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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

The Cardinal Chronicle Walker’s Career-High 17th Homer Powers Cardinals Past Mets St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals went into New York looking to prove their recent surge could travel.So far, it has packed very well.St. Louis beat the New York Mets 9-2 Wednesday night at Citi Field, securing the series and extending its winning streak to six games. One night after the Cardinals opened the series with a 7-0 shutout, they followed with another complete road effort — early offense, a strong start from Andre Pallante, and enough middle-order thunder to take the Mets out of the game before it ever really settled in.The headline belonged to Jordan Walker.Walker drove in four runs and launched his 17th home run of the season, setting a new career high. That swing came in the fourth inning, a three-run shot to center field that pushed the Cardinals’ lead to 7-0 and turned the night from promising to comfortable. For a young hitter whose power has always been part of the projection, this season is no longer about waiting for flashes. Walker is producing like a cornerstone bat.That is the difference between potential and impact.The Cardinals did not wait around Wednesday. JJ Wetherholt opened the game by continuing to set the table, Iván Herrera kept getting on base, and Walker singled home the first run in the opening inning. Masyn Winn followed with a fielder’s choice that scored Herrera, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead before the Mets had a chance to breathe.That early pressure mattered.The Cardinals have been at their best when they avoid sleepwalking through the first few innings. On Wednesday, they made the Mets play from behind immediately, and that changed the shape of the game. St. Louis did not need to chase. New York did.Nelson Velázquez added the next big blow in the third inning, driving a two-run home run to left-center field with Winn aboard. The blast stretched the lead to 4-0 and gave Pallante the kind of cushion every starter appreciates. Velázquez has not needed everyday headlines to bring value, but nights like this show why his power belongs in the conversation. He can change an inning quickly.Then came Walker in the fourth.With Wetherholt and Herrera aboard, Walker drove a ball to center for a three-run homer, his 17th of the season. The swing gave him four RBIs on the night and gave the Cardinals a seven-run lead. More importantly, it continued to reinforce what this season is becoming for him. Walker is not just hitting for power. He is doing damage in the middle of meaningful innings, and that is a different level of offensive presence.The Mets finally answered in the bottom of the fourth when Francisco Álvarez hit a two-run homer, cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 7-2. But that was as much resistance as New York could offer.Pallante did what the Cardinals needed him to do. He worked six innings, allowed two runs on three hits, walked two and struck out five. It was not flashy, but it was efficient and sturdy — the kind of start that keeps a hot team moving. He threw strikes, let the defense work, and never allowed the Mets to turn one swing into a full rally.That matters on the road. It matters even more when a club is trying to stack wins and avoid putting unnecessary strain on the bullpen.Matt Svanson followed with a clean seventh inning, and the Cardinals’ bullpen finished the night without letting the Mets back into the game. After Tuesday’s shutout, Wednesday’s effort was another sign that the pitching staff is starting to match the rhythm of the offense.José Fermín added to the lead in the fifth with an RBI single, scoring Nathan Church and making it 8-2. St. Louis added another run late to close out the scoring, finishing off a 9-2 win that felt every bit as controlled as the final score suggests.Wetherholt continued to look comfortable in the leadoff spot, collecting three hits and scoring twice. Herrera reached base multiple times again and scored two runs, continuing to give the Cardinals quality at-bats near the top of the order. Winn scored twice, Velázquez drove in two, Fermín added production from the bottom of the lineup, and Walker supplied the biggest swing of the night.That is how winning lineups usually work. The stars do damage, the table-setters create pressure, and the bottom third refuses to disappear.For the Mets, this was another rough night in a series that has belonged almost entirely to St. Louis. After being shut out Tuesday, New York fell behind early again Wednesday and never found the kind of inning that could change the mood at Citi Field.For the Cardinals, the win continues a strong run that has changed the feel around the club. They are no longer just trying to prove they can hang around. They are winning games cleanly, getting production from young players, and building the kind of road confidence that matters over a long season.Walker’s career-high 17th home run is the number that will stand out, and it should. But the bigger story is the shape of this team right now.The Cardinals are getting starting pitching. They are getting power. They are getting traffic at the top of the order. They are getting contributions from role players. They are playing with confidence.That is a good recipe.It is also a reminder that development and winning do not have to live in separate houses. Sometimes the kids grow up while the club keeps stacking wins.The Cardinals have taken the first two games at Citi Field. Now they have a chance to finish the job Thursday and leave New York with a sweep.That is tomorrow’s business.Wednesday belonged to Walker, Pallante and a Cardinals club that looks like it is starting to believe in what it is becoming.Final: Cardinals 9, Mets 2 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> Image: Created by Gateway Sports

