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The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBlaze Jordan Gets the Call to St. Louis The St. Louis Cardinals have called up corner infielder Blaze Jordan from Triple-A Memphis, giving the club another right-handed power option and rewarding one of the more interesting bats in the organization.Jordan’s promotion is not just another roster move. It is another sign that the Cardinals are willing to let performance create opportunity.Acquired from the Boston Red Sox last season in the Steven Matz trade, Jordan arrived in the organization with a reputation that had followed him since his teenage years: big raw power, loud contact, and a bat that could change a game in one swing. But what made his climb to St. Louis more meaningful was not just the power. It was the progress.Jordan has spent this season forcing the conversation at Memphis. He has produced, handled himself at the upper levels, and continued to get work at both first base and third base. That defensive versatility matters, especially on a Cardinals roster where the path to playing time is not always clean.At first base, Alec Burleson has established himself as a major part of the big-league lineup. At third base, the Cardinals have searched for steadier production. That makes Jordan’s ability to handle both corner spots important. He does not have to be a finished product to help. He has to give the Cardinals a useful bat, make the routine plays, and prove the moment is not too big.There will be questions. There always are with a young player. Can the swing decisions hold up against major-league pitching? Can he adjust when pitchers find a hole? Can he provide enough defensively if the Cardinals ask him to play third base? Those are fair questions.But the other side of the conversation matters too.Jordan earned this look.This is a player who has hit his way into the picture. The Cardinals did not need to manufacture buzz around him. His bat did that. And for a team trying to win now while also building something that lasts, that is exactly the kind of internal promotion that should matter.The Cardinals have already turned to younger players this season and have not treated the big-league roster like a closed room. Jimmy Crooks got his opportunity. Nathan Church got his. Bryan Torres has shown value. Now Jordan becomes the latest young player asked to turn Triple-A production into major-league impact.That does not mean he has to carry the lineup. It does not mean he has to become the answer overnight. But it does mean the Cardinals are giving themselves another option, and perhaps more importantly, giving a deserving player a chance to show whether his bat belongs.For Jordan, the label has always been power.Now the opportunity is St. Louis.And for the Cardinals, this is another chance to find out if the next answer was already waiting in Memphis. 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.com

Blaze Jordan Gets the Call to St. Louis

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, But Soto Spoils the Sweep The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals did not finish the job Thursday afternoon at Citi Field, but they still leave New York with the series in hand.The Mets avoided the sweep with a 5-4 win in the final regular-season meeting between the two clubs, and of course, it was Juan Soto who spoiled the day. Soto broke a 4-4 tie in the seventh inning with a go-ahead home run off JoJo Romero, giving New York the final run it needed and handing the Cardinals a narrow loss after St. Louis had taken the first two games of the series.Two out of three ain’t bad. A sweep would have been better.The Cardinals came out swinging early. Alec Burleson opened the scoring in the first inning with his 11th home run of the season, a solo shot to right field off Christian Scott. New York answered immediately in the bottom half, with Bo Bichette launching a two-run homer off Hunter Dobbins before Jared Young followed with a solo shot of his own, putting the Mets ahead 3-1.St. Louis punched right back in the second. Lars Nootbaar cut the deficit to one with his second home run of the season, and Jimmy Crooks followed with a two-run blast, the first of his big-league career, to put the Cardinals ahead 4-3.For a moment, it looked like another one of those Cardinal answers that has defined this recent stretch. Fall behind, respond. Get pushed, push back harder. That has been the personality of this club lately.But the Mets kept hanging around.Young, who had already homered in the first, tied the game in the fifth with an RBI single off Justin Bruihl. Then in the seventh, Soto delivered the swing that changed the afternoon, driving his 14th home run of the season and giving New York a 5-4 lead it would not