Louis, the concern is not just losing two games. It is how quickly competitive games are getting away once the bullpen door opens.There is still baseball left before the All-Star break, but Tuesday made one thing plain: if the Cardinals want to be more than a club hanging around the edge of the race, they will have to find a way to beat Milwaukee head-to-head.Right now, the Brewers are not just leading the division.They are controlling it. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

Cardinals Drop Two as Brewers Tighten Grip on NL Central

The Cardinal Chronicle Prospect Stock Market Report: Cho, Gastelum, Rincon and Odle Lead This Week’s Movement St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurEvery week, the Cardinals’ farm system offers another snapshot of who is trending up, who is holding ground and who needs to make an adjustment before the market starts pricing them differently. Some players rise because they dominate a week. Some rise because they are stacking strong outings. Others hold because the talent remains obvious, even when the results are not clean. And a few slip because the numbers demand an honest look.This week’s Prospect Stock Market Report is led by Won-Bin Cho’s power surge at Double-A, Hancel Rincon’s spotless Triple-A outing, Jacob Odle’s continued rise at High-A and Luis Gastelum’s growing case as one of the most interesting relief arms in the upper system.STOCK RISING — HITTERS Won-Bin Cho, OF, Springfield Cardinals The Movement: Won-Bin Cho delivered the loudest offensive week among Cardinals hitters.The Springfield outfielder hit .350 over five games, going 7-for-20 with four home runs, six RBIs, six runs scored and a 1.331 OPS. That is the kind of week that grabs attention quickly, especially at Double-A.Cho has always had tools, but the question has been consistency. This week, the production matched the talent. Four home runs in five games at Double-A is not a small note. It is a player reminding the organization that the bat can still change games when everything is clicking.The strikeouts are still part of the picture, with six in 20 at-bats, but the power production was too loud to ignore. Cho did not just have a good week. He carried impact.Old School Take: When a Double-A outfielder hits four home runs in a week, you do not bury it under “wait and see.” You put him on the rising board. Cho earned this spot with the bat.Yordalin Peña, OF, Palm Beach Cardinals The Movement: Yordalin Peña continues to rebuild his stock with another productive week for Palm Beach.Peña hit .278 over five games, going 5-for-18 with three doubles, two home runs, nine RBIs, two runs scored and a stolen base. The batting average does not jump off the page, but the damage does.Five hits, five extra-base hits. That tells the story.Peña was not simply finding holes or padding a line. He was driving the baseball. Two home runs, three doubles and nine RBIs in a week from a lower-level outfielder is the kind of production that keeps a player on the watch list.The strikeouts remain something to monitor, with six in 18 at-bats, but the run production and extra-base impact give him a clear rise this week.Old School Take: Peña’s week was not about singles and soft contact. He did damage. When every hit goes for extra bases and nine runs come home, the stock moves up.Jesús Báez, SS, Springfield Cardinals The Movement: Jesús Báez gave Springfield another power bat worth noting this week.The Double-A shortstop hit .278 over five games, going 5-for-18 with a double, three home runs, five RBIs, five runs scored, two walks and a 1.183 OPS. For an infielder, that kind of power production at Double-A deserves attention.The encouraging part is the balance. Báez struck out only three times in 18 at-bats while adding three home runs. That matters. Power is one thing. Power with manageable swing-and-miss is something else.Báez may not carry the same name recognition as some of the top-ranked prospects in the system, but performance has a way of opening doors. This week, he earned a longer look.Old School Take: A shortstop who hits three home runs in a week at Double-A is doing more than filling out the lineup card. Báez gave Springfield real impact, and that moves the market.STOCK RISING — PITCHERS Hancel Rincon, RHP, Memphis Redbirds The Movement: Hancel Rincon put together one of the cleanest pitching lines in the system this week.The Memphis right-hander worked 5.1 hitless, scoreless innings, walking nobody and striking out six. That is as clean as a pitching line gets. No hits. No runs. No walks. Six strikeouts.Rincon, ranked No. 27 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, has spent time on the wrong side of this report before because the Triple-A results had not always matched the profile. This week was different. He was efficient, controlled the zone and gave Memphis exactly what a pitcher trying to rebuild