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THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Báez Powers Memphis, Springfield Wins Seventh Straight, Peoria Climbs Back to .500 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThursday was a busy night across the Cardinals’ farm system, with Memphis playing a doubleheader and the full-season affiliates combining to go 4-1.Memphis split its twin bill at Jacksonville, winning the opener behind a big game from Joshua Báez before dropping the nightcap. Springfield kept rolling, winning its seventh straight and staying alone in first place in the Texas League North. Peoria rallied late for its third straight win and moved back to .500 in the second half. Palm Beach handled Fort Myers behind a strong start from Andrew Dutkanych IV.The top offensive performance belonged to Joshua Báez, while Dutkanych earned Pitcher of the Day honors.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 59-46 Second Half: 12-18, 9th in the International League West, 7.0 GB Streak: L1Game 1: Memphis 11, Jacksonville 4 Game 2: Jacksonville 4, Memphis 3 — 8 inningsMemphis split a doubleheader Thursday at Jacksonville, winning the opener in convincing fashion before dropping the second game in extra innings.The first game belonged to Joshua Báez.Báez went 3-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored in Memphis’ 11-4 win. The homer was his 32nd of the season, and the four-RBI game pushed him to 81 RBIs. That was enough to earn him Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day honors.Memphis jumped out quickly, scoring four runs in the first and two more in the second. Nolan Gorman hit his sixth home run and drove in two. Thomas Saggese doubled and scored twice. Leo Bernal tripled, drove in a run and scored twice. Chase Davis doubled and drove in a run, while César Prieto and Ramon Mendoza also drove in runs.On the mound, Brandt Thompson gave Memphis five innings, allowing two runs on five hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Andrew Schultz followed with a scoreless inning and two strikeouts, while Ryan Murphy finished the seventh.The nightcap went the other direction. Memphis fell 4-3 in eight innings after Jacksonville pushed across the winning run in extras.Thomas Saggese homered again, his seventh of the season, and finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run scored. Noah Mendlinger doubled and drove in two. César Prieto doubled, walked and stole a base. Joshua Báez walked and stole his 16th base, while Colton Ledbetter also stole his 16th.The bullpen kept Memphis in it. Hancel Rincón worked two scoreless innings, and Victor Santos followed with two scoreless frames and four strikeouts.Takeaway: Memphis got a loud first game from Báez and enough pitching to win the opener, but the Redbirds could not finish the sweep. The second-half race remains a grind.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 51-47 Second Half: 20-10, 1st in the Texas League North Streak: W7Springfield 6, Wichita 1Springfield continues to look like the best team story in the system.The Cardinals beat Wichita, 6-1, for their seventh straight win, improving to 20-10 in the second half and staying alone in first place in the Texas League North.The offensive star was Deniel Ortiz, who hit two home runs and drove in four. Ortiz went 2-for-4 with two homers, four RBIs and two runs scored, pushing his home run total to four and his RBI total to 18.Miguel Ugueto doubled, drove in a run, scored and stole his 23rd base. Trey Paige doubled, drove in a run and stole his 15th base. Rainiel Rodriguez singled, walked and scored twice. Won-Bin Cho and Zach Levenson also added hits.On the mound, Springfield did not get a long start, but the staff pieced it together. Cooper Hjerpe allowed one run over three innings, walking four and striking out three. From there, the bullpen took over.José Davila threw two scoreless innings with two strikeouts. D.J. Carpenter worked around traffic in a scoreless inning. Tyler Bradt delivered two scoreless innings, and Michael Watson finished it with a clean ninth.Springfield pitchers held Wichita to one run on five hits.Takeaway: Springfield has won seven straight and keeps widening the gap. The pitching staff has been steady, and Ortiz supplied all the thump the Cardinals needed.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 48-50 Second Half: 16-16, 5th in the Midwest League West, 4.5 GB Streak: W3Peoria 5, Cedar Rapids 4Peoria did not have much offense for six innings.Then the seventh happened.Trailing 4-0, the Chiefs erupted for five runs in the top of the seventh and held on for a 5-4 win over Cedar Rapids. The victory was Peoria’s third straight and moved the Chiefs back to .500 in the second half.Jack Gurevitch delivered the biggest swing, launching a three-run homer, his 17th of the season. He finished 1-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, a run scored and a walk, raising his OPS to .959.Josh Kross also homered, his 13th, and drove in a run. Luis Pino added an RBI single. Peoria only had four hits, but the Chiefs made them count.On the mound, Ty Van Dyke allowed three runs over five innings, but kept the Chiefs close enough for the late rally. Dylan Driessen allowed one run over two innings, and Jawilme Ramírez was excellent over the final two innings, retiring the side without allowing a hit and striking out two.Takeaway: Peoria did not need a hit parade. The Chiefs needed one big inning, and Gurevitch provided the swing. Peoria has won three straight and is right back to .500 in the second half.