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The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJack Gurevitch gave Peoria the swing it needed Saturday night.Gurevitch is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Player of the Day after helping spark the Chiefs’ 6-0 win over the Dayton Dragons at Dozer Park.On a night built around Jacob Odle’s dominant start, Peoria still needed someone to break through at the plate.Gurevitch did that.With the game scoreless in the fourth inning, Gurevitch led off and drove a solo home run to right-center field, giving the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. It was the first run of the night, and with Odle dealing on the mound, it felt bigger than one run.Sometimes one swing changes the way a game feels.This one did.Peoria entered the night on a six-game losing streak and badly needed a clean answer. The Chiefs had spent much of the week chasing games, leaving runners on base and trying to climb out of early trouble.Saturday was different.Odle controlled the game from the mound, and Gurevitch gave him the lead to protect.The Chiefs added more offense later, but that first swing mattered. Gurevitch’s home run broke the scoreless tie and allowed Peoria to play from in front. He later came around to score again in the sixth inning when Jalin Flores drove him in with an RBI triple, giving the Chiefs another run in a game they were beginning to take over.Peoria’s offense had several important contributions. Anyelo Encarnación hit an opposite-field solo homer. Cameron Nickens added a two-run home run in the seventh. Flores drove in a run with his triple, and Josh Kross followed with an RBI double.But Gurevitch gets the honor because his swing opened the door.On a night when the pitching staff carried the headline, the first offensive punch still mattered. It gave the Chiefs a lead, gave the dugout a lift, and helped turn a tense, scoreless game into the kind of win Peoria needed.That is not just a home run.That is timing.For a club trying to stop a losing streak, the first run can feel like a weight coming off. Gurevitch supplied it.Old School TakeA solo home run in the fourth inning does not always decide a game.Saturday night, it changed one.Jack Gurevitch gave Peoria the first run, gave Jacob Odle a lead, and helped the Chiefs finally get out from under a six-game losing streak.That is a winning swing and that is why Jack Gurevitch is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day. 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 data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Jack Gurevitch, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch

The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Odle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJacob Odle gave Peoria the kind of start that changes the entire feel of a ballclub.Odle is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day after throwing six no-hit innings in the Chiefs’ 6-0 win over the Dayton Dragons on Saturday night at Dozer Park.Six innings.No hits.Eight strikeouts.That is the line of the night.Odle walked four, so it was not a spotless outing, but Dayton never found a hit against him. He worked through the traffic, kept the ball out of the barrel, and gave Peoria exactly what it needed after a rough stretch.The Chiefs entered the night on a six-game losing streak. Dayton had been swinging a hot bat and had punished Peoria pitching throughout the series. The Dragons had power, momentum and confidence.Odle shut it all down.For six innings, he controlled the game. He did not allow Dayton to build anything through contact, and he gave the Chiefs time to find the offense they had been searching for.Peoria finally broke through in the fourth inning when Jack Gurevitch hit a solo home run to give the Chiefs a 1-0 lead. That was all Odle needed.The Chiefs added more support in the sixth and seventh, but the game was already being shaped by the right-hander on the mound. Odle gave Peoria length, swing-and-miss, and most importantly, stability.After several games where Peoria had been chasing early deficits and watching innings get away, Odle gave the Chiefs a night where they could play from in front.That matters.The no-hit bid ended after Odle left the game, but the pitching staff finished the shutout. Jason Savacool, Nolan Sparks and Christian Worley combined to cover the final three innings, holding Dayton to one hit and keeping the Dragons off the board.That was a complete pitching effort.But Odle owned the headline.Six no-hit innings against a hot offense is not just a good start. It is a statement start. It stops a losing streak. It gives a clubhouse a different feeling. It reminds a team that one strong performance can change the tone of a series.Springfield’s staff deserves mention after holding Wichita to three hits in a 5-3 win. But there was no real debate for the top pitching honor Saturday.Odle stood above the rest.Six innings.No hits.No runs.Eight strikeouts.A losing streak stopped.That earns the honor.Old School TakeSometimes one pitcher can walk into a bad stretch and stop it cold.Jacob Odle did that Saturday night.Peoria needed a win. The Chiefs needed a clean game. They needed someone to grab the baseball and change the tone.Odle gave them six no-hit innings.That is not just pitching well.That is taking over.That is why Jacob Odle is The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Pitcher of the Day. 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 data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-selected="inline-boundary">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Jacob Odle, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Jacob Odle

