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The Cardinal Chronicle McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Important Giants Series St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals did enough in Los Angeles and Colorado to keep September alive.Now comes the part of the schedule they have to take advantage of.St. Louis opens a three-game series tonight against the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park, beginning the final stop of a nine-game West Coast road trip that has already included series wins over the Dodgers and Rockies.First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. CT, with right-hander Michael McGreevy getting the ball for the Cardinals against Giants right-hander Logan Webb.The Cardinals enter at 72-72, back at .500 after Sunday’s 10-8 win over Colorado. San Francisco comes in at 59-85, buried in the National League West and playing out the final month, but the Cardinals are not in position to treat anyone lightly.Not now.Not in September.Not with 18 games left and St. Louis still four games behind Arizona for the final National League Wild Card spot.The Cardinals have spent too much of the season climbing back to even, falling back, and climbing again. They got back to .500 on Sunday because Cooper Hjerpe gave them one of the best debut relief appearances a Cardinals pitcher could have given under the circumstances.Four perfect innings.Six strikeouts.No walks.A first major league win.That is more than a nice story. That is the kind of performance that helped save a game, save a bullpen, and give St. Louis a series win in a ballpark where nothing ever feels finished.The Cardinals trailed 5-1 when Hjerpe entered Sunday. They answered with a six-run fifth inning, capped by Nolan Gorman’s go-ahead homer. Iván Herrera and Alec Burleson each had three hits. Thomas Saggese and Joshua Báez had two hits apiece. Leo Bernal drove in two more runs. The Cardinals scored all 10 runs with two outs.That is the kind of offensive pressure they need to carry into San Francisco.This is not just another series.The Cardinals will see the Giants six times in the next 10 days, and this stretch matters. St. Louis has 15 of its final 18 games against teams currently under .500 before finishing the regular season with three at Milwaukee. That does not guarantee anything. It only creates an opening.The Cardinals have to be good enough to walk through it.That starts tonight with McGreevy.McGreevy enters at 6-9 with a 3.97 ERA and 102 strikeouts. His record does not tell the full story, but the assignment is still clear. The Cardinals need length, strikes and a steady start after a week that has already asked plenty from the pitching staff.McGreevy has had some history with San Francisco. He has won both of his career starts at Oracle Park, though his overall numbers against the Giants have been uneven. That is the kind of thing the Cardinals will take, but they need more than good memories. They need him to keep the ball on the ground, stay out of the middle of the plate and avoid giving the Giants extra traffic.The biggest name on the scouting report is Rafael Devers.Devers has been one of the hottest hitters in baseball, with six home runs in seven games entering the series. He has 35 home runs on the season and is trying to give San Francisco its first 40-homer year since Barry Bonds in 2004. He also has done damage against McGreevy in a small head-to-head sample, including two home runs.That is not a matchup to play casually.McGreevy does not have to pitch around the whole lineup. He does have to know where the damage is. No free baserunners in front of Devers. No mistakes in the middle of the zone. No innings extended by walks or defensive mistakes.San Francisco’s record is poor, but the Giants still have enough offense to make a game uncomfortable. Jung Hoo Lee leads them in average. Bryce Eldridge has been part of the middle-order mix. Logan Webb gives them a veteran starter capable of turning a game into a grind if the Cardinals let him settle in.Webb enters at 8-8 with a 4.21 ERA and 119 strikeouts.He has not been sharp lately, failing to get through the fourth inning in two of his last three starts while allowing 16 runs and 20 hits over 10 2/3 innings in that stretch. That does not mean the Cardinals can assume anything. Webb has been around long enough to know how to pitch, and he can still get ground balls, change speeds and make hitters beat the ball into the dirt when they get impatient.The Cardinals cannot help him reset.They need traffic early. They need to make Webb work from the stretch. They need Herrera, Burleson, Walker, Báez, Gorman, Saggese, Bernal and the rest of the lineup to carry the pressure they showed in Colorado into the first game of this series.Herrera is the hottest bat in the lineup right now. He went 7-for-15 with two home runs and eight RBIs in the Colorado series and has two or more hits in six of his last seven games. When Herrera is seeing the ball well, the Cardinals lineup looks different. He lengthens innings, drives in runs and gives St. Louis another dangerous bat around Burleson and Walker.Saggese has been another bright spot on this road trip. He has produced extra-base hits, driven in runs and given the Cardinals real energy from a spot that could have easily gone quiet. Báez continues to bring the kind of power that changes a game quickly. Bernal has made the most of his early major league opportunity. Burleson remains the steady run producer. Walker remains the biggest home run threat.There is enough offense here to win games.The Cardinals just have to stop waiting until the game is already leaning the wrong way.That was the lesson in Colorado. St. Louis survived Coors Field, but survival cannot be the plan every night. The Cardinals had to rally Friday. They let Saturday slip away. They needed Hjerpe’s perfect debut and a two-out offensive avalanche Sunday to take the series.That is fine for one weekend.It cannot be the way September is played.Against