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The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurPlayer of the Day: Bligh Madris Powers Memphis in 18-Run OutburstBligh Madris did just about everything a hitter can do Wednesday afternoon, and for that, he is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Player of the Day.In Memphis’ 18-4 rout of the Louisville Bats, Madris reached base in all six of his plate appearances, going 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and three walks. It was a complete offensive performance from the Redbirds’ first baseman, and it helped turn a strong Memphis showing into a runaway win at AutoZone Park.Madris’ home run was his seventh of the season, tying him for the Memphis team lead with Nelson Velázquez. For a Redbirds lineup that has leaned heavily on veteran bats and upper-level power, Madris has become one of the more consistent run producers in the middle of the order.Signed by the Cardinals to a minor league contract on February 5, 2026, Madris entered the organization as an experienced left-handed bat with defensive flexibility. He had played earlier in the offseason in the Mexican Pacific Winter League before being assigned to Memphis ahead of Opening Day.That experience has shown.Madris, 30, is no stranger to high-level pitching. He has appeared in parts of three Major League seasons, spending time with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2022, the Houston Astros in 2023, and the Detroit Tigers in 2024. With Memphis, he has provided the kind of veteran presence every Triple-A club needs — a hitter who can play the outfield corners, handle first base, and still put a charge into the baseball.Wednesday was a perfect snapshot of that value.The Redbirds got big swings from several places in the lineup, including Lars Nootbaar, Joshua Báez and Blaze Jordan, but Madris was the one who kept the line moving every time he stepped into the box. Two doubles, a homer, three walks, four RBIs and three runs scored is not just a good night. That is a professional hitter taking full advantage of every opportunity.Madris is listed as an outfielder and first baseman, bats left-handed, throws right-handed, and wears No. 26 for Memphis. Born on February 29, 1996, he brings both a rare birthday and a useful bat to the Cardinals’ Triple-A roster.For the Cardinals organization, performances like this matter. Madris may not carry the prospect shine of some younger names in Memphis, but clubs need players who can produce, cover multiple spots, and be ready when depth is tested.On Wednesday, Bligh Madris looked every bit like that kind of player. 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: Bligh Madris, Detroit Tigers | Detroit Free Press