The Cardinal Chronicle Daily Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFarm Report: Odle Deals Six No-Hit Innings, Springfield Holds On, Memphis StumblesThe Cardinals’ full-season minor league affiliates went 3-1 in completed games on Saturday, with Palm Beach also having its regularly scheduled game postponed by rain.Memphis had a rough night at AutoZone Park, falling 17-3 to Nashville as the Redbirds’ first-half race tightened. Springfield picked up a 5-3 win at Wichita, continuing a strong road series. Peoria snapped its losing streak in emphatic fashion, shutting out Dayton 6-0 behind six no-hit innings from Jacob Odle and three home runs. Palm Beach finished Friday’s suspended game with a 4-1 win over Jupiter, while Saturday’s scheduled game was postponed and pushed to Sunday.The headline belongs to Odle.Six innings.No hits.Eight strikeouts.That is a pitcher taking over a game.Memphis Redbirds Record: 46-28, International League West Standings: 1st place, International League West Result: Nashville 17, Memphis 3Memphis picked a bad night to have one of its roughest games of the season.One night after cutting its magic number to two, the Redbirds were beaten 17-3 by Nashville at AutoZone Park. The Sounds finished with 17 runs on 17 hits, scoring five runs in the fourth, six more in the eighth and four in the ninth.That is not a game that needs much dressing up.Memphis entered the night with a chance to keep pressure on the International League first-half race, but Nashville made sure there would be no celebration. The Sounds jumped ahead early, then kept adding on until the game was completely out of reach.Pete Hansen started for Memphis and took the loss. Nashville got to him early, and the bullpen was not able to stop the damage once the Sounds began stacking innings.The Redbirds scored single runs in the third, fifth and seventh, but never put together the kind of inning needed to climb back into the game. Memphis finished with six hits and never truly threatened after Nashville’s five-run fourth inning opened the game up.For Memphis, the good news is simple.The Redbirds are still in position.But the margin is tighter now, and the Sunday finale against Nashville carries real weight. Memphis has been one of the best teams in Triple-A all first half, but the finish line still has to be crossed.Saturday was a reminder that nothing is handed out early.Springfield Cardinals Record: 30-37, Texas League North Standings: 4th place, Texas League North Result: Springfield 5, Wichita 3Springfield found a way to close another one.The Cardinals beat Wichita 5-3 on Saturday night at Equity Bank Park, giving Springfield back-to-back wins and another strong result in a road series that has started to tilt in the Cardinals’ favor.This was not an offensive explosion. Springfield finished with six hits, but the Cardinals made them count.Wichita scored twice in the second inning to take an early lead, but Springfield chipped away. The Cardinals scored single runs in the fourth and sixth, then moved in front with two runs in the eighth. Springfield added another run in the ninth to create enough breathing room for the bullpen to finish it.That is the kind of road win that does not have to be pretty.It just has to hold.Brody Moore and Rainiel Rodriguez were involved in key run-scoring moments, and the Cardinals once again got enough traffic late to turn the game. Springfield’s offense did not overwhelm Wichita, but it kept applying pressure and took advantage when the chances came.The pitching staff made it stand up.Springfield held Wichita to three runs on three hits. Findlay picked up the win, and Carpenter earned the save, giving the Cardinals a clean finish after taking the lead late.For a team that has had several frustrating close losses recently, this one mattered.Springfield built the comeback, took the lead, and finished the job.Peoria Chiefs Record: 33-35, Midwest League West Standings: 3rd place, Midwest League West Result: Peoria 6, Dayton 0Peoria needed a clean answer.The Chiefs got one from Jacob Odle.Peoria snapped a six-game losing streak with a 6-0 shutout win over Dayton on Saturday night at Dozer Park, and Odle was the story from the mound. The right-hander threw six no-hit innings, walked four and struck out eight, giving the Chiefs their best pitching performance of the week.Dayton entered the night swinging a hot bat. The Dragons had won six straight and had hit 32 home runs over their previous 10 games.Odle shut all of that down.He did not allow a hit, kept Dayton from building any real threat, and allowed only one runner to reach as far as second base. That is dominance, especially against a lineup that had spent the week hammering