the Giants, the Cardinals need cleaner baseball. They need McGreevy to keep the game in front of him. They need the offense to make Webb uncomfortable early. They need to avoid the late-inning chaos that has followed this team too often.The Giants are not playing for a postseason spot. The Cardinals still are.That should show up from the first inning.This is the kind of series St. Louis has to win if the final three weeks are going to matter. The Cardinals took two of three from the Dodgers. They took two of three from the Rockies. Now they have a chance to make this a winning road trip in a much bigger way.A win tonight guarantees at least a 5-2 start to the trip and gives St. Louis a chance to take control of the series.A loss gives San Francisco life and puts the Cardinals right back into the familiar position of needing to chase another series from behind.September does not leave much room for that.The Cardinals do not need promises about tomorrow.They need to win games today.McGreevy gets the ball.Webb stands in the way.Devers is hot.Herrera is hotter.The road trip is still there to be strengthened.Now the Cardinals have to play like this opportunity matters.Game Info Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals at San Francisco Giants When: Monday, September 7, 2026 First Pitch: 7:10 p.m. CT / 5:10 p.m. PT Where: Oracle Park, San Francisco Probable Pitchers: RHP Michael McGreevy vs. RHP Logan Webb McGreevy: 6-9, 3.97 ERA, 102 SO Webb: 8-8, 4.21 ERA, 119 SO Records: Cardinals 72-72; Giants 59-85 Broadcast: NBC / PeacockThe Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

McGreevy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Open Important Giants Series

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Dos Santos Homers Twice, Molina Dominates for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinal Chronicle Farm Report is your most complete daily look at the Cardinals’ minor league system — from box scores and standings to standout performances, prospect notes and the daily Top 30 Prospect Watch.Sunday was another strong day across the Cardinals’ system.Memphis finished off a shutout win behind six scoreless innings from Mason Molina. Springfield broke open a close game late and won again at Corpus Christi. Palm Beach turned its lineup loose in a 13-run win over Daytona. Peoria dropped a close one to Quad Cities.The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates finished 3-1.Sebastian Dos Santos, the MLB Pipeline No. 14 prospect, earned Hitter of the Day honors after going 2-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks for Palm Beach. Mason Molina, the MLB Pipeline No. 18 prospect, earned Pitcher of the Day honors after working six scoreless innings for Memphis.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 76-62 Second Half: 29-34, 8th in the International League West, 7.0 GB Streak: W4Memphis 3, Durham 0Memphis made it four straight with a clean shutout win.The Redbirds beat Durham, 3-0, scoring once in the second and twice in the third. Memphis finished with three runs on six hits, while the pitching staff held Durham scoreless on two hits.Chase Davis drove in two runs and doubled. Zach Levenson homered and drove in the other Memphis run. Noah Mendlinger went 2-for-4 and scored, while Ramon Mendoza also scored.On the mound, this was Mason Molina’s day.Molina worked six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out nine.His final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 KAndrew Schultz followed with two scoreless innings, and Ryan Murphy worked a clean ninth. Memphis pitchers combined for a two-hit shutout with 12 strikeouts.Takeaway: Memphis has won four straight, and Molina gave the Redbirds one of the best starts in the system this week.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 74-57 Second Half: 43-20, 1st in the Texas League North, 6.0 games ahead Streak: W4Springfield 8, Corpus Christi 2Springfield keeps putting wins away.The Cardinals beat Corpus Christi, 8-2, using a six-run eighth inning to break open a close game. Springfield finished with eight runs on seven hits and held the Hooks to three hits.Jesús Báez, the MLB Pipeline No. 21 prospect, had the big offensive day, going 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored. Ian Petrutz also homered and drove in four.Rainiel Rodriguez, the MLB Pipeline No. 1 prospect, went 1-for-4 with a walk. Tre Richardson III had a hit, a run and a walk, while Cade McGee scored and stole a base.On the mound, Yhoiker Fajardo, the MLB Pipeline No. 11 prospect, allowed two runs over 3.2 innings, and then the bullpen took over. Michael Watson, Nolan Sparks, Randel Clemente and Darlin Saladin combined for 5.1 scoreless innings, allowing no hits while striking out 10.Takeaway: Springfield won its fourth straight, moved six games up in the Texas League North, and got a dominant night from the bullpen.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 63-68 Second Half: 31-34, 5th in the Midwest League West, 9.5 GB Streak: L1Quad Cities 3, Peoria 2The Chiefs fell 3-2 to Quad Cities despite matching the River Bandits with seven hits. Quad Cities scored twice in the first and once in the eighth, while Peoria scored single runs in the third and fifth.Yordalin Peña supplied the offense, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, two RBIs and two runs scored.His final line: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 RJosé Suárez added two hits. Caden Ferraro and Tristan Bissetta each doubled. Brayden Smith stole his fourth base.On the mound, Cade Crossland, the MLB Pipeline No. 28 prospect, gave Peoria six strong innings. He allowed five hits, two runs, one earned, and two walks while striking out four.His final line: 6.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 KLiam Best worked a scoreless seventh, while Dylan Driessen and Rubén Menes covered the final two innings.Takeaway: Peña homered twice and Crossland gave Peoria a quality start, but the Chiefs could not find the tying run after Quad Cities scored in the eighth.