MiLB Player of the Day: Former Tiger Bligh Madris

The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurFarm Report: Memphis Scores 18, Peoria Ties Home Run Record, Springfield Falls Late, Palm Beach Hammered The Cardinals’ minor league system produced plenty of offense Wednesday night, led by a thunderous performance from Triple-A Memphis and a record-tying power show from High-A Peoria.Memphis routed Louisville 18-4 behind four home runs, 14 walks and a huge day from Bligh Madris, while Lars Nootbaar continued his rehab assignment with a leadoff homer and four RBIs. Joshua Báez stayed hot with his 17th home run of the season, and Blaze Jordan also went deep.Peoria put on its own fireworks show, tying a franchise record with seven home runs in an 11-4 win over Beloit. José Suárez and Tre Richardson III each homered twice, while Won-Bin Cho, Josh Kross and Cade McGee also left the yard.Springfield appeared headed for its seventh straight win behind another strong start from Mason Molina, but Frisco rallied late and walked it off in the ninth. Palm Beach had some offensive highlights from Ryan Weingartner, Michael Dattalo and Brayden Smith, but Tampa’s bats were too much in a 14-5 loss.Memphis Redbirds Record: 36-23, 1st Place, International League West Result: Memphis 18, Louisville 4The Redbirds turned Wednesday afternoon into batting practice at AutoZone Park, pounding Louisville 18-4 in one of their most complete offensive performances of the season.Lars Nootbaar, continuing his rehab assignment, opened the bottom of the first with a leadoff home run and finished 2-for-5 with four RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Joshua Báez kept his strong Triple-A season rolling, going 3-for-4 with a double, his 17th home run, three RBIs and four runs scored.Bligh Madris was the offensive star of the day, reaching base six times and finishing 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and three walks. Blaze Jordan added his 10th home run of the season, while Yohel Pozo, Ramon Mendoza, Noah Mendlinger and Brody Moore all drove in runs.Memphis scored three in the first, added single runs in the third and fifth, then broke the game open with seven runs in the seventh and six more in the eighth. The Redbirds finished with 13 hits, four home runs and 14 walks.Pete Hansen started and allowed two runs on five hits over four innings, striking out two. Jared Shuster picked up the win despite some traffic, while Matt Svanson turned in an encouraging relief appearance, throwing 1.1 scoreless innings with one hit allowed and one strikeout. Cade Winquest struck out three in one inning, and Luis Gastelum closed it with a scoreless ninth.Springfield Cardinals Record: 24-28, 3rd Place, 9.5 GB, Texas League North Result: Frisco 8, Springfield 7Springfield had its winning streak stopped in painful fashion, falling 8-7 to Frisco on a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.Mason Molina gave the Cardinals exactly what they needed, working six strong innings and allowing just two runs on five hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five, leaving with Springfield in position to win. It was another steady outing from the left-hander, who continues to give the club quality innings.The Cardinals built a 5-2 lead, but the bullpen could not hold it. Frisco scored four runs in the seventh, added one in the eighth and won it in the ninth.Miguel Villarroel had his best Double-A game, going 2-for-5 with a double, a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. Dakota Harris added two hits, a double, a triple, two RBIs and a stolen base. Zach Levenson doubled and drove in two, while Travis Honeyman added two hits and his 20th stolen base of the season.Rainiel Rodriguez reached base three times with a single and two walks, and also stole his second base of the year.Peoria Chiefs Record: 26-27, 3rd Place, 8.0 GB, Midwest League West Result: Peoria 11, Beloit 4The Chiefs put on a power display at Dozer Park, blasting seven home runs to tie the franchise single-game record in an 11-4 win over Beloit.José Suárez led the way, going 2-for-5 with two home runs and four RBIs. Tre Richardson III also homered twice, finishing 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Won-Bin Cho continued his strong stretch, going 3-for-4 with a home run, an RBI, two runs scored, a walk and his 19th stolen base.Josh Kross added his seventh home run of the season, and Cade McGee went 2-for-4 with a home run, three RBIs, a walk and a stolen base. Jalin Flores doubled and scored twice, while Jack Gurevitch reached base twice and stole two bags.Peoria trailed 3-0 after the top of the first, but Suárez answered immediately with a two-run homer. He struck again in the third with another two-run shot to give the Chiefs the lead. Richardson homered in the fourth and sixth, and Peoria kept adding on from there.Ty Van Dyke started and struck out a professional career-high seven over 4.2 innings, allowing four runs on three hits and four walks. Nate Dohm was excellent in relief, throwing four scoreless innings with three hits allowed, one walk and two strikeouts to earn the win.Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 29-24, 2nd Place, 1.0 GB, Florida State League East Result: Tampa 14, Palm Beach 5Palm Beach could not slow down Tampa’s offense Wednesday night, falling 14-5 at George M. Steinbrenner Field.The Tarpons jumped ahead with three runs in the first and kept answering every Palm Beach push. Tampa finished with 17 hits and broke the game open with six runs in the seventh.Ryan Weingartner was the top offensive performer for Palm Beach, going 3-for-4 with his fifth home run of the season, two RBIs and two runs scored. Michael Dattalo doubled, walked and drove in a run, continuing to produce since joining the club. Brayden Smith added two hits, including a double, scored twice and stole three bases, giving him 14 steals on the season.Jonathan Mejía drove in two runs, while Ryan Mitchell walked, scored and stole his 13th base.On the mound, Jake Shelagowski started and allowed four runs over three innings, striking out four. The bullpen struggled from there, as Tampa scored 10 runs across the final five innings.Player of the Day Bligh Madris, Memphis RedbirdsBligh Madris gets the nod after a monster day in Memphis’ 18-4 win over Louisville.Madris went 3-for-3 with two doubles, a home run, four RBIs, three runs scored and three walks. That is about as complete a day at the plate as a hitter can have. He reached base every time he came up, drove the baseball with authority and helped turn a close game into a runaway.Pitcher of the Day Mason Molina, Springfield CardinalsMason Molina earns Pitcher of the Day honors after giving Springfield six strong innings in a tough walk-off loss at Frisco.Molina allowed two runs on five hits, walked none and struck out five. He left with the Cardinals in position to win, and while the bullpen could not finish it, Molina’s outing was the kind of steady, professional performance that keeps standing out. 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 href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com" data-mce-href="http://www.cardinalchronicle.com">www.cardinalchronicle.com</a>Photo Credit: Peoria Chiefs Fireworks | Peoria Journal Star