Peoria pitching.The Chiefs finally gave him a lead in the fourth. Jack Gurevitch led off the inning with a solo home run to right-center, putting Peoria in front 1-0.The Chiefs added three more runs in the sixth. Anyelo Encarnación opened the inning with an opposite-field solo homer to right. Jalin Flores then drove in Gurevitch with an RBI triple to right-center, and Josh Kross followed with a double to score Flores and make it 4-0.Cameron Nickens added the final blow in the seventh, blasting a two-run homer after José Suárez singled to push the lead to 6-0.The no-hit bid ended with one out in the seventh when Peyton Stovall lined a single into right field. That was Dayton’s only hit of the game.Jason Savacool, Nolan Sparks and Christian Worley combined to cover the final three innings, allowing just the one hit and keeping the shutout intact.That is how a club stops a losing streak.Strong starting pitching.Power swings.Clean bullpen work.Peoria needed something to change the tone. Odle gave the Chiefs exactly that.Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 34-33, Florida State League East Standings: 2nd place, Florida State League East Result: Palm Beach 4, Jupiter 1 — completion of Friday’s suspended game Saturday scheduled game: Postponed by rain, makeup scheduled for SundayPalm Beach got Saturday started by finishing Friday’s suspended game with a 4-1 win over Jupiter.The game had been suspended in the fifth inning with the score tied 1-1, then resumed Saturday and was completed in seven innings because of inclement weather. Palm Beach scored two runs in the sixth and one more in the seventh to finish off the Hammerheads.That pushed the Cardinals back over .500 at 34-33.The regularly scheduled Saturday game was then postponed by rain and is scheduled to be made up Sunday.It was not a normal day at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, but Palm Beach still banked a win. After a back-and-forth week with Jupiter, that matters.The Cardinals had five hits, scored three late runs after the game resumed, and got enough pitching to hold Jupiter to one run on three hits.It was not a full standard game day.It still goes in the win column.Player of the Day Jack Gurevitch, Peoria ChiefsJack Gurevitch is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after helping spark Peoria’s 6-0 win over Dayton.Gurevitch gave the Chiefs the lead in the fourth inning with a leadoff solo home run to right-center. He later came around to score in the sixth when Jalin Flores drove him in with an RBI triple.That is table-setting and run production.Peoria had several good offensive notes. Anyelo Encarnación hit an opposite-field solo homer. Cameron Nickens added a two-run homer in the seventh. Flores had the RBI triple, and Josh Kross drove in a run with a double.But Gurevitch gets the nod because his swing broke the scoreless tie and gave Jacob Odle a lead to protect.On a night built around pitching, the first big offensive swing mattered.Pitcher of the Day Jacob Odle, Peoria ChiefsThere is no debate here.Jacob Odle is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day after throwing six no-hit innings in Peoria’s 6-0 win over Dayton.Odle walked four and struck out eight, earning the win and giving the Chiefs exactly the kind of outing they needed after a rough stretch. Dayton had been one of the hottest offenses in the Midwest League, and Odle held the Dragons hitless through six innings.That is the line of the night.Jason Savacool, Nolan Sparks and Christian Worley deserve mention for finishing the shutout and helping hold Dayton to one hit. Springfield’s staff also deserves mention after holding Wichita to three hits in a 5-3 win.But Odle stood above the rest.Six no-hit innings.Eight strikeouts.A losing streak stopped.That gets the honor.Old School TakeThis was the Jacob Odle report.Memphis had a night to forget. Springfield found a way to win late. Palm Beach finished a suspended game and got a win before more rain arrived.But Peoria needed an answer, and Odle gave the Chiefs six no-hit innings against a Dayton club that had been hammering the baseball.That is how you change the tone of a series.That is how you stop a losing streak.That is how you make a Farm Report headline.Odle dealt.Peoria won.Springfield held on.Palm Beach banked one.Memphis has to finish Sunday.That is the Farm Report. 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 data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Jacob Odle, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

Farm Report: Odle Six No-Hit Innings, Springfield Holds On, Memphis Falls