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 67-65 Second Half: 34-32, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 3.5 GB Streak: W2Palm Beach 13, Daytona 5Palm Beach powered up in a big way.The Cardinals beat Daytona, 13-5, scoring five runs in the first, then adding runs in the third, fourth, sixth and eighth. Palm Beach finished with 13 runs on 11 hits and five home runs.Sebastian Dos Santos, the MLB Pipeline No. 14 prospect, led the way, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.His final line: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BBOwen Henne also homered, went 2-for-5 and drove in four. J.P. Cabrera went 2-for-5 with a double, a home run and four RBIs. Gabe Camacho homered, drove in a run and scored twice.Alexander Frias, the MLB Pipeline No. 4 prospect, went 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored. Ryan Mitchell, the MLB Pipeline No. 24 prospect, reached twice, scored twice and walked.On the mound, Brian Garmon worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts. Nathan Shinn finished with two innings, allowing one unearned run. Palm Beach pitchers struck out 10.Takeaway: Palm Beach hit five home runs, scored 13 runs and moved within 3.5 games in the Florida State League East.Top 30 Prospect Watch Rainiel Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline No. 1, went 1-for-4 with a walk for Springfield. His season line is listed at .314 with a .960 OPS, 24 home runs and 82 RBIs.Liam Doyle, MLB Pipeline No. 2, did not pitch Sunday. His season line is listed at 3.77 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 125 strikeouts over 98.0 innings.Alexander Frias, MLB Pipeline No. 4, went 1-for-2 with three walks and two runs scored for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .314 with a .905 OPS, 10 home runs and 73 RBIs.Jurrangelo Cijntje, MLB Pipeline No. 9, did not pitch Sunday. His season line is listed at 5.12 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 154 strikeouts over 123.0 innings.Josiah Ragsdale, MLB Pipeline No. 10, went 0-for-4 with a walk and a run scored for Springfield. His season line is listed at .305 with a .987 OPS, 24 home runs and 64 RBIs.Yhoiker Fajardo, MLB Pipeline No. 11, worked 3.2 innings, allowing two runs on three hits with no walks and three strikeouts for Springfield. His season line is listed at 3.82 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 130 strikeouts over 101.1 innings.Sebastian Dos Santos, MLB Pipeline No. 14, went 2-for-3 with two home runs, two RBIs, two runs and two walks for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .252 with an .891 OPS, 16 home runs and 52 RBIs.Mason Molina, MLB Pipeline No. 18, worked six scoreless innings, allowing two hits and one walk while striking out nine for Memphis. His season line is listed at 3.82 ERA, 1.29 WHIP and 140 strikeouts over 113.0 innings.Jesús Báez, MLB Pipeline No. 21, went 3-for-5 with a home run, two RBIs and two runs scored for Springfield. His season line is listed at .281 with a .907 OPS, 37 home runs and 103 RBIs.Ryan Mitchell, MLB Pipeline No. 24, went 1-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .231 with a .754 OPS, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.Cade Crossland, MLB Pipeline No. 28, worked six innings, allowing two runs, one earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out four for Peoria. His season line is listed at 4.35 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 138 strikeouts over 97.1 innings.Jack Gurevitch, MLB Pipeline No. 30, went 1-for-5 for Springfield. His season line is listed at .276 with an .873 OPS, 28 home runs and 87 RBIs.Quick Hits: 10 Players, 10 Stats 1. Sebastian Dos Santos, Palm Beach: 2-for-3, two home runs, two RBIs, two runs, two walks. MLB Pipeline No. 142. Mason Molina, Memphis: 6.0 scoreless innings, two hits, one walk, nine strikeouts. MLB Pipeline No. 183. Jesús Báez, Springfield: 3-for-5, home run, two RBIs, two runs. MLB Pipeline No. 214. Yordalin Peña, Peoria: 2-for-4, two home runs, two RBIs, two runs.5. Owen Henne, Palm Beach: 2-for-5, home run, four RBIs, two runs.6. J.P. Cabrera, Palm Beach: 2-for-5, double, home run, four RBIs, run scored.7. Alexander Frias, Palm Beach: 1-for-2, three walks, two runs. MLB Pipeline No. 48. Cade Crossland, Peoria: 6.0 innings, five hits, two runs, one earned run, two walks, four strikeouts. MLB Pipeline No. 289. Michael Watson, Springfield: 1.1 scoreless innings, no hits, one walk, three strikeouts.10. Brian Garmon, Palm Beach: 2.0 scoreless innings, one hit, no walks, four strikeouts.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Sebastian Dos Santos, 3B, Palm Beach Cardinals MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 14Dos Santos had the loudest offensive line in the system.His final line: 2-for-3, 2 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R, 2 BBTwo home runs. Two walks. Two runs scored. A Palm Beach win.That is a Player of the Day performance.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Mason Molina, Memphis Redbirds MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 18Molina gave Memphis six scoreless innings and set the tone in a shutout win.His final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 9 KSix scoreless. Two hits allowed. Nine strikeouts. One walk. A Memphis win.That is a Pitcher of the Day performance.The Final Word Sunday belonged to the pitching in Memphis and the power in Palm Beach.Mason Molina gave Memphis six scoreless innings, and the Redbirds finished off a two-hit shutout for their fourth straight win. Springfield won its fourth straight and pushed its Texas League North lead to six games. Palm Beach hit five home runs and scored 13 runs. Peoria lost a close one despite two home runs from Yordalin Peña and six strong innings from Cade Crossland.The affiliates finished 3-1.Memphis pitched. Springfield surged late. Palm Beach powered up. Peoria came up short.That is the farm report.