Farm Report: Memphis Scores 18, Peoria Ties Home Run Record

The Cardinal Chronicle St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurTink Hence Takes First Step Back in One-Inning Opening Role for MemphisRHP Tink Hence returned to the mound for Memphis on Tuesday night, working one inning as the Redbirds’ opener in a 6-5 loss to the Louisville Bats at AutoZone Park.For Hence, the box score line was less important than the assignment itself. This was not a traditional start and it was not designed to be one. The Cardinals used him in a controlled, one-inning role, giving one of the organization’s most talented but injury-interrupted arms a chance to get back on a Triple-A mound without pushing the workload too far, too fast.That is the right way to view this outing. Hence has long had the arm talent to remain part of the Cardinals’ long-term pitching conversation, but his development has been slowed by physical setbacks and interrupted stretches on the injured list. At this stage, the first goal is not dominance. It is availability.The Cardinals do not need to find out everything about Hence in one night. They need him healthy enough to keep taking the baseball. One inning may not sound like much, but for a pitcher trying to rebuild rhythm, timing and trust in his arm, it is a meaningful first step.When healthy, Hence still has the kind of stuff that gets attention. The fastball, changeup and breaking-ball mix have all flashed enough to keep his upside alive. But stuff only matters if it shows up on the mound consistently. That is why Tuesday night was more checkpoint than headline.For Memphis, it was a short look. For St. Louis, it was a careful step forward. The Cardinals will likely continue to monitor him closely, building him back in small pieces rather than asking too much too soon.The old-school view still applies here: get him the ball, let him compete, and see how he responds the next time out. With Hence, the story is not finished. It is simply back on the page.Hence’s road back has not been smooth. He was placed on Memphis’ 60-day injured list in March 2025 and later went through multiple rehab assignments before returning to game action. He also spent time on Springfield’s injured list later that season.He was assigned back to Memphis from the FCL Cardinals and activated on June 2, 2026, setting up Tuesday night’s one-inning opener appearance. Given that history, the limited workload made sense. The Cardinals appear to be handling this as a gradual return rather than a full restart. 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: Tink Hence, St. Louis Cardinals | Lighthouse Media

Tink Hence Takes First Step Back in One-Inning Opening Role for Memphis

&nbsp; The Cardinal Chronicle Rangers 7, Cardinals 4 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurCardinals Collect 13 Hits but Let Late Game Slip Away Against TexasST. LOUIS — The Cardinals had traffic all night. They had 13 hits, early chances, a quality offensive push in the middle innings and a starting pitcher who gave them enough to win.They still walked away with a 7-4 loss to the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at Busch Stadium.That is the kind of game that leaves a mark. Not because the Cardinals were overmatched, and not because they failed to compete. They did both. But they did not finish enough innings at the plate, and they did not get the late-inning shutdown work needed to keep the game within reach.Texas scored three runs in the ninth inning against Riley O’Brien, turning a tight one-run game into a much steeper climb. Joc Pederson continued to be a problem for St. Louis, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and a run scored, while Josh Jung added two RBIs to give the Rangers the cushion they needed.The Cardinals struck first in the second inning when Jimmy Crooks delivered an RBI hit, continuing to look comfortable in his early opportunity with St. Louis. Crooks finished with two hits and an RBI, giving the Cardinals another productive night from a young catcher trying to prove he belongs in the conversation.Nolan Gorman followed with a solo home run in the fourth, giving St. Louis a 2-0 lead and a little life from a bat that badly needs something to build on. For Gorman, every ball hit with authority matters right now. The talent has never been the question. The consistency has.Dustin May gave the Cardinals a strong enough foundation to win the game. The right-hander worked 5.2 innings, allowing three earned runs while striking out nine. It was not spotless, but it was competitive, and the strikeout total showed the kind of stuff that can still play when he is around the zone and attacking hitters.Texas began chipping away in the fifth, tied the game, then took the lead before the Cardinals answered back in the seventh. Alec Burleson and Jordan Walker helped bring St. Louis even at 4-4, and for a moment it felt like the Cardinals had taken the game back to level ground.But level ground did not last.The Rangers pushed ahead late, and the ninth inning decided it. O’Brien, who has been one of the more important arms in the Cardinals bullpen, did not have his cleanest command. Texas took advantage with hard contact, good at-bats and enough pressure to separate the game before Jakob Junis closed it out in the bottom half.That was the difference. The Cardinals had enough hits to win, but not enough damage. Texas had fewer hits, but made its late ones count.Nathan Eovaldi did not exactly cruise through the St. Louis lineup. The Cardinals got to him for 11 hits and four runs over six innings, but Eovaldi limited the bigger inning. That was the separator on the pitching side. He bent often. He did not break enough.The Cardinals also had one of the defensive highlights of the night from Masyn Winn, who continues to make difficult plays look routine. That should not get lost in the loss. Neither should the recognition rookie second baseman JJ Wetherholt received before the game, having been named the Sports Info Solutions Defensive Infielder of the Month after leading all second basemen with seven defensive runs saved in May.But the final story was not defense. It was missed opportunity.St. Louis fell to 31-28 with the loss and has now dropped the first two games of the series to Texas. The Rangers, meanwhile, continued their strong run and secured the series before Wednesday’s finale.The Cardinals will try to avoid the sweep Wednesday night, with Andre Pallante scheduled to start against left-hander MacKenzie Gore.For St. Louis, this was not a lifeless loss. It was more frustrating than that. The Cardinals had baserunners, they had chances, they had the game tied late, and they had their home crowd in it.Then Texas took the ninth inning, and with it, the game. 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: Maysn Winn, St. Louis Cardinals | St. Louis American