Walker’s Career-High 17th Homer Powers Cardinals Past Mets

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Go for Sweep at Citi Field Behind Dobbins St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals came to New York looking to carry momentum onto the road.Now they have a chance to leave Citi Field with a broom in their hand.After taking the first two games from the Mets, St. Louis returns Thursday afternoon looking to complete a three-game sweep and extend a winning streak that has quickly become one of the better stories of the season. The Cardinals opened the series with a 7-0 shutout Tuesday night, then followed it with a 9-2 win Wednesday, giving them two clean, convincing road victories and a chance to finish the job before heading home.That is how good teams travel.The Cardinals have outscored the Mets 16-2 through the first two games of the series. Dustin May set the tone Tuesday with six shutout innings, while Andre Pallante followed Wednesday with six strong innings of his own. The bullpen has kept the Mets quiet, the defense has held up, and the offense has done more than enough damage to keep New York playing uphill.Wednesday night belonged in large part to Jordan Walker.Walker hit his 17th home run of the season, setting a new career high, and drove in four runs in the Cardinals’ 9-2 win. The blast was more than another number on the stat sheet. It was another sign that Walker’s power is no longer just a promise waiting to arrive. It is here, it is playing in meaningful games, and it is changing the shape of this lineup.For a young core that has spent much of the season growing up in public, that matters.JJ Wetherholt continues to give the Cardinals steady pressure at the top of the order. Iván Herrera continues to reach base and lengthen innings. Alec Burleson added another home run Wednesday and remains one of the more dependable bats in the lineup. Nelson Velázquez also went deep, showing again how quickly the Cardinals can stretch a lead when the lower half of the order refuses to disappear.That has been the difference in this series. The Cardinals have not been living off one swing or one bat. They have been getting contributions from everywhere.Now the ball goes to Hunter Dobbins.Dobbins is scheduled to start Thursday’s finale for St. Louis against Mets right-hander Christian Scott. Dobbins enters at 1-0 with a 2.77 ERA and 14 strikeouts, giving the Cardinals another opportunity to get length from the rotation and avoid turning the finale into a bullpen scramble. Scott comes in at 2-0 with a 2.50 ERA and 41 strikeouts, so the Cardinals should not expect an easy afternoon just because they have controlled the series so far.This is where sweep games can get tricky.The team down 0-2 usually plays with urgency, especially at home. The Mets have been pushed around in the first two games, and pride alone should bring a sharper response Thursday. New York has too much talent to assume another quiet day is automatic. Juan Soto, Francisco Álvarez, Bo Bichette and the rest of that lineup are still capable of turning a game quickly if pitchers start falling behind or giving away free baserunners.For Dobbins, the assignment is simple but not small.Throw strikes. Work ahead. Make the Mets earn everything. Keep the ball in the yard. Give the Cardinals five or six competitive innings and let the offense do what it has been doing all series.The Cardinals do not need him to match May or Pallante pitch for pitch. They need him to keep the game under control and give St. Louis a chance to keep applying pressure.Offensively, the Cardinals need to stay with the same approach that has worked the first two nights. That means long at-bats, early traffic, and avoiding the temptation to chase against a pitcher with strikeout ability. Scott can miss bats, and the Cardinals cannot hand him quick innings by expanding the zone. The best way to finish a sweep is usually not with impatience. It is with stubborn at-bats that make the other club feel every pitch.The bigger picture is becoming harder to ignore.The Cardinals are not merely surviving this stretch. They are starting to look like a club building real confidence. They have won six straight, secured another road series, and are getting production from the very players who are supposed to help shape the next winning window in St. Louis.Walker’s power. Wetherholt’s polish. Herrera’s on-base ability. Burleson’s steady production. Pallante and May giving quality starts. Dobbins now getting his chance to keep the line moving.That is a good place to be.Still, there is a difference between winning a series and sweeping one. Thursday gives the Cardinals a chance to turn a good trip into a statement trip. Not the loud, chest-thumping kind. The better kind. The kind that shows up in the standings.Get the lead early. Make the Mets chase. Give Dobbins support. Keep the bullpen fresh enough. Finish the series.The Cardinals have already taken care of the first two steps in New York.Now comes the chance to finish the job.Game Info Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals at New York Mets When: Thursday, June 11, 2026 First pitch: 1:10 p.m. ET / 12:10 p.m. CT Where: Citi Field, Flushing, New York Probable Pitchers: RHP Hunter Dobbins vs. RHP Christian Scott Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX; Mets coverage on SNYThe 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: Hunter Dobbins, St. Louis Cardinals | MLB

Cardinals Go for Sweep at Citi Field Behind Dobbins

The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day: Yordalin Peña St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurYordalin Peña helped Palm Beach deliver the perfect answer.One night after the Cardinals were no-hit by St. Lucie, Palm Beach came back and hammered the Mets 17-0 at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Peña was right in the middle of it, earning The Cardinal Chronicle Minor League Player of the Day honors after the first two-home run game of his professional career.Peña homered twice, drove in three runs, scored three times, and helped set the tone in one of Palm Beach’s most complete wins of the season.That is how you respond.The Cardinals had every reason to come out tight after being shut down the night before. Instead, they came out swinging. Peña helped get things started in the second inning, going back-to-back with Chase Heath on solo home runs to give Palm Beach an early 2-0 lead.That was only the beginning.Palm Beach broke the game open with a six-run fourth inning, then followed with a nine-run fifth. Peña added his second home run of the night during that fifth-inning outburst, helping turn a comfortable lead into a runaway.By the time the night was over, Palm Beach had scored 17 runs, collected 20 hits, matched a season high with four home runs, and saw every starter score at least one run.That kind of team-wide response matters, but Peña’s night stood above the rest.Ryan Mitchell deserves strong mention after hitting a grand slam. Matthew Miura also deserves mention after collecting four hits. Chase Heath homered and drove in three as well. There were plenty of candidates in a game like this.But Peña’s two-home run performance, three RBIs, three runs scored, and role in flipping the tone of the series make him the choice.For a young hitter, nights like this are part of the building process. Production matters. Confidence matters. Responding after a rough team loss matters, too.Peña did all three.Old School TakeBaseball will humble you in a hurry.One night, you get no-hit. The next night, you score 17 runs.That is why you show up the next day.Yordalin Peña showed up with two home runs, three RBIs, and the kind of performance that helped Palm Beach turn the page in a hurry.That is a good day at the ballpark. 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: Yordalin Peña, Palm Beach Cardinals | MiLB

MiLB Player of the Day: Yordalin Peña, Palm Beach Cardinals

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: Yordalin Peña, Palm Beach Cardinals