give back.The loss snapped the Cardinals’ winning streak, but it did not erase the work they did in Queens. St. Louis won the series, took control early in the first two games, and came within a couple of innings of finishing off a sweep against a Mets team that has had very little success against them this season.Hunter Dobbins had to fight through early damage, with the Mets jumping him for three runs in the first. After that, the Cardinals’ pitching staff kept the game close enough to win, but the offense went quiet after the second inning. The early power gave St. Louis a lead, but the missed chances afterward left the door cracked open.And when Soto gets a cracked door, he usually does not knock politely.The Cardinals leave New York having won two of three, closing out the regular-season series against the Mets with another strong showing overall. The sweep slipped away, but the larger takeaway remains encouraging: this club continues to play competitive baseball, continues to answer punches, and continues to stack series wins.No one likes giving one back late. But on the road, against a team trying to salvage its homestand, two out of three still travels.The Cardinals just missed the broom. Soto made sure of that. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports 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: Juan Soto, New York Mets | MLB

Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad, But Juan Soto Spoils the Sweep

The Cardinal Chronicle Daily Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFarm Report: Memphis Moves Into First, Peoria Pounds South BendThe Cardinals’ full-season minor league affiliates went 3-2 on Thursday, with Memphis and Peoria carrying the night.Memphis swept a doubleheader at Norfolk, winning 7-0 and 6-2, to move into first place in the International League. Peoria broke out in a big way, pounding first-place South Bend 16-7 in a rain-shortened game. Springfield dropped another rough one to Amarillo, and Palm Beach was shut out by St. Lucie one night after scoring 17 runs.The top headline belonged to Memphis, but Peoria made sure this was not a one-affiliate night.Memphis Redbirds Record: 41-25, International League Standings: 1st place, International League Results: Memphis 7, Norfolk 0 — Game 1 Memphis 6, Norfolk 2 — Game 2Memphis did exactly what a first-place club is supposed to do Thursday afternoon.The Redbirds swept both ends of a doubleheader at Norfolk, beating the Tides 7-0 in game one and 6-2 in game two, and moved into first place in the International League. After the final out of game two, Memphis held a half-game lead over Nashville and Rochester.That is a good day’s work.Game one belonged to Quinn Mathews and an offense that gave him more than enough support. Mathews delivered six shutout innings, allowing just three hits and one walk while striking out two. The strikeout total was modest by his standards, but the control of the game was not. He kept Norfolk off the board, worked efficiently, and handed the bullpen a clean path to finish the shutout.Mathews has now worked 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings and has allowed one earned run or fewer in three straight starts. That is the kind of stretch Memphis needed, and it is the kind of stretch that puts him back into the big-league conversation.Austin Love finished the shutout with a scoreless seventh inning, striking out two in his Triple-A debut.The Memphis offense gave Mathews room to breathe. Victor Scott II, playing in his first Triple-A game of the season, went 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, two RBIs, a walk and a run scored. Noah Mendlinger had the biggest run-production line of the opener, going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs scored, a double and his first Triple-A home run of the season. Yohel Pozo also added three hits.In game two, Memphis wasted no time. César Prieto opened the scoring with an RBI double in the first inning, and Blaze Jordan followed three batters later with a two-run homer, his 11th of the season. Ramón Mendoza also drove in a run as Memphis put together another five-run inning, continuing a week in which the Redbirds have been able to change games quickly with one big frame.Bruce Zimmermann started game two and gave Memphis 5.2 innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Luis Gastelum handled the final 1.1 innings, striking out two and earning his third save.The sweep pushed Memphis to 41 wins, making the Redbirds the first Triple-A club to reach that mark this season.Springfield Cardinals Record: 26-33, Texas League North Standings: Texas League North Result: Amarillo 13, Springfield 4Springfield had another rough night against Amarillo.One day after taking a 14-4 loss, the Cardinals were beaten 13-4 