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 51-47 Second Half: standings not included in supplied table Streak: W2Palm Beach 9, Fort Myers 3Palm Beach took care of Fort Myers, 9-3, behind a strong start from Andrew Dutkanych IV and a balanced offensive attack.Dutkanych earned Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honors after throwing five innings, allowing three hits, no earned runs, walking two and striking out seven.His final line:5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 KThat is a strong outing, and it gave Palm Beach control of the game.The offense kept adding on. Brayden Smith went 3-for-5 with a double and two RBIs. Miguel Hernández had another big night, going 3-for-4 with his first home run, an RBI, three runs scored and a walk.Ryan Weingartner hit his 12th home run, drove in a run, scored twice, walked and stole his 33rd base. Trevor Haskins went 2-for-4 with an RBI, two runs scored and his 18th stolen base. Ryan Mitchell singled, walked twice and stole his 32nd base.Palm Beach finished with 11 hits, drew seven walks and stole three bases.The bullpen handled the rest. Nathan Shinn, Hunter Kublick, Justin Militello and Jesús García combined for four innings, allowing two runs, only one earned.Takeaway: Dutkanych set the tone, and the offense kept pressure on Fort Myers all night. Palm Beach has now won two straight.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Joshua Báez, OF, Memphis RedbirdsBáez earns the honor after a big night at the plate in Memphis’ doubleheader split.His final line:3-for-4, HR, 2 2B, 4 RBI, 2 RThe home run was his 32nd of the season, and he pushed his RBI total to 81. Power, extra-base damage and run production — that is exactly what Memphis needed in an 11-4 win.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Andrew Dutkanych IV, RHP, Palm Beach CardinalsDutkanych gets the nod after giving Palm Beach five strong innings in a 9-3 win over Fort Myers.His final line:5.0 IP, 3 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 7 KHe missed bats, limited damage and kept Fort Myers off the earned-run column.The Final Word Thursday’s report had plenty of good news from the farm system.Memphis split a doubleheader, with Joshua Báez adding another loud game to his season. Springfield won its seventh straight and continues to lead the Texas League North. Peoria came from behind with a five-run seventh and won its third straight. Palm Beach got five strong innings from Dutkanych and another balanced offensive night.The future in St. Louis may be closer than you think. 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: Jack Gurevitch, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

Báez Powers Memphis, Springfield Wins Seventh Straight, Peoria Back to .500

The Cardinal Chronicle Herrera Delivers in 10th as Cardinals Stun Cubs, 3-2 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals had spent most of Wednesday night wasting a pitching gem.Then Iván Herrera changed the ending.In a game that sat scoreless through nine innings, the Cardinals looked like they were headed toward another painful loss when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run homer in the top of the 10th to give the Chicago Cubs a 2-0 lead at Busch Stadium.The Cardinals had done almost nothing offensively all night.They had been quieted by Matthew Boyd.They had failed to cash in their best chance in the sixth.They had watched Dustin May leave after five shutout innings with nothing to show for it.Then the bottom of the 10th finally gave St. Louis life.The Cardinals pushed across one run to cut the deficit to 2-1, and Herrera delivered the big blow against Trent Thornton, putting the Cardinals in position to finish off a 3-2 walk-off win over the Cubs.It was not clean.It was not easy.It was absolutely necessary.After dropping the first two games of the series to Chicago, including Tuesday night’s ugly 10-2 loss, the Cardinals badly needed something to change the tone. For nine innings, it looked like they might waste their best chance. The pitching staff had done everything possible to keep them alive, but the offense remained stuck.Then, in the 10th, the Cardinals finally answered.Herrera gave them the swing, the contact, the moment and the win.For St. Louis, that mattered for more than just one night.The Cardinals came into the game needing a response. The Cubs had taken control of the series early, and with the trade deadline rapidly approaching, every game carries a different kind of weight. This is the stretch where the front office is watching. This is the stretch where the roster is being judged. This is the stretch where wins and losses can shape what comes next.Wednesday night gave them a win.Barely.But barely still counts.May started for the Cardinals and gave St. Louis exactly what it needed. The right-hander worked five scoreless innings, allowing one hit, walking two and striking out three. He kept the Cubs off the board, worked through traffic and gave the Cardinals a chance to win a low-scoring game.With the deadline closing in, there is no way to watch May pitch without wondering whether it could be one of his final