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Look to Salvage Finale in Kansas City Behind Dustin May St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals have reached the point in the I-70 Series where style no longer matters.Just win one.After dropping the first two games of the three-game set to the Kansas City Royals, the Cardinals return to Kauffman Stadium on Sunday afternoon looking to avoid a sweep and salvage the finale before heading back to Busch Stadium.First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. CT. The game will be carried on Cardinals.TV and Royals.TV, with radio coverage on KMOX.St. Louis enters the finale at 40-34 after a frustrating start to the series. The Cardinals were beaten 14-6 in Thursday’s opener, then came up short again Friday night in a 6-5 loss that turned a bad road stop into a series already lost before the off day.Now the assignment is simple: stop the skid, get a quality start, and leave Kansas City with something better than three straight losses.The Cardinals will turn to right-hander Dustin May, who enters at 5-6 with a 3.75 ERA and 75 strikeouts. Kansas City counters with right-hander Stephen Kolek, who comes in at 4-1 with a 2.68 ERA and 34 strikeouts.For St. Louis, May is exactly the kind of pitcher they want on the mound in this spot.His last start was one of the best pitching performances of the Cardinals’ season, a one-hit complete-game shutout against the San Diego Padres. May carried a perfect game into the seventh inning, struck out nine, walked one and gave St. Louis the kind of dominant outing that reminded everyone why his value to this club goes beyond trade-rumor talk.Now the Cardinals need him to be the stopper.That does not mean he has to throw another complete game. Those are rare enough these days that they ought to come with a museum plaque and a security guard. But the Cardinals do need length. They need strikes. They need May to keep Kansas City from stacking big innings the way the Royals have done through the first two games of the series.The Cardinals’ pitching staff has been hit hard in Kansas City. The Royals scored 14 runs in the opener, then followed with six more Friday night. That is 20 runs allowed in two games, and no team trying to hold its place in the National League playoff race can keep absorbing that kind of damage.The frustration Friday was that the Cardinals gave themselves a chance late.Kansas City got a strong return from Seth Lugo, who allowed just one earned run over six innings in his first start back after being struck by a line drive earlier this month. The Royals built enough of a cushion to hold on, but St. Louis made noise in the ninth when Blaze Jordan delivered a two-run single as part of a three-run rally.The rally was encouraging. The result was not.That has been the story of too many recent games for the Cardinals. They have shown fight, but they have not played clean enough baseball to finish the job. Against Kansas City, the Cardinals have been chasing the game instead of controlling it.Sunday is about changing that immediately.The offense has to help May early. Kolek has been effective for Kansas City, and the Cardinals cannot afford to let another Royals starter settle into a comfortable rhythm. St. Louis needs better at-bats in run-scoring situations, more pressure at the top of the order, and cleaner execution once men get on base.Blaze Jordan’s ninth-inning swing Friday should keep him in the conversation as one of the more important bats to watch Sunday. The rookie has brought life to the lineup since arriving, and his ability to impact a game with runners on base gives the Cardinals another right-handed threat in a lineup that has needed more punch.JJ Wetherholt, Masyn Winn, Alec Burleson, Jordan Walker and Iván Herrera also remain central to the Cardinals’ offensive response. When St. Louis is at its best, it does not rely on one swing or one inning. It grinds pitchers down, runs the bases with purpose and forces opponents to make plays.That version of the Cardinals needs to show up Sunday.Kansas City, meanwhile, enters the finale with momentum but also with uncertainty surrounding Bobby Witt Jr. The Royals’ star shortstop missed Friday’s game with a Grade 1 MCL sprain in his right knee after being injured Thursday night. Kansas City is hopeful he can avoid an injured list stint, and his status for Sunday remains one of the biggest questions of the finale.If Witt plays, he changes the game. If he does not, the Royals still have enough to make St. Louis pay for mistakes.Tyler Tolbert stepped in at shortstop Friday and helped Kansas City both offensively and defensively. Jac Caglianone homered and drove in two runs. Isaac Collins added two doubles and two RBIs. Salvador Perez remains a veteran presence capable of changing a game with one swing.The Cardinals cannot afford to look at Kansas City’s record and assume anything. The Royals have already won the series. They have already shown they can score. They have already taken advantage of Cardinals mistakes.Now St. Louis has to answer.There is no need to make Sunday bigger than it is, but there is also no need to pretend it does not matter. The Cardinals are still in the National League Wild Card race, but losing streaks have a way of turning from small potholes into axle-busters if they are not stopped quickly.This is not about panic.It is about professional response.The Cardinals need May to set the tone, the offense to stop wasting chances, and the defense to play clean behind him. They need to avoid the crooked inning, stay away from free passes, and make Kansas City earn everything.Good teams do not always win every series. Baseball is too long and too strange for that. But good teams do find ways to stop the bleeding before a bad road trip becomes a bigger problem.Sunday gives