by the Sod Poodles at Hammons Field. That is back-to-back lopsided losses, and there is not much need to dress it up.The Cardinals did get an early spark from Rainiel Rodriguez, who crushed a solo home run in the first inning to give Springfield a 1-0 lead. He later added a two-run homer in the seventh, accounting for the biggest bright spot of the night for the Cardinals’ offense.But Amarillo took over in the middle innings.The Sod Poodles scored five runs in the fifth and five more in the sixth, turning a close game into another runaway. Springfield had opened the series with a strong comeback win behind Trey Paige’s grand slam, but Amarillo has controlled the two games since.For Springfield, the problem is not complicated. When a pitching staff gives up that many runs in consecutive games, the offense has to be nearly perfect to keep up. The Cardinals were not.This is the kind of stretch Double-A clubs have to flush quickly. Springfield has enough talent to answer back, but the Cardinals need a cleaner night on the mound and a better start early in the game to keep Amarillo from dictating the terms again.Peoria Chiefs Record: 31-29, Midwest League West Standings: 3rd place, Midwest League West Result: Peoria 16, South Bend 7 — seven innings, rain-shortenedPeoria broke out Thursday night.After being held to three runs in three straight games, Peoria’s offense erupted for a 16-7 win over first-place South Bend at Four Winds Field. The game was shortened to seven innings after storms moved through the area, but by then the Chiefs had already done more than enough damage.Peoria jumped out early in the first inning. José Suárez opened the scoring with an opposite-field RBI single, Tre Richardson III followed with a two-run double to the left-field wall, and Anyelo Encarnación added a sacrifice fly to give the Chiefs a 4-0 lead.South Bend answered with three runs in the second, but Peoria kept swinging. Josh Kross launched a solo home run over the left-field seats, and Encarnación added another sacrifice fly later in the inning to make it 6-3.The Cubs pulled within 6-5, but the Chiefs broke the game open in the fourth. Jesús Báez hit a three-run home run, extending his hitting streak to 11 games and tying the Chiefs’ single-season home run record in the High-A era with his 13th of the season.Later in the inning, Encarnación added a three-run homer of his own, capping a six-run frame and pushing the lead to 12-5.Peoria added four more runs in the sixth. Suárez doubled, Richardson drove him home with an RBI single, Richardson later scored on a wild pitch, Encarnación came home on a Cameron Nickens sacrifice fly, and Sammy Hernandez scored on a Báez sacrifice fly to make it 16-7.That score held as the final after a tornado warning and weather delay stopped the game.This was not just a win. It was a response. Peoria went into the home of the first-place Cubs and put up 16 runs after three straight quiet offensive nights. That changes the tone of the series in a hurry.Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 31-29, Florida State League East Standings: 3 games behind Jupiter in the Florida State League East with six games remaining in the first half Result: St. Lucie 2, Palm Beach 0Palm Beach went from one extreme to the other.One night after blasting St. Lucie 17-0 with 20 hits and four home runs, the Cardinals were shut out 2-0 by the Mets at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. It was Palm Beach’s second shutout loss of the week.Cooper Hjerpe made his first start in a full-season minor league game since 2024 and tossed two scoreless innings. For Hjerpe, who is coming back from Tommy John surgery, the result matters less than the progress. Getting back on a full-season mound is a step.Xavier Cruz followed in relief and made his Single-A debut. He struck out the first four hitters he faced and finished with six strikeouts, but the fifth inning got away from him. Cruz walked three hitters, left with the bases loaded, and St. Lucie scored its only two runs of the game on an error and a bases-loaded walk.Anthony Watts kept the damage from getting worse, working 1.1 innings without being charged with a run. Antoni Cuello also gave Palm Beach 2.1 innings and struck out two.The problem was the offense. St. Lucie’s pitching staff held Palm Beach scoreless and limited the Cardinals to four hits.That is the strange part of baseball. One night, Palm Beach scores 17 runs. The next night, the Cardinals cannot push one across. Young hitters are still learning how to carry an approach from one game to the next, and Thursday was another reminder that development does not move in a straight line.Player of the Day Anyelo Encarnación, Peoria ChiefsAnyelo Encarnación is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after driving