appearances in a Cardinals uniform. If it was, he left them with a good one.He did his job.The offense did not do much with it.The Cubs had their first real threat in the fourth when Alex Bregman doubled, but May kept the inning from turning into anything. He continued to work clean enough baseball to hand the game to the bullpen still scoreless. Given the way the Cardinals have leaked runs lately, that was not a small thing.Justin Bruihl handled the sixth.Ryne Stanek worked through the seventh and ended it with a big strikeout of Dansby Swanson.George Soriano took the eighth.Riley O’Brien handled the ninth and got Swanson to fly out to Jordan Walker in right field, keeping the game scoreless and giving the Cardinals one more chance to win it in regulation.They could not.That had been the story most of the night.Boyd gave the Cubs seven scoreless innings, scattering hits and keeping St. Louis from ever building sustained pressure. The Cardinals had singles, a double from Herrera and a few chances, but the big hit did not come. The best opportunity arrived in the sixth when the Cardinals loaded the bases, only for Boyd to escape by retiring Blaze Jordan.That was the kind of inning that usually decides games.For a while, it felt like it had.Jacob Webb came out of the Cubs bullpen and struck out the side in the eighth. Caleb Thielbar forced extra innings by getting through the ninth. The Cardinals had received good pitching all night, but the offense looked like it might make sure none of it mattered.Then the 10th inning turned the game upside down.Luis Gastelum took over for St. Louis in the top half, and the extra-inning runner gave Chicago immediate pressure. Crow-Armstrong made it hurt. He drove a two-run homer to right-center field, giving the Cubs a 2-0 lead and bringing the same old frustration back into the ballpark.The Cardinals had held Chicago scoreless for nine innings.One swing changed everything.That is baseball in extra innings. One pitch can undo a whole night of good work. Gastelum’s mistake put the Cardinals in a hole that felt bigger than two runs because of how quiet the lineup had been all night.But the Cardinals did not fold.They finally put together the inning they had been searching for.With the automatic runner already in scoring position, St. Louis got the first run home and turned the game over to Herrera with the Cubs still trying to protect a one-run lead. Herrera did what the Cardinals had failed to do for most of the night.He delivered.The tying run came home.The Cardinals had life.And moments later, St. Louis finished the comeback, walking off the Cubs, 3-2.For Herrera, it was another important moment in a season where his bat has continued to matter. There are fair questions about his defensive home, his long-term fit and how the Cardinals should structure the catching position going forward. But when the game comes down to a late at-bat and the Cardinals need a professional hitter, Herrera remains one of the better options on the roster.Wednesday night was a reminder why.The final line will show a 3-2 win, but the path to get there was strange. The Cardinals were shut out for nine innings and still won. The Cubs did almost nothing offensively for nine innings and nearly stole it with one extra-inning swing. May left with five shutout innings and no decision. The bullpen covered four scoreless innings before Gastelum gave up the two-run homer in the 10th.Then Herrera flipped the ending.That is the part that matters most.The Cardinals finished with enough offense to win, but nobody should confuse this with a breakout. The bats were still cold for most of the night. The Cardinals left chances on the field, especially in the sixth. They struck out too much. They did not make Boyd uncomfortable often enough. They needed the automatic runner and one final push to avoid wasting a tremendous pitching night.That cannot be ignored.But neither should the win.After the way the first two games of the series went, the Cardinals needed to show some fight. They had looked flat. They had looked overmatched. They had looked like a club drifting toward the deadline instead of making a serious push to control its own direction.Wednesday night did not fix all of that.But it stopped the bleeding.The pitching staff deserved the win. May set the tone. Bruihl, Stanek, Soriano and O’Brien carried the game through nine scoreless innings. Even after the Cubs finally broke through in the 10th, the Cardinals still found a way back.That is a good sign.The offense still has to be better. There is no way around that. A club trying to stay in the postseason picture cannot keep asking its pitching staff to survive on no margin. May gave them five shutout innings. The bullpen gave them enough. For nine innings, the lineup gave them nothing.Then Herrera changed the story.Sometimes that is what a good hitter is supposed to do.The Cardinals did not win this game because they played a complete offensive night. They won because the pitching staff kept them alive long enough for one late swing sequence to matter.They won because Herrera delivered.They won because, for one night, they did not let the Cubs finish the job.St. Louis still has work to do. The series is not over. The deadline is almost here. The roster questions are not going away. The offense still has to prove it can produce more consistently, and the bullpen still has to prove it can hold up.But Wednesday night gave the Cardinals something they badly needed.A win over the Cubs.A walk-off moment.And a reminder that even when the night looks dead, one big at-bat can change everything. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Ivan Herrera, St. Louis | MLB