the Cardinals that chance.Game InformationSt. Louis Cardinals at Kansas City Royals Sunday, June 21, 2026 First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CT Location: Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri TV: Cardinals.TV, Royals.TV Radio: KMOXProbable PitchersSt. Louis Cardinals RHP Dustin May 5-6, 3.75 ERA, 75 SOKansas City Royals RHP Stephen Kolek 4-1, 2.68 ERA, 34 SOWhat to WatchDustin May as the Stopper May is coming off a one-hit complete-game shutout against San Diego. The Cardinals do not need another historic outing, but they do need him to give them length and control the game early.The Cardinals’ Early Offense St. Louis cannot wait until the ninth inning to start applying pressure. The Cardinals need better early at-bats against Kolek and must cash in when runners reach base.Blaze Jordan’s Continued Impact Jordan’s two-run single in Friday’s ninth gave the Cardinals a late spark. His right-handed bat remains one of the more interesting pieces in the lineup.Bobby Witt Jr.’s Status Witt’s knee injury remains a key storyline. If he plays, Kansas City’s lineup looks different. If he sits again, the Cardinals still have to handle a Royals club that has already won the series.Avoiding the Sweep The Cardinals cannot win the series anymore, but they can still salvage the finale. That matters before returning home.The Bottom LineThe Cardinals have already lost the series. There is no dressing that up.But Sunday still matters.A win would stop the losing streak, give St. Louis a cleaner exit from Kansas City, and keep one rough series from becoming a larger concern. With Dustin May on the mound, the Cardinals have the right arm in the right spot.Now they need to play like 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 data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Dustin May, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB.

Cardinals Look to Salvage Finale in Kansas City Behind Dustin May

The Cardinal Chronicle Late Rally Falls Short as Cardinals Drop Another One in Kansas City Kansas City, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals made it interesting late Friday night.That was the good news.er getting pounded by the Royals in Thursday night’s series opener, the Cardinals had a chance to steady themselves Friday at Kauffman Stadium. Instead, a two-run lead disappeared in one ugly inning, Kansas City added just enough insurance, and St. Louis’ ninth-inning rally came up one run short in a 6-5 loss.It was not another 14-6 beating.In some ways, it was more frustrating.The Cardinals led early. Michael McGreevy had a 2-0 cushion. Seth Lugo was not overpowering. Kansas City was playing without some key regulars. And for three innings, it looked like St. Louis had found a much cleaner version of baseball than the one it played the night before.Then came the fourth.That inning changed the game.St. Louis struck first in the opening inning. Ivan Herrera walked, Alec Burleson doubled to right, and Jordan Walker lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Herrera and give the Cardinals a 1-0 lead. It was a good, simple baseball inning — get on, move a runner, bring him home.The Cardinals added another run in the third. Nathan Church tripled, and Herrera followed with a single to right, pushing the lead to 2-0. At that point, St. Louis had done enough early to put the game in McGreevy’s hands.For a while, he held it there.McGreevy worked around a leadoff single in the first with a double play. He retired the Royals quietly in the second. He handled traffic again in the third. It was not flashy, but it was controlled.Then the Royals opened the fourth by turning the game around.Lane Thomas doubled. Jac Caglianone singled to center to score Thomas and cut the lead to 2-1. Salvador Perez singled. Michael Massey followed with a base hit to center, scoring Caglianone, and a throwing error by Nathan Church allowed Massey to move into scoring position.Just like that, the game was tied.McGreevy nearly had a chance to limit the damage, but Isaac Collins delivered the biggest swing of the inning, doubling deep to left to score John Rave and Massey. The Cardinals’ 2-0 lead had become a 4-2 deficit, and the tone of the night had completely changed.That was the ballgame in miniature.The Cardinals had the lead. The Royals applied pressure. St. Louis blinked.McGreevy’s final line reflected the inning that got away: five innings, eight hits, five runs, five earned, one walk, two strikeouts and one home run allowed. He threw 95 pitches, 60 for strikes, and took the loss.It was not a disaster start like Thursday night’s short outing from Matthew Liberatore, but it was not enough either. McGreevy gave the Cardinals five innings. He also gave up the four-run fourth and then surrendered another run in the fifth when Caglianone hit a solo home run to left.That made it 5-2.George Soriano took over in the sixth, but Kansas City added another run without needing a big swing. Nick Loftin walked, Rave singled, Collins reached, and Tyler Tolbert lifted a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Loftin and extending the Royals’ lead to 6-2.That run mattered.At the time, it felt like insurance.By the end of the