stock needs to give.This was not just a good outing. It was a market correction.Old School Take: No hits, no walks and no runs at Triple-A will get a man noticed. Rincon did not steady the ship this week. He grabbed the wheel.Luis Gastelum, RHP, Memphis Redbirds The Movement: Luis Gastelum continues to make the case that the Cardinals may not be able to ignore him much longer.Gastelum is ranked No. 25 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, and his season has become one of the best bullpen stories in the organization. The 24-year-old right-hander has gone 7-1 with a 2.27 ERA over 42.2 innings for Memphis, striking out 49 while posting a 0.98 WHIP and holding opponents to a .172 batting average.He also recently put together a 19-inning scoreless streak, which is not the kind of run that should be brushed aside.Gastelum is not currently on the 40-man roster, and that complicates the big-league path. But performance has a way of putting pressure on roster math. Memphis has had one of the best bullpens in Triple-A, and Gastelum has been right in the middle of it.At some point, the numbers become too strong to treat as background noise.Old School Take: A 2.27 ERA, a sub-1.00 WHIP and a 19-inning scoreless streak at Triple-A will make folks start asking questions. Gastelum is not on the 40-man, but his stock is rising because he has earned the attention.Jacob Odle, RHP, Peoria Chiefs The Movement: Jacob Odle remains one of the better pitching stories in the Cardinals’ system.The High-A right-hander worked 4.1 scoreless innings this week, allowing two hits, walking three and striking out seven. The walks keep the outing from being spotless, but the swing-and-miss continues to show up.Odle is ranked No. 11 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, and his rise has not been built on one good outing. He has been climbing because the performance keeps holding up. The frame, the strikeout ability and the move from Palm Beach to Peoria have all pushed him into a more serious prospect lane.This week added another layer to that case. Seven strikeouts in 4.1 innings tells you hitters were not comfortable.Old School Take: Odle still has some command work ahead of him, but the ingredients are easy to see. Big frame. Strikeouts. Upward movement. That is how a pitcher keeps climbing.STOCK HOLDING Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP, Springfield Cardinals The Movement: Jurrangelo Cijntje had the best pitching line among the high-profile names this week, but he lands in holding because the broader evaluation still needs more consistency.Cijntje worked six scoreless innings for Springfield, allowing three hits, three walks and striking out nine. That is a strong Double-A outing, and it was exactly the kind of response he needed after some uneven work earlier in the season.Ranked No. 5 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, Cijntje remains one of the most unique arms in the system. The switch-pitching profile is rare, the strikeout ability is real, and the upside still keeps him near the top of the organization’s pitching group.This week helped. No doubt about it. But one strong outing does not erase the need for a longer run of clean starts.For now, Cijntje holds with upward pressure.Old School Take: Nine strikeouts and six scoreless innings at Double-A is a fine response. Cijntje is not rising only because the market wants to see him stack it. But this was a strong step.Quinn Mathews, LHP, Memphis Redbirds The Movement: Quinn Mathews remains in the holding group after a solid Triple-A start.The Memphis left-hander worked six innings, allowing six hits, two earned runs, no walks and striking out seven. The no-walk line is the key. For Mathews, command has been the separator between holding and rising.Ranked No. 9 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, Mathews still carries real value because of his left-handed profile, changeup and ability to miss bats. The issue has not been talent. It has been consistency and traffic.This week, he controlled the zone and gave Memphis a competitive start. The home run allowed and six hits keep it from being a full jump, but the overall direction was encouraging.Old School Take: Mathews needed a clean strike-throwing outing, and he got one. Seven strikeouts and no walks at Triple-A is a good sign. Now he needs to keep stacking them.Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Springfield Cardinals The Movement: Rainiel Rodriguez remains in the holding category, but there is still power showing through the adjustment.The Springfield catcher hit .238 over five games, going 5-for-21 with two home runs, five RBIs, three walks and a .857 OPS. That is not a huge batting-average week, but the power and run production remain encouraging.Ranked No. 1 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, Rodriguez is judged differently because the age, position and ceiling carry so much weight. He is a young catcher handling Double-A pitching, and that context matters.The seven strikeouts are worth noting, and the contact rate needs to keep improving. But two home runs in a week from a teenage catcher at Double-A is still a positive sign.Rodriguez holds because the profile remains too strong and the power is still showing up.Old School Take: A young catcher at Double-A is going to take some punches. Rodriguez is still punching back. The batting average was light this week, but the power keeps the stock steady.STOCK FALLING Ryan Mitchell, OF, Palm Beach Cardinals The Movement: Ryan Mitchell slips this week after a rough stretch at the plate.The Palm Beach outfielder went 1-for-11 over three games with five strikeouts, though he did draw three walks and steal two bases. That keeps the line from being completely empty, but the bat did not do enough to hold firm.Mitchell is ranked No. 17 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, and the tools remain interesting. The speed, athleticism and power projection are still there. But the production has been uneven, and this week leaned in the wrong direction.The walks and steals show he can still impact a game without hitting, but the hit tool needs to show more consistency.Old School Take: Mitchell still has tools worth waiting on, but 1-for-11 with five strikeouts is a falling week. The speed helps. The bat still has to lead the way.Yhoiker Fajardo, RHP, Peoria Chiefs The Movement: Yhoiker Fajardo takes a step back this week after a difficult High-A outing.Fajardo worked 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits, four earned runs, two walks and two home runs while striking out four. That is a tough line for a ranked arm trying to keep climbing.Ranked No. 8 on The Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, Fajardo remains one of the more important pitching names in the lower half of the system. His strikeout ability still matters, and one rough outing does not erase the broader profile.But the home runs and traffic are what move him down this week. At High-A, mistakes over the plate get punished, and this outing had too much damage.Old School Take: Fajardo is still a real arm, but the scoreboard gets a vote. Seven hits and two homers in 4.1 innings will put almost any pitcher on the falling side for the week.Michael Dattalo, 3B, Peoria Chiefs The Movement: Michael Dattalo takes the final falling spot after a difficult week at High-A.Dattalo went 1-for-19 over five games for Peoria with no extra-base hits, no walks, six strikeouts and a .105 OPS. That is a rough stretch for any hitter, especially a corner infielder trying to keep his bat moving forward.This is not a long-term judgment. Young hitters have weeks where timing disappears, the strike zone gets away from them and hard contact becomes hard to find. But the shape of the line matters. One hit in 19 at-bats, no walks and six strikeouts gives the report enough evidence to mark the stock down for the week.For Dattalo, the next step is simple: better at-bats, more contact and getting back to using the whole field.Old School Take: Every hitter hits a cold spell. But 1-for-19 with no walks is more than bad luck. Dattalo needs a reset and a few competitive at-bats to get the market pointed back in the right direction.The Closing Bell This week’s Prospect Stock Market Report had a clear theme: power bats and upper-level arms moved the board.Won-Bin Cho delivered the loudest offensive week among the hitters with four home runs and a 1.331 OPS at Double-A. Yordalin Peña did damage at Palm Beach with five extra-base hits and nine RBIs. Jesús Báez added three home runs from the shortstop position at Springfield.On the pitching side, Hancel Rincon gave Memphis 5.1 hitless, scoreless innings with no walks. Luis Gastelum continued to build one of the strongest bullpen cases in the system, backed by a 2.27 ERA, 0.98 WHIP and a 19-inning scoreless streak. Jacob Odle kept climbing with another scoreless outing and seven strikeouts at High-A.The holding group remains important. Jurrangelo Cijntje gave Springfield six scoreless innings with nine strikeouts, but still needs to stack clean starts. Quinn Mathews had a no-walk Triple-A start, a needed sign of command progress. Rainiel Rodriguez continues to show power while adjusting to Double-A.The falling group is a reminder that prospect stock is not about favorites. Ryan Mitchell’s bat cooled at Palm Beach. Yhoiker Fajardo ran into damage at High-A. Michael Dattalo had a rough week at Peoria and needs a cleaner stretch of at-bats to stop the slide.Some players rise, some hold, some stumble and and every week here, performance gets a vote. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Won-Bin Cho, Springfield Cardinals | Springfield Daily Citizen.

Prospect Stock Market Report: Cho, Gastelum, Rincon, Odle  ...