Farm Report: Dos Santos Homers Twice, Molina Dominates

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Cardinals Lose Early Lead, Fall to Rockies 10-7 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals had the start they wanted Saturday night at Coors Field.They did not have the finish.Joshua Báez and Iván Herrera homered, St. Louis built a 3-0 lead, and the Cardinals looked like they were in position to take control of the weekend series against the Colorado Rockies.Then the fifth inning happened.Colorado scored six runs in the bottom of the fifth, added four more in the seventh, and held off a late St. Louis push to beat the Cardinals, 10-7, Saturday night in Denver.It was another Coors Field game that got sideways fast.The Cardinals entered the night at .500, coming off Friday’s wild 7-6 comeback win over Colorado and still trying to build on the momentum they created by taking two of three from the Dodgers in Los Angeles. For four innings Saturday, they had the game where they wanted it.Matthew Liberatore had kept the Rockies scoreless.Báez had supplied the first run.Herrera had added a two-run homer.The Cardinals led by three.Then the game turned completely.St. Louis struck first in the second inning when Báez drove a solo home run to left field, his seventh homer of the season. The swing gave the Cardinals a 1-0 lead and continued to show the raw power that has made Báez one of the most intriguing young bats in the organization.When he gets to it, it goes.That was the case again Saturday.The Cardinals added on in the fifth. Nathan Church reached ahead of Herrera, and Herrera drove a two-run home run to center field, his 16th of the season, pushing the lead to 3-0.At that point, St. Louis had the scoreboard, the early power and a starter who had avoided trouble.But no lead is safe at Coors Field.That was proven again in the bottom of the fifth.Colorado began chipping away against Liberatore. Cole Carrigg scored on Troy Johnston’s single to right, with Johnston advancing to second on a throwing error by Jordan Walker. Adael Amador followed with a single to left, scoring Johnston and cutting the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2.The inning kept moving.A wild pitch by Liberatore allowed Amador to score and tied the game, 3-3. Then the Rockies took advantage of more chaos on the bases. Ezequiel Tovar stole home as Jake McCarthy stole second, and a throwing error by Leo Bernal allowed McCarthy to move to third.Just like that, Colorado had the lead.That was the kind of sequence that changes a game and leaves a team chasing everything it had just controlled.Liberatore exited, but the Rockies were not finished. Connor Norby singled to right off Luis Gastelum, scoring McCarthy and making it 5-3. TJ Rumfield followed with a double to center, scoring Norby and stretching the Colorado lead to 6-3.Six runs.One inning.A 3-0 Cardinals lead had become a three-run deficit.That was the game’s turning point.Liberatore finished with 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits. He walked two and struck out three. The line does not show a disaster through four innings, but it shows how quickly things fell apart once Colorado found traffic and the Cardinals began helping the inning along.That has been the frustration with Liberatore.There are stretches where the ability is visible. There are also stretches where the inning gets away before the Cardinals can stop it. Saturday night, that inning was the fifth, and it changed everything.The Cardinals answered in the sixth.Leo Bernal reached and Báez followed by getting aboard, putting St. Louis in position to get back into the game. Nolan Gorman then doubled to right, scoring Bernal and moving Báez to third. Thomas Saggese followed with a sacrifice fly to right, bringing Báez home and cutting the deficit to 6-5.That was a good response by the bottom of the order.Bernal started it.Báez was in the middle of it.Gorman drove in a run.Saggese got another home.The Cardinals had pulled within one and had made the game manageable again.Then the bullpen let it get away in the seventh.Hancel Rincón took over and ran into trouble. Tovar and McCarthy reached, Norby was hit by a pitch, and Hunter Goodman delivered the biggest hit of the inning, a two-run single to left. Tovar and McCarthy scored, Norby moved to third, and Goodman advanced to second.Colorado led, 8-5.Brycen Mautz came in, but the inning continued. Carrigg singled to left, scoring Norby and moving Goodman to third. Zac Veen then put down a bunt that brought Goodman home, pushing the Rockies’ lead to 10-5.That was the second crooked number of the night.The first one flipped the game.The second one buried the Cardinals.At Coors Field, five runs down is not always over. But asking the offense to climb out of that hole after already battling back once was too much.The Cardinals did not quit.They made one more push in the ninth. Saggese scored on José Fermín’s double to center, trimming the deficit to 10-6. Herrera followed with a single to right, scoring Fermín and making it 10-7.That brought the Cardinals closer.It did not bring them all the way back.Colorado closed it out, and St. Louis walked away with a loss that dropped the Cardinals back below .500 at 71-72.That number keeps following this team.Every time the Cardinals climb back to even, the next step becomes the hardest one. They took two of three from the Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. They won a wild series opener in Colorado on Herrera’s ninth-inning homer. They had a chance Saturday to move above .500 and take the series.Instead, they gave up 10 runs after taking a 3-0 lead.That is the part that stings.The offense did enough to win some nights. The Cardinals finished with seven runs and 13 hits. Báez homered, scored twice and continued to flash impact power. Herrera homered, singled late and drove in three. Gorman doubled in a run. Saggese drove in another. Fermín doubled home a run in the ninth. Church scored ahead of Herrera’s homer.There were positive swings.There was not enough pitching.And there was not enough clean baseball.The Cardinals committed two