ninth, it became the difference.Matt Svanson gave the Cardinals two scoreless innings and at least kept the door from closing completely. He allowed no hits, walked one and struck out one, giving St. Louis a chance to put together one late push.The offense finally found it in the ninth.Lars Nootbaar reached, and Masyn Winn doubled deep to left, scoring Nootbaar and cutting the deficit to 6-3. Nelson Velázquez walked as a pinch-hitter, bringing the tying run to the plate. Blaze Jordan then came through with a single to right, scoring Velázquez and Winn to make it 6-5.Suddenly, a game that had felt mostly out of reach had a pulse again.But the Cardinals could not finish it.Kansas City turned to Alex Lange, and the Royals survived. Jordan’s two-run single brought St. Louis within a run, but the rally ended there. The Cardinals had made the final score respectable and forced the Royals to sweat, but they had not erased the damage done in the middle innings.That has been the story of the past two nights in Kansas City.The Cardinals have shown fight. They have not shown enough pitching.Friday’s offensive positives were real. Walker went 2-for-3 with an RBI and continues to look like the most dangerous hitter in the lineup. Herrera reached three times, going 1-for-2 with two walks and an RBI. Burleson doubled. Church tripled, walked and scored. Winn doubled and drove in a run. Jordan continued to give the Cardinals competitive at-bats, finishing with the two-run single that nearly changed the ending.There were enough pieces there to win a tighter, cleaner game.But St. Louis also went seven innings without much damage after taking the early lead. The Cardinals scored in the first and third, then went quiet until the ninth. Seth Lugo held them to two runs, one earned, over six innings despite issuing three walks and not recording a strikeout.That tells you the Cardinals had opportunities.They did not cash enough of them.Kansas City, meanwhile, did what St. Louis could not. The Royals made their pressure count. Caglianone went 2-for-4 with a home run, two runs scored and two RBIs. Collins drove in two with his fourth-inning double. Massey drove in a run. Tolbert added the sacrifice fly. Thomas doubled and scored. Rave reached three times.The Royals finished with six runs on nine hits.The Cardinals scored five on eight.The difference was not massive, but it was enough.The final line showed how close the game became: Royals 6 runs, 9 hits, no errors; Cardinals 5 runs, 8 hits, 1 error.That one error mattered. The fourth inning mattered. The tack-on run in the sixth mattered. The missed chances before the ninth mattered.This was not a game to panic over by itself. One-run losses happen. Late rallies sometimes fall short. A club can survive nights like this over a long season.But placed next to Thursday’s 14-6 loss and Wednesday’s 6-1 loss to San Diego, this one starts to look like part of a rough patch that needs to stop quickly.The Cardinals are still a winning club. They are still in the National League race. They are still positioned better than most expected when the season began.But the last three games have exposed some old questions.Can the back end of the rotation hold up? Can the middle relief bridge enough innings? Can the lineup avoid long stretches of quiet baseball? Can the club stop the bleeding before a losing streak begins to change the feel of the month?Friday did not answer those questions well enough.The Cardinals showed fight. That is worth noting.They also lost.That is the part that counts in the standings. 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 data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" title="www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit - Jordan Walker, St. Louis Cardinals | Charlie Reidel, AP

Late Rally Falls Short as Cardinals Drop Another One in Kansas City

The Cardinal Chronicle Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Joshua Báez. Liam Doyle, Luis Gastelum, &amp; Jurrangelo Cijntje, make the list this week St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFriday brings another look around the Cardinals’ minor league system, and this week’s Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold report starts with a familiar name at Triple-A Memphis.Joshua Báez is back in the middle of the story.This weekly report is not designed to rewrite the prospect board every seven days. A hot week does not make a player a finished product, and a cold week does not erase the tools that put a player on the map. But performance still matters, especially when it comes from ranked prospects producing at the upper levels of the system.This week’s report includes several Cardinal Chronicle Top 30 prospects, including Joshua Báez, Rainiel Rodriguez, Leo Bernal, Chen-Wei Lin, Luis Gastelum, Yhoiker Fajardo, Braden Davis and Deniel Ortiz.Here are three hitters and three pitchers trending up, followed by three hitters and three pitchers looking to turn the page.Who’s Hot — HittersJoshua Báez, CF, Memphis Redbirds Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 3Joshua Báez was the clear headliner this week.In five games for Triple-A Memphis, Báez went 6-for-18 with eight runs, five home runs, 11 