in five runs in Peoria’s 16-7 win over South Bend.Encarnación drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the first inning, added another sacrifice fly in the third, and then delivered the biggest swing of his night with a three-run homer in the fourth. That blast capped Peoria’s six-run inning and pushed the Chiefs’ lead to 12-5.That is run production.Noah Mendlinger deserves strong mention after going 3-for-4 with four RBIs, two runs scored, a double and his first Triple-A home run of the season for Memphis. Victor Scott II also deserves mention after a strong first Triple-A game of the season, and Jesús Báez belongs in the conversation after hitting his 13th home run and extending his hitting streak to 11 games.But Encarnación gets the nod for driving in five runs in a 16-run win over a first-place club.Pitcher of the Day Quinn Mathews, Memphis RedbirdsQuinn Mathews is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day after throwing six scoreless innings in Memphis’ 7-0 win over Norfolk.Mathews allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two. He has now worked 12.1 consecutive scoreless innings and has allowed one earned run or fewer in three straight starts.The strikeout total was modest, but the control of the game was not. Mathews gave Memphis length, kept Norfolk off the board, and put the Redbirds in position to win the first game of a doubleheader they would eventually sweep.Cooper Hjerpe deserves mention for two scoreless innings in his first full-season start since 2024. Xavier Cruz also deserves mention for striking out six in his Single-A debut, even with the command trouble that followed.But Mathews gets the honor for six shutout innings in a win that helped move Memphis into first place.Old School TakeThis was a Memphis and Peoria night.Memphis swept a doubleheader, got six shutout innings from Quinn Mathews, a big game from Noah Mendlinger, a strong return from Victor Scott II, and moved into first place in the International League.Peoria went into South Bend, faced the first-place Cubs, and put 16 runs on the board after three straight quiet offensive games.Springfield had another night to forget. Palm Beach followed a 17-run explosion by getting shut out.But the headline belongs where it belongs.Memphis moved into first.Peoria punched back.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: Quinn Mathews, Memphis Redbirds | Lighthouse Media

Farm Report: Memphis Sweeps Into First Place Behind Mathews, Mendlinger

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Head to Minnesota Looking to Start New Streak Against Twins St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals left New York with a series win, even if they missed the broom.Now they head to Minnesota with another chance to keep the road trip pointed in the right direction.St. Louis opens a three-game weekend series Friday night against the Minnesota Twins at Target Field, beginning a Friday-through-Sunday set that gives the Cardinals another opportunity to build on what has become a strong stretch of baseball. The Cardinals took two of three from the Mets at Citi Field, winning the first two games in convincing fashion before falling 5-4 in Thursday’s finale.That loss snapped the Cardinals’ six-game winning streak, but it did not erase the larger picture. St. Louis is still playing better baseball, still getting production from the young core, and still putting itself in position to matter in the National League race.The task now is simple enough.Do not let one missed sweep turn into a stumble.The Cardinals enter the Minnesota series at 37-29, while the Twins come in at 31-39. On paper, St. Louis has the better record and the more encouraging recent form. On the field, the Cardinals still have to handle business against an American League club that will be trying to steady itself at home after a rough stretch.Minnesota has been scuffling, and Thursday’s 11-0 loss to Detroit did not exactly arrive wrapped in encouragement. The Twins were taken apart by the Tigers in a game that featured six Detroit home runs, and Minnesota has now dropped 11 of its last 15 games. That makes the Twins vulnerable, but it also makes them dangerous. Teams that are tired of losing tend to play with urgency, especially when they get back home.The Cardinals should know better than to assume anything.Friday’s opener brings a right-handed matchup, with Kyle Leahy scheduled to start for St. Louis against Joe Ryan for Minnesota. Leahy enters at 5-3 with a 4.42 ERA, while Ryan comes in at 4-3 with a 3.07 ERA and 84 strikeouts. That is a real test for a Cardinals lineup that has been dangerous lately but cannot afford to drift into chase mode against a pitcher who can miss bats.Ryan is the kind of starter who can make a lineup look impatient if