errors, both coming in that damaging fifth inning. Walker’s throwing error helped move Johnston into scoring position, and Bernal’s throwing error on the double steal allowed McCarthy to reach third after Tovar stole home.Those plays mattered.So did the wild pitch.So did the inability to shut the inning down once Colorado started rolling.The Rockies did not just hit their way back into the game. They ran their way back into it. They forced action. They made the Cardinals make plays. St. Louis did not make enough of them.That is losing baseball.Colorado finished with 10 runs on 11 hits. Goodman drove in two. Carrigg had multiple hits and drove in a run. Johnston and Amador produced run-scoring singles. Norby singled home a run. Rumfield doubled home another. Veen executed the bunt that pushed the lead to five.The Rockies scored six in the fifth without needing a home run.Then they scored four in the seventh by keeping pressure on the Cardinals’ bullpen.It was not one swing.It was a pileup.That is what made it worse for St. Louis.Friday night, Herrera rescued a game that had nearly slipped away. Saturday night, the Cardinals could not find another miracle. They got the ninth-inning rally started, but the earlier damage was too much.This is the difference between a good week and a real run.The Cardinals have shown they can play with good teams. They proved that in Los Angeles. They have shown they can get production from the young players. Báez, Bernal, Saggese, Church and others have made September more interesting. They have shown they can create offense in difficult places.But the same old issues keep showing up.A starter cannot finish the fifth.The bullpen gives away separation.The defense adds fuel to the inning.The offense has to spend the rest of the night trying to climb back.That formula is hard to survive in April.In September, it is almost impossible.The Cardinals are still alive enough to make the math matter, but they cannot keep giving away games against teams they should beat. Colorado is a dangerous place to play because of the ballpark, but the Rockies entered the night well out of contention. St. Louis needed to take advantage of that.Instead, the Cardinals let a winnable game turn into another missed chance.Now Sunday becomes the series.The Cardinals can still leave Colorado with a series win. That matters. But after leading 3-0 Saturday and getting seven runs on 13 hits, this one will feel like a game they should have had.The offense gave them a start.The pitching and defense could not protect it.The Rockies scored six in the fifth.They added four in the seventh.The Cardinals rallied late, but not enough.Colorado beat St. Louis, 10-7.And once again, the Cardinals are back below .500, trying to prove the next win can finally become the start of something more.The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Cardinals Lose Early Lead, Fall to Rockies 10-7

The Cardinal Chronicle Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Try to Take Series at Coors Field St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals had a chance Saturday night to take the series in Colorado.Instead, they let another game get away in the middle innings.Now St. Louis returns to Coors Field on Sunday afternoon with the series tied, the road trip still in good shape, and one more chance to leave Denver with a series win instead of another missed opportunity.First pitch is scheduled for 2:10 p.m. CT, with right-hander Kyle Leahy getting the ball for the Cardinals against Rockies right-hander Tanner Gordon.The Cardinals enter at 71-72, while Colorado comes in at 55-87. The series is tied at one game apiece after St. Louis rallied for a 7-6 win Friday night and Colorado answered with a 10-7 win Saturday.That makes Sunday simple.Win the game.Win the series.Get back to .500 before heading to San Francisco.The Cardinals had the right start Saturday. Joshua Báez homered in the second inning. Iván Herrera added a two-run homer in the fifth. Matthew Liberatore retired 12 of the first 13 hitters he faced, and St. Louis carried a 3-0 lead into the bottom of the fifth.Then Coors Field did what Coors Field does.The game came apart quickly.Colorado scored six runs in the fifth, helped by singles, stolen bases, wild pitches and defensive mistakes. The Rockies added four more in the seventh, and suddenly the Cardinals were chasing another game they had once controlled.St. Louis did not quit. Nolan Gorman doubled in a run. Thomas Saggese added a sacrifice fly. José Fermín doubled home a run in the ninth. Herrera drove in another with a single. The Cardinals even got the potential tying run to the plate before Leo Bernal lined out to right to end it.But effort after falling behind is not the same thing as finishing a game.That has been the story too often.The Cardinals have enough fight to make things interesting. They have not always had enough clean baseball to turn those games into wins.Now Leahy gets the ball in a place that means something personally. He is a Colorado native, and he will be asked to help St. Louis steady the series after the bullpen had to cover too much work through the first two games in Denver.Leahy enters at 10-4 with a 3.13 ERA, a 1.31 WHIP and 118 strikeouts. He has been one of the steadier arms on a staff that has needed stability all season, but he is also expected to work on a tight pitch limit. That makes the first few innings even more important.The Cardinals cannot afford a stressful start.Not at Coors Field.Not with a bullpen that already has been asked to handle heavy innings.Not with a road trip that still has three games waiting in San Francisco.Leahy’s assignment is not complicated, but it will not be easy. He needs to throw strikes, keep the ball down, avoid free baserunners and make Colorado earn its traffic. The Rockies are buried in the standings, but they can still hit. Jake McCarthy has been one of their top performers. TJ Rumfield has swung the bat well lately. Hunter Goodman remains a power threat, and Colorado’s lineup just showed what can happen when one inning starts to move downhill.The Cardinals cannot keep helping.No extra