Herrera Delivers in 10th as Cardinals Stun Cubs, 3-2

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE The Iván Herrera Sweepstakes: Why The Rays May Have the Inside Track St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurIf the St. Louis Cardinals truly make Iván Herrera available before the trade deadline, the phone lines should get busy in a hurry.Catching is always hard to find.Controllable catching is even harder.Controllable catching with offensive ability is the kind of market that can make front offices do uncomfortable things.That is why Herrera’s name is so interesting.The Yankees and Red Sox are the easy teams to connect. Both have enough urgency, enough resources, and enough public pressure to chase a catcher if they believe Herrera can stabilize a position of need. New York always has the spotlight. Boston always has the history. Those are the clubs that drive the national conversation.But the team I would not overlook is Tampa Bay.The Rays might be the quiet danger in the Iván Herrera sweepstakes.And Chaim Bloom knows exactly why.Bloom spent years inside the Tampa Bay organization. He knows how the Rays evaluate players, how they build depth, how they balance roster churn, and how they value controllable talent. He also knows their farm system better than most outside executives ever could.That does not guarantee a deal.It does make Tampa Bay a fascinating fit.The Rays are not some fringe contender looking for a cheap patch. They have been one of the best teams in the American League this season. They entered the break in first place in the AL East, with the kind of postseason odds that make a front office think seriously about October. This is not a club deciding whether to buy. This is a club deciding how much it wants to push.Herrera fits the Rays in a very specific way.He is not a rental. He is not an aging veteran catcher on the back end of a deal. He is not a pure bat without positional value. He is a 26-year-old catcher/designated hitter with team control, offensive skill, and enough flexibility to help a club now and beyond this season.That matters to Tampa Bay.The Rays rarely build around short-term splashes. They prefer players who solve more than one problem. Herrera does that. He gives them a right-handed bat. He gives them catching depth. He gives them a DH option. He gives them future control. He gives them a player who can be used creatively without simply disappearing after two months.That is the kind of asset Tampa Bay usually covets.For the Cardinals, the question is not whether Herrera has value.He does.The question is whether another club values him more highly than St. Louis does.That is where the catching depth in the Cardinals’ system becomes important. St. Louis has Pedro Pagés at the major league level. Jimmy Crooks has pushed his way into the lineup. Leo Bernal brings defensive value in the upper minors and Rainiel Rodriguez, who is quickly rising through the ranks may have the highest long-term upside of the group. The Cardinals are not barren behind the plate.That depth does not force a Herrera trade.But it does allow the Cardinals to listen.And if they listen, they should aim high.Herrera is not the kind of player you move for a couple of interesting pieces and a handshake. The Cardinals should not be treating him like a spare part simply because his defensive future behind the plate is debated or because his current offensive profile has leaned more on on-base ability than damage.That would be a mistake.The rest of baseball will not view him that narrowly.A 26-year-old catcher with on-base ability and years of control still has real trade value, even if he is not a perfect everyday catcher. In a league where half the clubs are trying to survive with backup-level production behind the plate, Herrera’s bat will get attention.That is why Tampa Bay’s system becomes so interesting.The Rays have the kind of prospect depth that allows them to make a serious offer without wrecking the organization. They also have enough roster pressure coming that moving prospects before they run into 40-man complications can make sense. That is how Tampa Bay operates. They are always thinking one move ahead.If Bloom is going to deal Herrera to Tampa Bay, the conversation should begin with real names.Caden Bodine is the headliner.Bodine is a switch-hitting catcher who has climbed quickly in the Rays’ system and is now viewed as one of their top prospects. He would not be an easy ask. Nor should he be. Tampa Bay values catchers, and clubs do not casually move top catching prospects.But if the Rays want a major league-ready answer for a postseason push, that is the cost of doing business.From the Cardinals’ side, Bodine would make sense only if they believe his long-term catching profile fits better than Herrera’s. That is the key. St. Louis should not trade Herrera for another catcher just to shuffle names. They should do it only if they believe they are turning current major league value into a better long-term position fit.Bodine would be a serious swing.Michael Forret