hitters start expanding the zone. The Cardinals’ approach needs to be mature from the first inning. Make him work. Force him into the strike zone. Get traffic on the bases. Then let the middle of the order do damage.That middle of the order continues to revolve around Jordan Walker, Alec Burleson, Iván Herrera and a group of young hitters who have given this season a different feel. Walker set a new career high with his 17th home run in New York, and his emergence as a consistent power threat has changed the shape of the lineup. He is no longer just a projection. He is a problem for opposing pitchers.Burleson stayed hot in New York, extending his hitting streak and continuing to provide steady left-handed production. Herrera remains one of the better on-base pieces in the lineup, and JJ Wetherholt continues to give the Cardinals a young table-setter with polish beyond his years. When that group is creating traffic, the Cardinals look like a completely different offense.Saturday gives St. Louis a left-on-left matchup, with Matthew Liberatore scheduled to face Connor Prielipp. Liberatore enters at 3-3 with a 4.48 ERA, while Prielipp comes in at 2-4 with a 5.15 ERA. That game has the feel of one the Cardinals should attack, but again, that depends on their approach. Target Field can play fair, but it will not hand out runs just because the visiting club has been swinging the bats well.Sunday’s finale is scheduled to feature Michael McGreevy against Taj Bradley. McGreevy enters at 3-5 with a 2.99 ERA, and he remains one of the more interesting starters on this staff because of how he wins. He is not a radar-gun show. He is not trying to turn every at-bat into a fireworks display. He pitches. He moves the ball, changes speeds, works the edges and trusts his defense.That kind of old-school pitching plays, especially on the road.Bradley, at 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA, gives Minnesota another arm with enough stuff to make things uncomfortable if the Cardinals let him settle in. The Sunday matchup could become a good test of which lineup handles the strike zone better and which starter avoids the inning that gets away.For St. Louis, the series is also about response.The Cardinals had a chance to sweep the Mets on Thursday, but Juan Soto spoiled the day with the go-ahead home run in the seventh inning. That is baseball. Sometimes the other club has a superstar, and sometimes the superstar does superstar things. The important part is what comes next.Good teams do not let a narrow loss drag behind them like a tin can tied to the bumper.They move on.That is where the Cardinals are now. They already won the series in New York. They already showed the offense can travel. They already got quality starts from Dustin May and Andre Pallante. They already saw Walker, Burleson, Lars Nootbaar and Jimmy Crooks provide power. Now they have to reset and open another series with the same edge.The Twins are not a club to overlook. Byron Buxton remains dangerous. Minnesota has enough power to punish mistakes, and Target Field can get loud when the Twins find early momentum. The Cardinals’ pitchers cannot give away free passes ahead of Minnesota’s impact bats, and the defense has to stay clean behind a rotation that will be asked to cover innings after a busy road stretch.But this is also the kind of series St. Louis needs to win if it wants to keep strengthening its case as a legitimate National League contender.Not every series is glamorous. Not every opponent arrives with headline heat. But these are the games that shape a season. Win series against teams below you in the standings. Avoid the letdown after an emotional stretch. Stack wins before the schedule turns again.The Cardinals have spent the past few weeks showing there is more here than a rebuilding club waiting on tomorrow.Minnesota gives them the next chance to prove it.Series InfoMatchup: St. Louis Cardinals at Minnesota Twins Dates: Friday, June 12 through Sunday, June 14, 2026 Venue: Target Field, Minneapolis, Minnesota Records Entering Series: Cardinals 37-29; Twins 31-39Friday, June 12 First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. CT Probable Pitchers: RHP Kyle Leahy vs. RHP Joe Ryan TV: Cardinals.TV / Twins.TV / KMOV-4Saturday, June 13 First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CT Probable Pitchers: LHP Matthew Liberatore vs. LHP Connor Prielipp TV: Cardinals.TV / Twins.TVSunday, June 14 First Pitch: 1:10 p.m. CT Probable Pitchers: RHP Michael McGreevy vs. RHP Taj Bradley TV: Cardinals.TV / Twins.TV 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>

Cards Head to Minnesota Looking to Start New Winning  Streak