outs.No wild pitches that turn traffic into runs.No defensive mistakes that extend innings.No walks in front of hitters who can drive the ball into the gaps.That matters everywhere, but it matters more in Denver.On the other side, Gordon enters at 1-4 with a 5.18 ERA, a 1.40 WHIP and 72 strikeouts. The Cardinals should see this as a matchup they can attack, but that does not mean they can treat it like it will happen automatically.They need pressure early.They need Walker, Burleson, Herrera, Báez, Gorman, Saggese, Bernal, Fermín and the rest of the lineup to make Gordon work from the first inning. They need baserunners in front of the power. They need the kind of at-bats that force Colorado into its bullpen before the game can settle.Walker still leads the Cardinals with 28 home runs and remains one of the biggest bats in the lineup. Saggese has been one of the hottest hitters on the club, going 11-for-20 with three home runs and eight RBIs over his last 10 games. Herrera has homered in back-to-back games and continues to give St. Louis important offense from behind the plate.The Cardinals have enough bats to win this game.They just have to stop making the offense climb out of holes created by messy innings.Sunday is not about style points. It is not about making some grand statement. It is about taking care of a winnable game against a last-place team and keeping the road trip pointed in the right direction.The Cardinals have already taken two of three from the Dodgers on this trip. They had Friday’s comeback win in Colorado. Even with Saturday’s loss, they are 3-2 through the first five games of the trip.That is not bad.But this is where good road trips become better ones.A win Sunday gives the Cardinals a series victory at Coors Field, gets them back to .500 and sends them to San Francisco with something to build on. A loss gives Colorado the series and turns Saturday’s blown lead into the defining moment of the weekend.The Cardinals do not have room for that.September does not leave much room for explanations. The injuries are real. The pitching staff is thin. The bullpen is stretched. The lineup is still missing key pieces. All of that is true.But the standings do not care.The Cardinals need wins.Leahy gets the ball.Gordon stands in the way.The series is there to be taken.Now St. Louis has to play clean enough to take it.Game Info Matchup: St. Louis Cardinals at Colorado Rockies When: Sunday, September 6, 2026 First Pitch: 2:10 p.m. CT / 1:10 p.m. MT Where: Coors Field, Denver Probable Pitchers: RHP Kyle Leahy vs. RHP Tanner Gordon Leahy: 10-4, 3.13 ERA, 1.31 WHIP, 118 SO Gordon: 1-4, 5.18 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 72 SO Records: Cardinals 71-72; Rockies 55-87 Broadcast: Cardinals.TV Presented by bet365 / Rockies.TV Radio: KMOXThe Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Leahy Gets the Ball as Cardinals Try to Take Series at Coors Field

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Farm Report: Lobliner Homers Twice, Cijntje Deals for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinal Chronicle Farm Report is your most complete daily look at the Cardinals’ minor league system — from box scores and standings to standout performances, prospect notes and the daily Top 30 Prospect Watch.Saturday was a clean night on the farm.Memphis got a strong start from Jurrangelo Cijntje and held off Durham. Springfield stayed hot with another win over Corpus Christi. Peoria bounced back against Quad Cities. Palm Beach outlasted Daytona behind a two-homer night from Jayden Lobliner.The Cardinals’ full-season affiliates finished 4-0.Jayden Lobliner earned Player of the Day honors after going 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored for Palm Beach. Jurrangelo Cijntje, the MLB Pipeline No. 9 prospect, earned Pitcher of the Day honors after working six scoreless innings for Memphis.Memphis Redbirds — Triple-A Overall Record: 75-62 Second Half: 28-34, 8th in the International League West, 7.0 GB Streak: W3Memphis 3, Durham 1Memphis made three early runs stand up.The Redbirds beat Durham, 3-1, scoring single runs in the third, fourth and fifth innings. Memphis finished with three runs on nine hits and held Durham to one run, which came in the ninth.Chase Davis went 2-for-3 with a double, an RBI and a walk. Trey Paige had a perfect night at the plate, going 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored. Ramon Mendoza doubled and scored, while Colton Ledbetter and Brody Moore each drove in a run.On the mound, Jurrangelo Cijntje gave Memphis exactly what it needed. He worked six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five.His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 KBobby Olsen followed with two scoreless innings, and Matt Svanson finished the ninth. Memphis pitching allowed no earned runs and walked only two.Takeaway: Memphis has won three straight, and Cijntje gave the Redbirds six clean innings in one of his best outings of the season.Springfield Cardinals — Double-A Overall Record: 73-57 Second Half: 42-20, 1st in the Texas League North, 5.0 games ahead Streak: W3Springfield 6, Corpus Christi 5Springfield just keeps winning and winning.The Cardinals beat Corpus Christi, 6-5, despite being held to five hits. Springfield scored twice in the first, twice in the third, once in the fifth and once more in the eighth to edge the Hooks.Jack Gurevitch, the MLB Pipeline No. 30 prospect, delivered the big swing, going 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk. Tre Richardson III went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a walk and a stolen base.Rainiel Rodriguez, the MLB Pipeline No. 1 prospect, went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk. Jesús Báez, the MLB Pipeline No. 21 prospect, went 1-for-4 with an RBI.On the mound, Blake Aita allowed five earned runs over five innings, but the Springfield bullpen shut the door. Domenic Picone, Joseph King and Christian Worley combined for four scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six.Takeaway: Springfield’s bullpen saved the night, and the Cardinals remain five games ahead in the