may be the cleaner Cardinals target.Forret is a right-handed pitcher who has already reached Triple-A Durham. That matters. The Cardinals need pitching. Everyone knows it. They need arms that are close, controllable, and capable of giving the organization more options as soon as 2026 or 2027.Forret checks that kind of box.He is not just a faraway lottery ticket. He is near enough to matter. He has already been challenged at the upper levels. He would give St. Louis another legitimate pitching piece in a system that needs more of them.That is where I would expect Bloom’s interest to sharpen.If Tampa Bay calls about Herrera, the Cardinals should be asking about Forret early. Not as a throw-in. Not as the second name in a watered-down package. As a central piece.The Rays may push back.Good.That means the Cardinals are asking for the right kind of player.A Herrera deal with Tampa Bay could take several shapes. A dream scenario would involve Bodine and Forret, though that may be a steep ask unless the market becomes aggressive and the Rays decide Herrera is their clear October catching solution. More realistically, St. Louis may have to choose between a deal built around Bodine or a deal built around Forret, with secondary pieces filling out the return.Either path has logic.A Bodine-centered deal would be about replacing Herrera’s long-term catching value with a younger backstop who may have a cleaner defensive path.A Forret-centered deal would be about converting catching surplus into upper-level pitching, which is probably the more immediate organizational need.That is the tension.The Cardinals should not trade Herrera unless they are addressing a real weakness. If the return does not include pitching or a premium catching prospect, then the move becomes harder to defend. This is not the time for generic prospect collecting. St. Louis needs to be targeted.That is why Tampa Bay fits so well.The Rays can offer targeted value.They can offer high-end catching.They can offer upper-level pitching.They can offer prospects who fit the Cardinals’ next competitive window.And Bloom knows where to look.There is also a front-office familiarity that cannot be ignored. Executives do business with all 29 other clubs, but relationships and background matter. Bloom knows the Tampa Bay model. He knows which prospects are surface-level favorites and which ones the organization may quietly value differently. He knows the strengths and weaknesses of that development pipeline.That knowledge could help the Cardinals avoid being sold the wrong shiny object.That matters in a deal this important.Herrera’s market should not be limited to Tampa Bay. The Yankees and Red Sox will draw plenty of attention, and both organizations have young pitching that should interest St. Louis. The Cardinals should absolutely listen there. If Boston wants to solve its catching issue with Herrera, the conversation should begin with one of its better pitching prospects. If New York wants him, the Cardinals cannot allow the Yankees to declare every meaningful name untouchable and then offer leftovers.That should be the rule across the board.No leftovers.No volume-for-value trade.No “three interesting pieces” headline if none of them project to move the needle.Herrera is too valuable for that.The Rays are the team that may be able to make a cleaner baseball trade. They need present help. They value control. They have a deep system. They understand the importance of catching. They may also be facing prospect-management pressure that makes a consolidation trade more attractive than usual.For the Cardinals, the decision comes down to identity. Are they trying to win now while building around the next wave, or are they simply trying to collect future pieces? Trading Herrera can make sense only if the return helps answer that question.If the Cardinals move him, it should be for a return that fans can understand immediately.The Rays will not be easy to pry talent from. They never are. That front office did not become respected around baseball by losing trades casually. But if they believe Herrera helps them win the American League and gives them control beyond this season, they may be willing to pay a real price.That is where Bloom has to hold firm.If Tampa Bay wants Iván Herrera, the Cardinals should make them uncomfortable.Start with Forret.Ask about Bodine.Push for a second meaningful piece.Let the market work.If the Yankees and Red Sox are serious, use that pressure.If the Rays want to steal the show, make them prove it.The Cardinals do not have to trade Herrera.That is the best part of their leverage.They can keep him. They can continue using him as a catcher/DH. They can revisit the market in the offseason. They can wait until the catching picture clarifies further. There is no need to rush a controlled player out the door.But if the right offer arrives, they have to be ready.The Iván Herrera sweepstakes may be one of the more interesting deadline subplots around St. Louis. The Yankees and Red Sox will get the headlines.The Rays may be the team to watch.Because if Tampa Bay decides Herrera is the answer, Chaim Bloom already knows exactly where to look. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports &amp; MiLB Today Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.Check out The Cardinal Chronicle for more St. Louis Cardinals coverage, daily farm reports, prospect updates and old-school baseball commentary: www.cardinalchronicle.comPhoto Credit: Ivan Herrera, St. Louis | AP Photo/Mark Stockwell &nbsp; &nbsp;