The Cardinal Chronicle Brewers Steal One From Cardinals With Four-Run Seventh St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals had this one lined up.Then the seventh inning happened.After building a 3-0 lead behind a strong outing from Dustin May, the Cardinals watched the Milwaukee Brewers steal the series opener Monday night at Busch Stadium, rallying for four runs in the seventh inning and handing St. Louis a frustrating 4-3 loss.This was not a game the Cardinals were chasing all night.This was a game they controlled.That is what made it sting.May gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed, especially after his rough start in Atlanta and the concern over his ankle. The veteran right-hander worked 4 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing four hits, walking none and striking out seven. He threw 81 pitches, 55 for strikes, and looked far more like the pitcher the Cardinals hoped they were getting when they put him back on the mound.He was sharp.He was competitive.He gave St. Louis every chance to take the first game of this important five-game set against the National League Central-leading Brewers.For six innings, the Cardinals had enough.Then the bullpen and defense gave it away.St. Louis opened the scoring in the third inning against Brewers left-hander Shane Drohan. Pedro Pagés singled to center, JJ Wetherholt reached on an error by Brice Turang, and Jordan Walker walked to load the bases.Nelson Velázquez then reached on a fielder’s choice, bringing Pagés home and giving the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. José Fermín followed with a single to shallow center, scoring Wetherholt and pushing the lead to 2-0.It was not a clean offensive explosion, but it was effective.The Cardinals put the ball in play, took advantage of a Milwaukee mistake, and cashed in enough to give May a lead.May protected it.The Brewers put two men aboard in the second when Jake Bauers singled and Garrett Mitchell followed with a hit to center, but May worked through the traffic. He retired the side in the third. He struck out Brice Turang, William Contreras and Bauers in order in the fourth. In the fifth, he struck out Mitchell and Sal Frelick before allowing two-out singles to Cooper Pratt and David Hamilton.That was the end of May’s night.Justin Bruihl entered and got Christian Yelich to ground out to second, ending the threat and preserving the shutout.At that point, the game still belonged to St. Louis.The Cardinals added to the lead in the sixth. Velázquez doubled to left to open the inning. Fermín moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt, and Masyn Winn brought him home with a single to left.That made it 3-0.Against a team like Milwaukee, that felt important.The Brewers do not need much help. They are too good, too athletic and too opportunistic to give them extra chances. A three-run lead is not safe against them, but it is a lead a good team has to protect at home.The Cardinals did not.Milwaukee’s seventh inning started with Mitchell reaching on an infield single. Ryan Fernandez entered for Bruihl and immediately gave up a double to Frelick, putting runners at second and third with nobody out.Then the inning began to unravel.Pratt reached on Fernandez’s fielding error, loading the bases. Hamilton followed with the swing that changed the game, driving a double to deep right-center field. Mitchell and Frelick scored, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2, and Pratt moved to third.The Brewers were back in the game.They were not done.Ryan Stanek entered, and Joseph Ortiz came on to run for Hamilton. Yelich walked to load the bases. Jackson Chourio followed with a fielder’s choice, with Pratt thrown out at the plate, giving the Cardinals a chance to escape with the lead.They could not finish it.Turang singled to left, scoring Ortiz and Yelich, and Milwaukee suddenly had a 4-3 lead.Just like that, the game had flipped.The Brewers did not hit a home run in the inning. They did not need one. A single, a double, an error, another double, a walk, and a two-run single were enough. It was the kind of inning that defines Milwaukee’s season and frustrates everyone else in the division.They keep taking games that look like they should belong to somebody else.This one should have belonged to the Cardinals.May deserved better. The offense had done enough to put St. Louis in position. The Cardinals had a three-run lead at home in the seventh inning. Those are games that have to be finished, especially against the team they are trying to catch.Instead, Milwaukee stole it.The Cardinals still had chances, but the late response never came. Pagés, Wetherholt and Iván Herrera went down in order in the seventh. In the eighth, Walker struck out and Lars Nootbaar flied out to deep right, and St. Louis could not find the swing it needed to answer Milwaukee’s rally.That was the difference.The Cardinals finished with three runs on six hits. Fermín had two hits, including a double, and drove in a run. Velázquez doubled, scored and drove in a run. Winn singled home the Cardinals’ third run. Pagés singled and scored. Nathan Church added a hit, though he was caught stealing earlier in the game.It was not a dead offensive night.But it was not enough either.The Cardinals did not hit a home run. They did not produce the knockout inning. They had a 3-0 lead, but it was built one run at a time, and once Milwaukee broke through, St. Louis could not answer back.That has been the danger with this club.When the Cardinals are scoring in bunches, they can look dangerous. They showed that in Atlanta. They showed that Friday at Wrigley Field. But when the game tightens late, and one inning decides the night, the margin becomes razor thin.Monday night, that margin disappeared.Milwaukee finished with four runs on eight hits. Mitchell had