Cardinals Collect 13 Hits but Let Late Game Slip Away Against Texas

The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Look to Salvage Finale Against Rangers Before Brief Reset St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals have one more chance to get something out of this series before the Texas Rangers leave town.After dropping the first two games of the three-game set at Busch Stadium, St. Louis returns Wednesday night looking to avoid a sweep and steady itself before Thursday’s open date. The Cardinals came into the series trying to build on a long homestand, but Texas has taken the first two games — a 2-1 win behind Jacob deGrom on Monday, followed by a 7-4 comeback win Tuesday night.&nbsp;Wednesday’s finale is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. CT at Busch Stadium, with right-hander Andre Pallante expected to start for the Cardinals against Rangers left-hander MacKenzie Gore. Pallante enters at 5-4 with a 4.19 ERA, while Gore comes in at 4-4 with a 3.96 ERA.&nbsp;For St. Louis, the assignment is plain enough. Get a win. Salvage the finale. Stop letting winnable games leak away.Tuesday night was especially frustrating because the Cardinals had traffic all over the bases and still came up short. St. Louis outhit Texas 13-9 but went just 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base in a 7-4 loss. That is the kind of box score that tells on a club. Hits are nice. Pressure is better. Runs are the point.Dustin May gave the Cardinals a competitive start Tuesday, striking out nine over 5 2/3 innings, but Texas kept hanging around and eventually broke through in the ninth. Joc Pederson delivered the tiebreaking single, and the Rangers added enough insurance to turn a tight game into another Cardinals loss. Texas has now won five straight, while St. Louis has dropped seven of its last nine. (Reuters)That is not panic territory, but it is attention-getting territory.The Cardinals entered Tuesday in second place in the National League Central, 5.5 games behind Milwaukee — their largest deficit of the season — and percentage points ahead of Pittsburgh and Chicago. The margin in this division is not wide enough to casually give away games at home, especially during a nine-game homestand that still has Cincinnati waiting this weekend.&nbsp;Pallante’s start becomes important for more than the usual reasons. The Cardinals need length. They need strikes. They need a starter who can keep Texas from immediately putting pressure on a bullpen that has taken some late-inning lumps. Pallante does not have to be perfect, but he does need to keep the ball on the ground, work ahead, and prevent the Rangers from turning the early innings into another uphill climb.The matchup will not be easy. Gore gives Texas a left-handed starter with enough stuff to make life uncomfortable, and the Cardinals’ offense cannot afford another night of empty traffic. Against a lefty, St. Louis needs disciplined at-bats, clean situational hitting, and production from the middle of the order. The Cardinals have scored two or fewer runs in 20 games this season and are 2-18 in those games. When they score four or more, they are 26-5. That is not complicated math. It is baseball with the decimals removed.&nbsp;There were positives Tuesday, even inside the loss. Jimmy Crooks drove in his first Major League run. Nolan Gorman hit his seventh home run of the season. Masyn Winn continued to show why his glove belongs on every highlight reel, and his bat remains especially comfortable against teams from his home state of Texas. The Cardinals’ game notes pointed out that both of Winn’s home runs this season have come against Texas-based clubs, and he has hit safely in six of seven career games against the Rangers.&nbsp;JJ Wetherholt also remains one of the better ongoing stories around this club. The rookie second baseman was named Sports Info Solutions Defensive Infielder of the Month after posting seven defensive runs saved in May, the most among all second basemen. That is not just a nice rookie note. That is impact defense from a young player in a position where the Cardinals badly needed stability.&nbsp;Still, Wednesday is not about silver linings. It is about stopping the slide.Texas has already won the series. The Rangers are playing with confidence, and Skip Schumaker’s club has looked comfortable in St. Louis. Now the Cardinals have to answer before the open date, because there is a difference between losing a series and getting swept at home.One win will not fix everything. It will not erase the missed chances from Tuesday or the narrow loss Monday. But it would give the Cardinals a cleaner reset before Cincinnati arrives and keep this homestand from drifting further off course.Sometimes a finale is not about making a statement.<p style="border-color: #e5e7eb; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-weight: 300; font-family: 'Hanken Grotesk', sans-serif;" data-mce-style="border-color: #e5e7eb; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-weight: 300; font-family: 'Hanken Grotesk', sans-serif;">Sometimes it is about avoiding a mess.<p style="border-color: #e5e7eb; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-weight: 300; font-family: 'Hanken Grotesk', sans-serif;" data-mce-style="border-color: #e5e7eb; --tw-border-spacing-y: 0; --tw-translate-x: 0; --tw-translate-y: 0; --tw-rotate: 0; --tw-skew-x: 0; --tw-skew-y: 0; --tw-scale-x: 1; --tw-scale-y: 1; --tw-scroll-snap-strictness: proximity; --tw-ring-offset-width: 0px; --tw-ring-offset-color: #fff; --tw-ring-color: rgba(62,172,255,.5); --tw-ring-offset-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-ring-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow: 0 0 #0000; --tw-shadow-colored: 0 0 #0000; --tw-transform: translateX(0) translateY(0) rotate(0) skewX(0) skewY(0) scaleX(1) scaleY(1); --tw-border-opacity: 1; font-size: 18px; line-height: 28px; font-weight: 300; font-family: 'Hanken Grotesk', sans-serif;">That is where the Cardinals are Wednesday night. Game Day Information&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When: Wednesday, June 3, 2026 First pitch: 6:45 p.m. CT Where: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable pitchers: LHP MacKenzie Gore vs. RHP Andre Pallante Broadcast: Cardinals.TV / KMOX / WIJRThe 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: Texas @ St. Louis 6/2/26 | Lone Star Ball