The Iván Herrera Sweepstakes: Why The Rays May Have the Inside Track

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Game Day Preview: Pallante Takes the Ball as Cardinals Try to Salvage Split&nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals will try to turn one dramatic victory into something more meaningful when they host the Chicago Cubs this afternoon in the finale of their four-game series at Busch Stadium.First pitch is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. CT.Right-hander Andre Pallante will start for St. Louis against Cubs right-hander Javier Assad. The game will be televised on Cardinals.TV and carried on KMOX and WIJR.Chicago Cubs: RHP Javier Assad, 6-1, 3.86 ERA, 42 strikeouts St. Louis Cardinals: RHP Andre Pallante, 11-6, 3.77 ERA, 83 strikeoutsThe Cubs originally appeared prepared to start left-hander Shota Imanaga, but Chicago has adjusted its pitching plans and will instead give the ball to Assad.The Cardinals enter the finale at 54-54 after rallying for a 3-2 victory in 10 innings Wednesday night. Chicago fell to 61-47 but still owns a two-games-to-one advantage in the series.St. Louis needs another victory today to earn a split and avoid losing another home series during a difficult stretch of the season.Wednesday’s victory did not come easily.Dustin May and Matthew Boyd matched scoreless innings throughout the night. May allowed only one hit over five shutout innings, walking two and striking out three in what may have been his final appearance in a Cardinals uniform.With the trade deadline approaching Monday, May remains one of the most logical players for St. Louis to move. The hugs he received from teammates after leaving the game reflected the possibility that everyone in the dugout understood what the moment might mean.If it was May’s final start for the Cardinals, he left them with a good one.Unfortunately, the offense could not reward him while he remained in the game.Boyd threw seven scoreless innings for Chicago, and the game remained 0-0 through nine. The Cubs finally broke through in the top of the 10th when Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a two-run home run off Luis Gastelum.Considering the way the Cardinals have struggled since the All-Star break, that swing could have ended the night.Instead, St. Louis answered.Nathan Church scored on Jordan Walker’s fielder’s choice, cutting the deficit to one. Iván Herrera then delivered the biggest swing of the night, driving a two-run double into the gap to score the tying and winning runs.Herrera finished with three hits and gave the Cardinals their sixth walk-off victory of the season.It was a much-needed moment for both Herrera and the club.The Cardinals had lost three consecutive games, including the first two of the series by a combined score of 17-5. Chicago collected 31 hits during those two victories and made St. Louis look overmatched in nearly every phase of the game.Wednesday was different.The Cardinals pitched well, played cleaner defense and found a way to win when the game appeared to have slipped away.Now they must prove that the victory was more than one memorable night.A split would not repair everything that has gone wrong over the past several weeks. It would not erase the offensive inconsistency, the questionable pitching decisions or the games lost by a bullpen that has struggled to establish dependable roles.But after losing the first two games of the series, a split would qualify as a reasonable recovery.Pallante gives the Cardinals a legitimate opportunity to complete it.The right-hander is coming off one of his best starts of the season. He threw seven scoreless innings against Cincinnati on Saturday, allowing only two hits and one walk while striking out eight in a 7-0 Cardinals victory.Pallante controlled that game from the beginning.He worked ahead, kept the ball on the ground and avoided the extended innings that have created trouble for him in other starts. His sinker stayed at the bottom of the strike zone, and his breaking pitches gave Cincinnati’s hitters something else to consider.That is the version of Pallante the Cardinals need this afternoon.Chicago’s lineup punished mistakes during the first two games of the series. The Cubs scored early, created constant traffic and forced Cardinals pitchers to work from the stretch.Alex Bregman, Seiya Suzuki, Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ and Crow-Armstrong have all contributed during the series.Crow-Armstrong remains especially dangerous.His home run Wednesday was his 24th of the season and nearly carried Chicago to its third consecutive victory at Busch Stadium. He combines power with elite speed and can change a game at the plate, on the bases or in center field.Pallante must keep him off base and prevent the Cubs from creating immediate pressure at the top of the order.That begins with strike one.When Pallante falls behind, he is forced to elevate pitches or work too carefully around the edges of the strike zone. Chicago has too many experienced hitters to be given favorable counts.Pallante does not need to overpower the Cubs. He needs to make them hit his pitch.The sinker should be the foundation of the game plan. Ground