RBIs, two walks and only three strikeouts. He hit .333 with a 1.567 OPS.That is not just a hot week. That is a power surge.The most encouraging part is not simply the five home runs, though that number speaks loudly enough by itself. It is the strikeout total. Báez has always had impact power, but the question has been whether the swing-and-miss would get in the way of the production. This week, it did not.Five homers, 11 RBIs and only three strikeouts in 18 at-bats is the kind of line that gets attention in any front office. For a No. 3-ranked prospect already producing at Triple-A, this kind of week keeps him planted firmly in the St. Louis roster conversation.Rainiel Rodriguez, C, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 1The top prospect in the system had another strong week at Double-A.Rodriguez went 9-for-20 with eight runs, one home run, two RBIs, four walks and two stolen bases in five games for Springfield. He hit .450 with a 1.142 OPS.That is a complete offensive week from a premium position. Rodriguez reached base, scored runs, showed power and even added value on the bases. For a catcher, that kind of all-around production carries extra weight.Rodriguez remains No. 1 on the Cardinal Chronicle board because of the combination of age, position, offensive upside and performance against advanced competition. This week did nothing to weaken that case. If anything, it strengthened it.Leo Bernal, C, Memphis Redbirds Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 6Bernal earns the third spot after a strong week at Triple-A.In five games for Memphis, Bernal went 6-for-18 with six runs, two doubles, one home run, five RBIs and five walks. He hit .333 with a 1.089 OPS.The five walks are the key number here. Bernal did not just run into a few hits. He controlled the zone, reached base and produced damage when he got pitches to handle.As a switch-hitting catcher already at Triple-A, Bernal remains one of the more valuable position-player prospects in the system. The offensive production has not always been loud, but weeks like this show why the overall profile still matters.Also worth noting: Bligh Madris had a monster week for Memphis, hitting .429 with two home runs, eight RBIs and a 1.387 OPS. Dakota Harris went 8-for-22 with seven RBIs and five stolen bases at Double-A, while Jalin Flores hit three home runs and posted a 1.105 OPS at High-A.Who’s Hot — PitchersLuis Gastelum, RHP, Memphis Redbirds Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 25Gastelum had the cleanest pitching line in the system this week.In five scoreless innings for Triple-A Memphis, he allowed one hit, walked nobody and struck out eight. He finished with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.20 WHIP.That is domination.The zero walks may be the most impressive part of the line. Triple-A hitters will punish mistakes, and free passes usually make life harder in a hurry. Gastelum gave them nothing. One hit, no walks and eight strikeouts across five innings is about as clean as it gets.Ranked No. 25 on the Cardinal Chronicle board, Gastelum is not the loudest name in the system, but proximity matters. A pitcher getting outs at Triple-A is always worth tracking.Chen-Wei Lin, RHP, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 20Lin gave Springfield six no-hit innings and earns a prominent spot on this week’s hot list.In six scoreless innings at Double-A, he allowed no hits, walked three and struck out six. He finished with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.50 WHIP.The three walks keep it from being perfect, but six no-hit innings at Double-A will always stand out. Lin continues to show swing-and-miss ability, and when he keeps the traffic under control, the stuff plays.As the No. 20 prospect on the Cardinal Chronicle board, Lin remains one of the more intriguing arms in the back half of the Top 30. The command still needs to keep improving, but the talent is easy to see when he is throwing strikes.Hunter Dobbins, RHP, Memphis Redbirds Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: Not RankedDobbins gave Memphis another useful Triple-A outing.In five innings, he allowed four hits, three runs, no earned runs, no walks and struck out five. He finished the week with a 0.00 ERA and a 0.80 WHIP.The unearned runs made the line look a little messier than the actual pitching performance. Dobbins did his job. He threw strikes, avoided free passes and kept Memphis in position.He may not be on the prospect board in the same way as some younger arms, but he remains important organizational depth. The Cardinals have already needed him once this season, and a clean Triple-A outing like this keeps him relevant.Also worth noting: Yhoiker Fajardo, ranked No. 8, allowed one earned run and struck out six over five innings at High-A. Cade Crossland, ranked No. 16, struck out seven in four innings for Palm Beach. Brycen Mautz, ranked No. 14, allowed one earned run across 5.2 innings for Memphis, though five walks kept him just outside the top three.Who’s Cold — HittersColton Ledbetter, RF, Memphis Redbirds Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: Not RankedLedbetter had the toughest offensive week on the board.In three games for