Texas League North.Peoria Chiefs — High-A Overall Record: 63-67 Second Half: 31-33, 5th in the Midwest League West, 8.5 GB Streak: W1Peoria 5, Quad Cities 3Peoria bounced back with a strong team win.The Chiefs beat Quad Cities, 5-3, scoring two runs in the third, two more in the fourth and one in the fifth. Peoria finished with five runs on nine hits.Andrew Williamson reached base four times, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, two runs scored, three walks and a stolen base. Caden Ferraro tripled and drove in a run. Brayden Smith added two hits and a triple. Anyelo Encarnación doubled, drove in a run and scored. José Suárez doubled, drove in a run and stole his 26th base.On the mound, Jack Martinez gave Peoria a strong start. He worked five innings, allowing two earned runs on four hits and one walk while striking out eight.His final line: 5.0 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 8 KNelfy Ynfante, Trey Pooser and Patrick Galle finished the final four innings, combining for one run allowed and five strikeouts. Peoria pitching struck out 13.Takeaway: Peoria got contributions throughout the lineup and another strong strikeout night from the pitching staff.Palm Beach Cardinals — Low-A Overall Record: 66-65 Second Half: 33-32, 2nd in the Florida State League East, 4.5 GB Streak: W1Palm Beach 8, Daytona 7Palm Beach had to hang on, but the Cardinals got it done.The Cardinals beat Daytona, 8-7, building an early lead with three runs in the second, three more in the third and another in the fourth. Daytona kept coming, but Palm Beach held on.Jayden Lobliner had the biggest offensive night in the system, going 2-for-4 with two home runs, four RBIs and two runs scored.His final line: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 RThat was the swing of the night.Gabe Camacho went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBIs. Matthew Miura went 1-for-3 with an RBI, a run scored and a walk. Alexander Frias, the MLB Pipeline No. 4 prospect, singled and scored. Ryan Mitchell, the MLB Pipeline No. 24 prospect, reached three times with a hit, two walks and a run scored.On the mound, Palm Beach had to piece it together. Jesús García worked two scoreless innings with four strikeouts in relief, while the staff struck out 12 overall.Takeaway: Lobliner’s two-homer, four-RBI game carried the offense as Palm Beach moved back over .500 overall.Top 30 Prospect Watch Rainiel Rodriguez, MLB Pipeline No. 1, went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a walk for Springfield. His season line is listed at .315 with a .963 OPS, 24 home runs and 82 RBIs.Liam Doyle, MLB Pipeline No. 2, did not pitch Saturday. His season line is listed at 3.77 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 125 strikeouts over 98.0 innings.Alexander Frias, MLB Pipeline No. 4, went 1-for-4 with a run scored for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .313 with an .899 OPS, 10 home runs and 73 RBIs.Jurrangelo Cijntje, MLB Pipeline No. 9, worked six scoreless innings for Memphis, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out five. His season line is listed at 5.12 ERA, 1.41 WHIP and 154 strikeouts over 123.0 innings.Josiah Ragsdale, MLB Pipeline No. 10, did not appear in Springfield’s box score. His season line is listed at .308 with a .995 OPS, 24 home runs and 64 RBIs.Jacob Odle, MLB Pipeline No. 13, did not pitch Saturday. His season line is listed at 3.19 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 143 strikeouts over 96.0 innings.Sebastian Dos Santos, MLB Pipeline No. 14, went 1-for-5 with a double for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .247 with an .863 OPS, 14 home runs and 50 RBIs.Jesús Báez, MLB Pipeline No. 21, went 1-for-4 with an RBI for Springfield. His season line is listed at .277 with an .897 OPS, 36 home runs and 101 RBIs.Ryan Mitchell, MLB Pipeline No. 24, went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored for Palm Beach. His season line is listed at .230 with a .755 OPS, 13 home runs and 51 RBIs.Jack Gurevitch, MLB Pipeline No. 30, went 1-for-3 with a home run, two RBIs, two runs scored and a walk for Springfield. His season line is listed at .277 with an .878 OPS, 28 home runs and 87 RBIs.Quick Hits: 10 Players, 10 Stats 1. Jayden Lobliner, Palm Beach: 2-for-4, two home runs, four RBIs, two runs.2. Jurrangelo Cijntje, Memphis: 6.0 scoreless innings, four hits, one walk, five strikeouts. MLB Pipeline No. 93. Jack Gurevitch, Springfield: 1-for-3, home run, two RBIs, two runs, walk. MLB Pipeline No. 304. Jack Martinez, Peoria: 5.0 innings, four hits, two earned runs, one walk, eight strikeouts.5. Trey Paige, Memphis: 3-for-3, double, run scored.6. Tre Richardson III, Springfield: 2-for-4, three runs, walk, stolen base.7. Andrew Williamson, Peoria: 1-for-1, RBI, two runs, three walks, stolen base.8. Gabe Camacho, Palm Beach: 2-for-4, double, two RBIs.9. Chase Davis, Memphis: 2-for-3, double, RBI, walk.10. Jesús García, Palm Beach: 2.0 scoreless innings, one hit, two walks, four strikeouts.Cardinal Chronicle Player of the Day Jayden Lobliner, C, Palm Beach CardinalsLobliner had the biggest swing in the system Saturday.His final line: 2-for-4, 2 HR, 4 RBI, 2 RTwo home runs. Four RBIs. Two runs scored. A Palm Beach win.That is a Player of the Day performance.Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day Jurrangelo Cijntje, Memphis Redbirds MLB Pipeline Ranking: No. 9Cijntje gave Memphis six scoreless innings and set the tone in a 3-1 win.His final line: 6.0 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 KSix scoreless. One walk. Five strikeouts. A Memphis win.That is a Pitcher of the Day performance.The Final Word That was a strong night across the system.Memphis won its third straight behind six scoreless innings from Jurrangelo Cijntje. Springfield won its third straight and stayed five games up in the Texas League North. Peoria bounced back against Quad Cities. Palm Beach outlasted Daytona behind two home runs from Jayden Lobliner.The affiliates finished 4-0.Memphis pitched. Springfield held on. Peoria answered. Palm Beach powered up.That is the farm report.