balls, double-play opportunities and quick innings will allow him to work deep and protect a bullpen that covered five innings Wednesday night.The Cardinals used Justin Bruihl, Ryne Stanek, Riley O’Brien and Gastelum after May departed.Most of the bullpen work was effective, but asking the relief corps to cover another large portion of the game would create an unnecessary risk.Pallante has already shown he can provide seven innings.The Cardinals could use another seven today.Chicago will counter with Assad, who has been used as both a starter and reliever this season.The 29-year-old has appeared in 17 games, making eight starts. He owns a 1.12 WHIP and has walked only 16 batters over 65⅓ innings.Assad’s most recent appearance came Saturday in Pittsburgh, when he threw three scoreless innings, allowed one hit and earned a save in an 11-0 Cubs victory.He has not made a traditional start since July 11, when he allowed two runs over five innings against Cincinnati.That recent usage adds some uncertainty to Chicago’s pitching plan.Assad may be asked to provide a normal starter’s workload, or Cubs manager Craig Counsell may treat the afternoon as a more flexible bullpen game.Either way, the Cardinals cannot allow Assad to settle into a comfortable rhythm.He is not a high-strikeout pitcher, but he changes speeds, limits walks and generally keeps the ball away from the center of the plate. Hitters who become impatient can produce plenty of early-count ground balls and routine flyouts.The Cardinals must make him work without becoming passive.There is a difference between patience and watching hittable pitches.St. Louis left the bases loaded against Boyd in the sixth inning Wednesday and finished 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position before the 10th. The lineup eventually delivered, but waiting until the final two outs of an extra inning is not a sustainable offensive plan.The Cardinals need production before the ninth inning.JJ Wetherholt must continue creating opportunities near the top of the order. Walker and Alec Burleson need to drive the baseball in the middle. Herrera must build upon his three-hit performance, while Lars Nootbaar, Masyn Winn, Blaze Jordan and Church need to extend innings.Herrera’s performance was particularly encouraging.His offensive production had declined during the club’s recent slide, and the Cardinals often struggled when he was not reaching base or driving the ball.Wednesday, he looked more like the hitter who earned his first All-Star selection.He stayed through the baseball, used the entire field and delivered when the Cardinals needed their best hitter to change the game.As Oliver Marmol said afterward, when Herrera is good, the Cardinals are good.That may oversimplify the responsibilities of an entire lineup, but there is plenty of truth in it.Herrera cannot be expected to carry the club alone. The Cardinals need several hitters producing together rather than waiting for one late swing to rescue them.Today’s game also carries another layer of significance.It is the Cardinals’ final home game before Monday’s trade deadline.After the final out, St. Louis will travel to Toronto for a weekend series against the Blue Jays. By the time the Cardinals play another game at Busch Stadium, the roster may look different.May could be gone.Other veterans or short-term pieces could also be moved if the front office decides the club’s current position does not justify holding them.The Cardinals are back at .500 and remain approximately 2½ games behind Arizona for the final National League Wild Card position.They are not buried.They are also not playing well enough to pretend everything is fine.That is the tension surrounding this club.The postseason remains within reach, but the Cardinals have repeatedly failed to take advantage of opportunities to strengthen their position. They have lost winnable games, allowed late leads to disappear and struggled to generate consistent offense.One walk-off victory cannot settle the deadline question.Winning today would help.A victory would give the Cardinals a split against one of the better teams in the National League. It would improve their season record against Chicago to 6-4 and allow them to leave Busch Stadium with consecutive wins rather than another losing series.A defeat would drop St. Louis back below .500 and leave Wednesday’s comeback as another isolated highlight inside a disappointing stretch.That is why today matters.Not because one game will determine whether the Cardinals reach October, but because clubs remain in the race by winning the game directly in front of them.Pallante must give them length.The offense must make Assad work.The defense must protect every out, and Marmol must use the bullpen according to the situation rather than predetermined inning labels.Wednesday showed that this team still has some fight.Down two runs in the 10th, the Cardinals could have quietly accepted another loss. Instead, Walker put the ball in play and Herrera finished the comeback.That was a start.Now comes the harder part: doing it again.Win the finale.Salvage the split.Leave Busch Stadium above .500 and make the front office decide whether this club is still worth keeping together. 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: Andre Pallante, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Pallante Takes the Ball as Cardinals Try to Salvage Split