two hits and scored. Frelick doubled and scored. Hamilton delivered the two-run double. Turang delivered the two-run single. That was the Brewers’ offense in one inning, and it was enough.The Cardinals also committed two errors. One came from Church in center earlier in the game. The bigger one came from Fernandez in the seventh, helping open the door for Milwaukee’s rally.Those details matter.Against a first-place club, they matter even more.Fernandez was charged with three runs, two earned, without recording an out. Bruihl allowed one run over 1 1/3 innings. Stanek kept the inning from getting even worse by getting Contreras to ground into a double play, but the damage had already been done. Gordon Graceffo worked a scoreless eighth, but by then the Brewers had the lead and the Cardinals were the team chasing.That is a hard loss to absorb because of the timing.The Cardinals came home after a strong road trip, taking two of three in Atlanta and two of three at Wrigley Field. They had won five of their previous seven games and had a chance to open this five-game series with a statement against the club sitting on top of the division.For six innings, they were making that statement.Then the Brewers reminded everyone why they are where they are.They do not always overpower teams. They do not always make it look clean. But they create pressure, run the bases, force mistakes and punish every loose inning. Monday night, they waited until the seventh and took the game in one swing sequence.For the Cardinals, this one has to bother them.Not because they were beaten start to finish.Because they were not.They had the starter.They had the lead.They had the crowd.They had a chance to set the tone for a long series.Instead, Milwaukee walked out with the opener.The Cardinals will have to turn the page quickly. There is no time to sit with this one, not with a doubleheader coming Tuesday and several more games still stacked into this division set. This series is too important, and the schedule is too compressed, for one loss to linger. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Brewers Steal One From Cardinals With Four-Run Seventh

Cardinals Call Up Veteran Left-Hander Bruce ZimmermannThe Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals added a veteran left-handed arm Tuesday, selecting the contract of Bruce Zimmermann from Triple-A Memphis ahead of their doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers at Busch Stadium.For Zimmermann, 31, the move brings him back to the major leagues and gives the Cardinals another experienced pitcher capable of working in a long relief or bulk innings role. For St. Louis, the timing is practical. A doubleheader against the first-place Brewers creates immediate pressure on the pitching staff, and the Cardinals needed length, flexibility and a fresh arm capable of covering multiple innings if needed.Zimmermann fits that assignment.Before his call-up, the left-hander had been pitching effectively for Memphis, going 5-3 with a 3.78 ERA, 84 strikeouts and a 1.27 WHIP over 78.2 innings. Those numbers are not empty Triple-A depth. They show a veteran starter who has taken the ball, covered innings and given the Redbirds a chance to win.That matters on a day like this.The Cardinals are in the middle of one of their most important stretches of the season, facing Milwaukee and Atlanta before the All-Star break. With a five-game series against the Brewers packed into four days, bullpen management is not a small detail. It may help decide games.Zimmermann gives manager Oliver Marmol another option if one of the starts gets short, if the game gets away early, or if the Cardinals need someone to bridge multiple innings without burning through the rest of the bullpen.This is not a flashy move, but it is a useful one.Zimmermann was originally selected by the Atlanta Braves in the fifth round of the 2017 MLB Draft before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2018. A Baltimore native, he spent most of his early major-league career pitching for his hometown Orioles from 2020 to 2023. He later spent time with the Milwaukee Brewers organization before signing a minor league deal with the Cardinals in January.His major-league career has included 39 appearances, 28 of them starts, with a 5.64 ERA across 164.1 innings. The surface numbers are not overwhelming, but the Cardinals are not asking Zimmermann to be a rotation savior. They are asking him to provide innings, stability and matchup flexibility from the left side.There is also a roster wrinkle.Zimmermann is out of minor league options, which makes his stay on the active roster worth watching. Once a player like that is selected to the 40-man roster, sending him back to Triple-A is not as simple as a routine option. That could make this more than just a one-day transaction, depending on how the Cardinals manage the roster after the doubleheader.For now, the job is clear.The Cardinals needed an experienced arm. Zimmermann had earned the look with his work at Memphis. And on a day when pitching depth will be tested, St. Louis is turning to a veteran left-hander who has already done plenty of heavy lifting in Triple-A this season.In a perfect world, the Cardinals may not need him for much.But doubleheaders rarely care about perfect worlds.Bruce Zimmermann is in St. Louis because the Cardinals need innings, and if this long homestand is going to be the measuring stick many believe it is, every usable arm matters. 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: <a href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Bruce Zimmermann, St. Louis Cardinals | Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Cardinals Call Up Veteran Left-Hander Bruce Zimmermann

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

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