The Farm Report - Affiliates Went 4-0 Again

THE CARDINAL CHRONICLE Herrera’s Ninth-Inning Homer Lifts Cardinals Past Rockies, 7-6 St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals were three outs away from letting another one get away.Iván Herrera changed that with one swing.Herrera hit a go-ahead three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning Friday night at Coors Field, turning a two-run deficit into a 7-6 Cardinals win over the Colorado Rockies in the opener of a three-game series.It was Herrera’s 15th home run of the season.It was also the swing that rescued the night.St. Louis had built a 4-1 lead behind Andre Pallante, then watched Colorado storm back with four runs in the sixth and another in the seventh. The Cardinals had controlled the game early, lost control in the middle innings, and entered the ninth trailing 6-4 against Rockies closer Jordan Romano.Then Thomas Saggese and José Fermín got aboard.Herrera did the rest.He drove a fly ball to center field, clearing the bases and giving the Cardinals a 7-6 lead. In a place like Coors Field, no lead ever feels completely safe, but Herrera’s swing gave St. Louis one more chance to finish the game.Riley O’Brien took care of the final out, striking out the only batter he faced to close it down.That was enough.Barely.The Cardinals left Denver with a win that was both encouraging and messy. It was encouraging because they found a way to win a game they had nearly lost. It was messy because they had nearly lost a game they had largely controlled.That is September baseball for this club.Nothing has come easy.Friday night was no different.Colorado scored first in the bottom of the opening inning without a hit. Jake McCarthy walked, stole second and moved to third on Mickey Moniak’s groundout. Hunter Goodman followed with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring McCarthy and giving the Rockies a 1-0 lead.The Cardinals answered in the second.Jordan Walker singled to center, Leo Bernal walked and Joshua Báez reached to set up the bottom of the order. Nolan Gorman lined a single to right field, scoring Bernal and tying the game, 1-1.Saggese followed with a double to center, a ground ball that deflected off Ryan Feltner and carried into the outfield. Báez scored on the play, and the Cardinals had a 2-1 lead.That was a useful inning for St. Louis.Walker helped start it. Bernal reached. Báez was in the middle of it. Gorman delivered. Saggese followed. The Cardinals did not need the home run ball early. They just needed traffic and contact.They got both.Pallante gave the Cardinals five strong innings in his return from the injured list. He was not overpowering, but he limited damage. Colorado managed just two hits against him, and while the four walks made the line a little uneasy, Pallante kept the Rockies to one run over five innings.It was a start the Cardinals could win with.For a while, it looked like they would do that comfortably.St. Louis added two more runs in the fifth. Nathan Church reached and Bryan Torres walked before Herrera loaded the bases. Alec Burleson singled on a ground ball to shortstop, scoring Church and moving everyone up a base.That made it 3-1.Walker then lifted a fly ball to center field that became a sacrifice double play. Torres scored from third, but Herrera was thrown out trying to advance, ending the inning with the Cardinals in front, 4-1.It was not a clean inning.It did give St. Louis a three-run lead.At Coors Field, three runs can disappear quickly.They did.The sixth inning turned the game.Rincón took over for Pallante and immediately ran into trouble. TJ Rumfield singled, Cole Carrigg followed with an inside-the-park home run to right-center field, and suddenly the Cardinals’ lead was down to 4-3.The inning did not stop there.Connor Norby singled. Troy Johnston singled. Adael Amador followed with an RBI single to right, scoring Norby and tying the game, 4-4. Zac Veen then dropped down a bunt that brought Johnston home, giving Colorado a 5-4 lead.A game the Cardinals had controlled had flipped in one inning.It was the kind of Coors Field inning that can drive a manager crazy, and Oliver Marmol was ejected during the sixth as frustration boiled over.The Rockies had momentum.The Cardinals had to chase.Colorado added another run in the seventh when Rumfield homered to right-center off Justin Bruihl, stretching the lead to 6-4. That run felt big at the time. By the ninth inning, it looked even bigger.The Cardinals had gone quiet since the fifth. Colorado’s bullpen had settled the game down. The Rockies were six outs, then three outs, from taking the opener.Herrera would not let them.His ninth-inning homer was the kind of swing that changes the feel of an entire road trip. The Cardinals had just come from Los Angeles, where they took two of three from the Dodgers but missed a sweep with a ninth-inning loss. They had played good baseball, frustrating baseball and late-inning baseball all in the same week.Friday added another chapter.This time, the late inning went their way.Herrera finished 2-for-5 with three RBIs and a run scored. Burleson drove in another run. Walker had a hit and a sacrifice fly. Gorman drove in a run. Saggese doubled, scored twice and drove in a run. Bernal reached three times with a hit and two walks. Báez scored a run. Church added a hit and scored.It was not a perfect offensive night, but it was enough.The Cardinals finished with seven runs on nine hits and did not commit an error. Colorado also had nine hits, but the Rockies’ one error helped keep the ninth inning alive long enough for Herrera to punish them.That is how thin these games can be.One mistake.One swing.One final out.For the Cardinals, the bullpen line was not clean. Rincón was charged with three runs while recording just one out. Bruihl allowed two runs over an inning. Cooper Winquest stabilized the game with 1 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out one.That mattered.Winquest kept the Cardinals close enough for Herrera’s homer to matter. Without that bridge work, the ninth inning could have been cosmetic. Instead, it became the inning that won the game.O’Brien then entered for the final out and handled it with three strikes.That is the job.The Cardinals have leaned on O’Brien all season, and once again, he was there at the end. It was not a full clean inning. It was not a long save. But in a one-run game at Coors Field, with the tying run never far away, every out matters.The final one mattered most.St. Louis improved to 71-71 with the win, pulling back to .500 again. That number has followed the Cardinals all season, but Friday night at least gave them another chance to move past it.The Cardinals are still chasing.They are still imperfect.They are still living on narrow margins.But they are also still finding ways to make September interesting.Herrera’s swing made sure of that Friday night.The Cardinals had the lead.They lost it.Then Herrera took it back.St. Louis beat Colorado, 7-6, in the kind of game that was never going to be easy at Coors Field.But it counted.And right now, that is the part that matters.The Cardinal Chronicle Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

Herrera’s Ninth-Inning Homer Lifts Cardinals Past Rockies, 7-6

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 Cardinal Chronicle, Ray Mileur, Publisher

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