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE MILB Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch&nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Peoria first baseman is the Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day after going 3-for-4 with two home runs, a double, four RBIs, three runs scored and a walk in the Chiefs’ 10-6 win over Cedar Rapids on Wednesday afternoon.His final line: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BBThat is a full day’s work, for some a full week.Gurevitch reached base four times, collected three extra-base hits, drove in four runs and scored three times. He was right in the middle of a Peoria lineup that hit five home runs and finished with 12 hits in the road win.The two-homer game pushed Gurevitch to 16 home runs on the season. He also raised his average to .309 and his OPS to .951, continuing what has become one of the more productive offensive runs in the Cardinals’ High-A lineup.And it was not just one big swing.Gurevitch doubled. He homered twice. He walked. He drove in four. He scored three times.That is impact from start to finish.Peoria needed it, too. The Chiefs fell behind 4-1 after four innings before the offense started climbing back into the game. They scored one run in the fifth, three in the sixth, two in the seventh and three more in the eighth to take control.Gurevitch helped turn that comeback into a comfortable finish.The Chiefs had plenty of power around him. Josh Kross hit his 12th home run and drove in two. José Suárez hit his 10th. Cameron Nickens hit his fourth and also drove in two. Tai Peete added two hits, including a double, and drove in a run.But Gurevitch was the bat that led the day.This has been a loud stretch for him. Earlier in the week, he had a three-homer game. Now he adds another two-homer performance. That kind of power run changes the way a player’s season looks in a hurry.For Peoria, the win also mattered. The Chiefs have now won two straight and improved to 47-50 overall, with the lineup showing real thump.Gurevitch has been at the center of that surge.Three hits. Three extra-base hits. Two home runs. Four RBIs.That earns the spotlight.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch, 1B, Peoria Chiefs Final Line: 3-for-4, 2 HR, 2B, 4 RBI, 3 R, BB 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: Jake Gurevitch, Peoria Chiefs | MLB

MILB Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Blake Aita&nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBlake Aita did not have the cleanest line Wednesday night, but he gave Springfield something every winning team needs.Innings.Aita is the Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day after working six innings in Springfield’s 7-4 win over Wichita at Route 66 Stadium.His final line:6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 2 BB, 8 K&nbsp;The four earned runs keep it from being a spotless outing, but the strikeouts mattered. So did the fact that Aita gave Springfield six innings and kept the Cardinals in position to win another ballgame.And that is exactly what they did.Springfield won its sixth straight game, improved to 50-47 overall, and moved to 19-10 in the second half, staying alone in first place in the Texas League North.Aita worked through traffic, struck out eight, and threw 91 pitches, 62 for strikes. He faced 25 batters and gave the Cardinals enough swing-and-miss to keep Wichita from fully taking control, even after the Wind Surge scored once in the fourth and three times in the fifth.That fifth inning made the line heavier than the outing felt. But Aita settled things enough to finish six, and that gave Springfield’s offense time to answer.The Cardinals did exactly that in the seventh.Trailing 4-3, Springfield put up four runs and flipped the game. Rainiel Rodriguez had the biggest offensive night, going 3-for-4 with two home runs, three RBIs and two runs scored. Deniel Ortiz added a two-run homer, while Dakota Harris doubled and drove in two.After Aita turned the game over, the bullpen shut the door.Hunter Hayes threw two scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out one. Randel Clemente finished it with a scoreless ninth, walking one and striking out two.That combination — Aita giving length, the bullpen finishing cleanly, and the offense answering late — is how a club keeps a winning streak alive.Aita has been one of the more reliable arms for Springfield, and Wednesday was another example of why. It was not dominant from start to finish, but it was competitive, durable and good enough to help the Cardinals win.Not every good pitching performance is pretty.Sometimes it is about taking the baseball, getting through six, missing bats, and handing the game to the bullpen with your team still alive.Aita did that.And Springfield kept rolling.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day: Blake Aita, RHP, Springfield Cardinals Final Line: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 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: Blake Aita, Springfield&nbsp; Cardinals | MLB

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Blake Aita

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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MILB Player of the Day: Jack Gurevitch

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Blake Aita