The Cardinal Chronicle Blaze Jordan at Third: The Numbers Tell a Different Story St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThere has been a lot of conversation about Blaze Jordan’s bat.That part is easy to understand. When a right-handed hitter is producing at Triple-A, especially in an organization looking for more offense and stability at the corner infield spots, people are naturally going to ask whether the bat can help in St. Louis.But with Jordan, the conversation almost always runs into the same wall.Can he play third base?That question is fair. Third base is not a place to hide a glove. The reaction time is short, the throws are long, and the position demands more than simply standing over there and hoping the ball finds someone else. Footwork matters. Arm strength matters. First step matters. Range matters. Accuracy matters.Still, there is a difference between asking the question and assuming the answer.The assumption around Jordan has often been that he simply cannot handle third base well enough to be part of the conversation there. Maybe that ends up being true at the major league level. Maybe the Cardinals see things in the internal defensive data that do not show up in the public numbers. Maybe the scouting report is more cautious than the box score.But if we are going to have the conversation, we might as well include the full context.Over the last two seasons, Jordan’s defensive numbers at third base do not look like a disaster.In 2025, across two leagues and three teams, Jordan played 49 games at third base and logged 401 innings. In 87 total chances, he committed one error, giving him a .989 fielding percentage.In 2026 with Triple-A Memphis, Jordan has played 27 games at third base and logged 234.2 innings. In 60 total chances, he has committed two errors, giving him a .967 fielding percentage.Combined, that gives Jordan 76 games, 635.2 innings, 147 total chances and three errors at third base over the last two seasons.That is a .980 fielding percentage.Now, fielding percentage is not the whole story. It never has been. A player can avoid errors by not getting to balls. A third baseman can make the routine plays and still lack the range, reactions or arm to be a long-term answer at the position. Modern evaluation has moved well beyond simply counting errors, and it should.But fielding percentage is not nothing, either.If the claim is that Jordan has been unplayable at third base, the public numbers do not support that. They show a player who has handled the routine play at a respectable rate over a decent sample of innings. That does not make him Brooks Robinson. It does not make him Nolan Arenado. It does not even prove he is a better option than what the Cardinals already have.But it should at least slow down the idea that he cannot stand over there.Baseball has a funny way of building reputations early and letting them stick long after the evidence starts to change. Once a player gets tagged with a label — poor defender, bad body, limited athlete, first-base-only bat — it can be hard to shake. Sometimes the label is accurate. Sometimes it is outdated. Sometimes it was never quite as clean as people made it sound.With Jordan, the defensive question deserves more than a shrug and a recycled scouting line.The Cardinals may still decide he is not a long-term third baseman. That would not be shocking. Organizations see pregame work, internal metrics, throwing accuracy, positioning, lateral movement and in-game reactions in ways fans and writers do not always see. If the Cardinals are skeptical of the glove at third, they may have legitimate reasons.But the numbers we do have paint a more complicated picture.Three errors in 635.2 innings over two seasons is not a reason to dismiss him. A .980 fielding percentage at third base does not settle the debate, but it does challenge the easy version of it.For perspective, even Masyn Winn, one of the most gifted defensive shortstops in the game, can have a rough night. On May 17, Winn committed two errors in one game. That does not make him a bad defender. It makes him human.Errors happen.The larger sample matters.That is really the point with Jordan. One misplay should not define him. One scouting note should not close the book. One assumption should not carry more weight than two seasons of actual chances, innings and results.If Jordan’s bat continues to push the issue, the Cardinals will eventually have to decide whether the glove is good enough to give him a real look. Maybe that answer comes at third base. Maybe it comes at first base. Maybe it comes in a corner bat role. Maybe it does not come in St. Louis at all.But the defensive conversation should be honest.It is fair to say Jordan still has to prove he can handle third base against major league speed. It is fair to say fielding percentage alone does not answer the question. It is fair to say the Cardinals may want more defensive certainty at the position.What is harder to defend is the idea that Jordan has already proven he cannot play there.The numbers tell a different story.Old School TakeThird base is not a theory position.You either make the plays or you do not.Blaze Jordan still has things to prove defensively, and nobody should pretend otherwise. But over the last two seasons, the numbers say he has made the plays at a much better rate than the narrative suggests.That does not crown him.It simply keeps the conversation alive.And sometimes in baseball, that is where the truth starts. 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>