Cardinals Look to Salvage Finale Against Rangers Before Brief Reset

The Cardinal Chronicle MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurBrandt Thompson is The Cardinal Chronicle’s Minor League Pitcher of the Day after giving Memphis six valuable innings in his Triple-A debut Tuesday night.Thompson entered after Tink Hence served as the opener and worked six innings, allowing three runs on four hits, with two walks and three strikeouts in Memphis’ 6-5 extra-inning loss to Louisville.The final line was not spotless, but the assignment matters.This was Thompson’s first appearance at Triple-A, and he came into a game that eventually stretched 11 innings. Memphis needed length. Thompson gave them exactly that. After some early damage, he settled in and retired 11 of 12 hitters during one strong stretch, giving the Redbirds a chance to keep working their way back into the game.That kind of outing matters in a farm system. Not every Pitcher of the Day performance is going to be seven shutout innings with double-digit strikeouts. Sometimes it is a pitcher stepping into a new level, taking the baseball, absorbing innings, and keeping his club close.That is what Thompson did.Yhoiker Fajardo deserves mention after allowing just one run over 4.2 innings in Peoria’s 11-1 win, but Thompson’s six innings in his Triple-A debut stand out.Old School TakeYou find out something about a pitcher when he moves up a level.Thompson did not have a perfect night, but he did not blink either. He gave Memphis six innings, kept the game within reach, and showed he could handle the moment in his Triple-A debut. That is a good first impression. 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: Brandt Thompson, Missouri State | Missouri State Athletics

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds

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

The Cardinal Notebook

MiLB Player of the Day: Former Tiger Bligh Madris

Farm Report: Memphis Scores 18, Peoria Ties Home Run Record

Tink Hence Takes First Step Back in One-Inning Opening Ro...

Cardinals Collect 13 Hits but Let Late Game Slip Away Aga...

Cardinals Look to Salvage Finale Against Rangers Before B...

MiLB Pitcher of the Day: Brandt Thompson, Memphis Redbirds