Memphis, he went 0-for-12 with one walk and seven strikeouts. He hit .000 with a .077 OPS.There is no need to dress that up. That was a hard week. The strikeouts piled up, and there was no extra-base impact to offset the lack of contact.The good news is that baseball gives a player another chance quickly. The bad news is that Triple-A does not wait long for adjustments. Ledbetter needs to get back to putting the ball in play and controlling the zone.Jose Cordoba, RF, Peoria Chiefs Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: Not RankedCordoba also lands on the cold side after a quiet week at High-A.In five games for Peoria, he went 1-for-15 with no runs, no RBIs, no walks and three strikeouts. He hit .067 with a .133 OPS.The lack of walks and extra-base damage made it difficult to create any offensive value. When a hitter is not reaching base and not driving the ball, the week gets cold fast.This is one to flush and move forward from.Deniel Ortiz, 3B, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 29Ortiz had an odd week statistically.He scored four runs and walked five times, but he went just 1-for-15 with one double, one RBI and five strikeouts. He hit .067 with a .433 OPS.The five walks matter. They show he was still seeing pitches and finding ways to reach base. But the bat did not produce enough contact or damage to stay off the cold list.Ortiz is still holding a spot on the back end of the Cardinal Chronicle Top 30, but weeks like this show why the margin is thin. He does not need to be perfect, but he does need more offensive consistency to strengthen his case.Also worth noting: Tre Richardson III went 2-for-16 at Double-A but did steal four bases and draw three walks. Trey Paige and Matt Koperniak also had quiet weeks, with limited impact at the plate.Who’s Cold — PitchersBraden Davis, LHP, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 26Davis had the roughest pitching week on the board.In 3.2 innings for Springfield, he allowed six hits, five earned runs, six walks and one home run while striking out one. He finished with a 12.27 ERA and a 3.27 WHIP.The walks are the story. Six walks in 3.2 innings will sink almost any outing, especially at Double-A. Davis has enough arm talent to stay on the prospect radar, but the command has to be better than this.He remains ranked because the strikeout ability and left-handed profile still matter, but this was a week to reset.Jurrangelo Cijntje, RHP, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 5Cijntje’s week was not clean.In 4.2 innings at Double-A, he allowed six hits, five earned runs, three walks and one home run while striking out four. He finished with a 9.64 ERA and a 1.93 WHIP.The stuff remains interesting, and the long-term ceiling has not disappeared. But the Double-A transition has been uneven, and this was another reminder that talent and polish are not the same thing.Cijntje is still one of the most talented arms in the organization. The next step is turning that talent into cleaner innings, fewer baserunners and more consistent command.Liam Doyle, LHP, Springfield Cardinals Cardinal Chronicle Ranking: No. 2Doyle lands on the cold list again, and that is not where anyone expected the No. 2 prospect to be.In 4.1 innings for Springfield, he allowed three hits, four earned runs, four walks and one home run while striking out four. He finished with an 8.31 ERA and a 1.62 WHIP.The strikeouts are still there, but the walks and damage remain the concern. Doyle’s raw stuff keeps him near the top of the board, but performance has to catch up eventually. That is not an insult. That is the standard that comes with being ranked this high.The talent is real. The command has to become more reliable.Also worth noting: José Davila struck out eight in 3.1 innings at High-A, but he also allowed five earned runs. Yhoiker Fajardo had a strong enough week to land on the hot-side mention, while Pete Hansen struck out three but allowed five runs, three earned, in four innings for Memphis.Old School TakeThis week was a good reminder of why prospect rankings have to breathe.Joshua Báez keeps making Triple-A power impossible to ignore. Rainiel Rodriguez continues to look like the top prospect in the system. Leo Bernal reminded everyone that a young Triple-A catcher with on-base ability and pop still carries real value.On the mound, Gastelum and Lin delivered two of the cleanest outings in the system, while Dobbins showed why usable Triple-A depth matters over the course of a long season.The cold side carried some big names, too. Braden Davis, Jurrangelo Cijntje and Liam Doyle all had rough weeks, and that matters. It does not erase their talent, but it does show the work still in front of them.That is the minor leagues.Some players are pushing. Some are correcting. Some are reminding us that tools get you ranked, but performance keeps you moving.Performance still gets a vote.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future. cardinalchronicle.com

Who’s Hot, Who’s Cold: Báez. Doyle, Gastelum, Cijntje, & Ortiz

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The St. Louis Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.

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