Blaze Jordan at Third: The Numbers Tell a Different Story

The Cardinal Chronicle Daily Farm Report St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFarm Report: Palm Beach Scores17-Runs, Springfield &amp; Peoria Suffered LossesThe Cardinals’ farm system had a shortened Wednesday slate, with Memphis postponed in Norfolk and three full-season affiliates in action.Palm Beach delivered the night’s headline, responding to Tuesday’s no-hit loss by hammering St. Lucie 17-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Springfield took one on the chin in a 14-4 loss to Amarillo, and Peoria dropped its second straight at South Bend, falling 6-3 to the first-place Cubs.It was not a clean night across the system, but Palm Beach made sure there was one strong answer on the board.Memphis Redbirds Record: 39-25 Standings: 2nd Place, 0.5 GB, International League Result: Postponed at NorfolkMemphis did not play Wednesday night, as the Redbirds’ game against the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park was postponed due to inclement weather.The postponement came one night after Memphis opened the road series with an 11-4 win over Norfolk, powered by two five-run innings, Joshua Báez’s 18th home run of the season, and another productive night from César Prieto.The Redbirds remain in the middle of the International League first-half race and will have to make up the lost game as part of the Norfolk series. At this point in the first half, every game matters. Memphis has played its way into position, and now the task is simple: keep stacking wins before the break.Springfield Cardinals Record: 26-32 Standings: 4th Place, 12.5 GB, Texas League North Result: Amarillo 14, Springfield 4Springfield had the wrong kind of afternoon at Hammons Field.The Cardinals were beaten 14-4 by the Amarillo Sod Poodles, who put together 19 hits and evened the series at one game apiece. One day after Springfield rallied for a 9-5 win behind Trey Paige’s grand slam, Amarillo flipped the script and controlled the game almost from the start.The Sod Poodles jumped on Liam Doyle early, putting up four runs in the second inning and forcing Springfield to play from behind. Amarillo kept adding on, and the Cardinals never found the kind of comeback swing that carried them Tuesday night.Springfield did have a few offensive bright spots. Brody Moore and Chase Adkison hit back-to-back home runs, with Adkison’s shot marking his first Double-A homer. Dakota Harris also went deep, giving Springfield three home runs on the afternoon.But the pitching staff could not stop the traffic. Amarillo’s lineup kept pressure on throughout the game, and by the later innings, the outcome was no longer in doubt.There is not much to dress up here. Springfield ran into a hot lineup, Doyle had a rough one, and the Cardinals were beaten soundly.That happens in Double-A. The key is making sure it does not carry into the next day.Peoria Chiefs Record: 30-28 Standings: 3rd Place, 8.0 GB, Midwest League West Result: South Bend 6, Peoria 3Peoria’s push toward the top of the Midwest League West took another hit Wednesday night.The Chiefs fell 6-3 to the first-place South Bend Cubs, dropping their second straight game after arriving in South Bend fresh off a six-game sweep of Beloit. The loss left Peoria at 30-28 and still chasing the Cubs in the first-half race.South Bend did its damage early. The Cubs scored four runs in the second inning, putting Peoria in a hole before the Chiefs’ offense had a chance to settle in.Peoria answered in the fourth with back-to-back home runs from Cade McGee and Josh Kross. McGee continued his strong power stretch with another solo homer, and Kross followed immediately with a home run of his own to cut the deficit to 4-2.That gave the Chiefs some life, but South Bend added two more runs in the seventh to stretch the lead back out.Peoria pushed across one more run in the ninth when Jesús Báez doubled home Anyelo Encarnación, but the rally stopped there. The Chiefs finished with eight hits, including a 2-for-4 night from Cameron Nickens, but they could not find the big inning needed to erase the early deficit.Yhoiker Fajardo started for Peoria and took the loss. He allowed four runs over four innings, walking four and striking out five. Ruben Menes and Christian Worley worked scoreless innings in relief, but South Bend’s early lead proved to be enough.Peoria is still playing better baseball than it was a few weeks ago, but the margin for error in a first-half race is thin. Against a first-place club, one bad inning can feel like three.Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 31-28 Standings: 2nd Place, 2.0 GB, Florida State League East&nbsp; Result: Palm Beach 17, St. Lucie 0One night after being no-hit by St. Lucie, Palm Beach answered about as loudly as a team can answer.The Cardinals shut out the Mets 17-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, pounding out a season-high 20 hits and matching a season high with four home runs. It was Palm Beach’s largest margin of victory this season and one of the more complete performances anywhere in the system.The Cardinals struck first in the second inning when Chase Heath and Yordalin Peña hit back-to-back solo home runs with two outs. That gave Palm Beach a 2-0 lead and, as it turned out, more than enough offense.Then came the fourth.Palm Beach sent 11 hitters to the plate and scored six runs on seven hits. Peña drove in a run with a single, Matthew Miura added an RBI infield single, and Ryan Mitchell capped the inning with a grand slam to left field, his sixth home run of the season. That pushed the lead to 8-0.The Cardinals were not done.In the fifth, Palm Beach put together its largest offensive inning of the season. Thirteen hitters came to the plate, all nine Cardinals in the lineup scored, and the club added nine more runs. Peña delivered the highlight of the inning with his second home run of the night, giving him the first two-homer game of his career.Every Palm Beach starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run. Seven of the nine Cardinals drove in at least one run. Miura led the way with four hits, while Peña and Heath each drove in three runs and scored three times.On the mound, Cade Crossland was excellent.The left-hander worked five scoreless and hitless innings, walking four and striking out four. Hunter Kublick followed with two strong innings, allowing just one infield hit and striking out two. Justin Militello finished the final two innings, allowing only one baserunner on a walk.After Tuesday’s no-hit loss, this was the perfect answer. Palm Beach did not just win. It flipped the entire tone of the series.Player of the Day Yordalin Peña, Palm Beach CardinalsYordalin Peña is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day after putting together the best offensive night in the system during Palm Beach’s 17-0 win over St. Lucie.Peña homered twice, drove in three runs, scored three times, and helped power a 20-hit attack one night after the Cardinals were no-hit by the same St. Lucie club.That is a response.His first homer came back-to-back with Chase Heath in the second inning. His second homer came during Palm Beach’s nine-run fifth inning and marked the first two-homer game of his professional career.Ryan Mitchell deserves strong mention for his grand slam, and Matthew Miura also deserves mention after collecting four hits. But Peña’s two-homer night and role in setting the tone make him the choice.Pitcher of the Day Cade Crossland, Palm Beach CardinalsCade Crossland is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Pitcher of the Day after giving Palm Beach five scoreless and hitless innings in the Cardinals’ 17-0 win over St. Lucie.Crossland walked four and struck out four, but he did not allow a hit and never let the Mets build any kind of offensive rhythm. After Palm Beach had been no-hit the night before, Crossland helped make sure the answer came on both sides of the ball.The offense will get plenty of attention, and deservedly so, but Crossland set the tone from the mound. Five hitless innings in a shutout win is a strong day’s work.Old School TakePalm Beach had every excuse to come out flat after being no-hit Tuesday night.Instead, the Cardinals scored 17 runs, collected 20 hits, hit four home runs, and got five hitless innings from Cade Crossland.That is how you answer.Springfield had a rough one. Peoria could not climb out of an early hole. Memphis never got on the field.But Palm Beach carried the system Wednesday night, and they did it the old-fashioned way. They hit, they pitched, and they made the next game look nothing like the last one. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports 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: Cade Crossland, Palm Beach Cardinals | | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Farm Report: W 1, L 2, - Palm Beach Scores 17-Runs in Blowout

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