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The Cardinal Chronicle Cardinals Turn to Dustin May in Early Series Finale Against Pirates St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe St. Louis Cardinals do not have much time to sit on Wednesday night’s frustration.After being shut out 7-0 by the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals return to the field Thursday afternoon for a quick-turnaround series finale, with first pitch scheduled for 12:15 p.m. CT. It is the kind of old-fashioned getaway-day ballgame that gives a club a simple choice: carry last night with you, or flush it before lunch.St. Louis will send right-hander Dustin May to the mound against Pittsburgh right-hander Braxton Ashcraft as the Cardinals look to take the three-game series before heading to Cincinnati for the next leg of their NL Central stretch.The Cardinals opened the series Tuesday with a 9-6 extra-inning victory, continuing what had been a perfect start against Pittsburgh this season. That run ended Wednesday, when the Pirates snapped St. Louis’ six-game winning streak in the head-to-head matchup and handed the Cardinals one of their rougher nights of the season.Now the series sits where a lot of division series eventually land — tied, tense and waiting on the rubber game.For St. Louis, the bigger picture remains encouraging, even after Wednesday’s stumble. The Cardinals entered the Pittsburgh series having gone 14-6 since April 27, tied for one of the best marks in baseball over that span, and they remain firmly in the NL Central race. Their strong play against division opponents has helped keep them near the top of a crowded Central, where every series has a little more weight than the calendar might suggest in May.Thursday’s matchup also continues a demanding divisional run. After wrapping up with Pittsburgh, the Cardinals head to Cincinnati for three games, then continue through a stretch that includes Milwaukee and Chicago. In other words, there is not much breathing room, and there are no throwaway afternoons.May enters the start at 3-4 with a 4.81 ERA, looking to give the Cardinals the kind of steady outing they need after the bullpen was forced to absorb a difficult finish Wednesday night. The Cardinals were still within reach for much of that game before Pittsburgh broke it open late, and a quality start Thursday would go a long way toward stabilizing the series and keeping the club’s momentum from turning into a two-day skid.Ashcraft comes in at 2-2 with a 3.09 ERA for Pittsburgh, giving the Pirates a chance to leave St. Louis with a series win after dropping the opener. The Cardinals saw Ashcraft earlier this season during their four-game sweep at PNC Park, but this will be a different setting and a different kind of test with the series on the line.Offensively, St. Louis needs a cleaner day than it had Wednesday. The Cardinals had traffic, had hard contact, and had chances, but could not push a run across. That has been the difference between this club at its best and its worst. When the Cardinals score four or more runs, they have been one of the hardest teams in the league to put away. When the offense gets held down, the margin for error disappears quickly.Jordan Walker’s status will also be worth watching after he was hit on the right wrist Wednesday and left the game. Any concern involving Walker’s hand or wrist is more than a footnote, given his importance to the middle of the order and the way he has become a central part of the Cardinals’ offensive identity.The Cardinals have built much of their early-season success on close games, late offense and resilience. They lead the majors in last-at-bat wins and have been one of baseball’s best clubs in extra innings and tight finishes. That has made them dangerous, but Thursday calls for something a little simpler.Get a lead. Protect it. Win the series.After Wednesday night, that would be plenty.Game Information Matchup: Pittsburgh Pirates at St. Louis Cardinals Date: Thursday, May 21, 2026 First Pitch: 12:15 p.m. CT Location: Busch Stadium, St. Louis Probable Pitchers: RHP Braxton Ashcraft vs. RHP Dustin May TV: Cardinals.TV Radio: KMOX 104.1 FM / 1120 AM Spanish Radio: WIJR 880 AM Gates Open: 10:45 a.m.Bottom Line: The Cardinals took the opener, the Pirates answered in Game 2, and now St. Louis has a chance to win the series before taking the show on the road. A quick turnaround, a noon start and a division opponent — that is getaway-day baseball with a little bite to it. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Cardinals Turn to Dustin May in Early Series Finale Against Pirates

The Cardinal Chronicle Joshua Báez Earns Player of the Day Honors for Memphis St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurJoshua Báez gave Memphis the kind of night a club needs when the offense is trying to scratch its way back into a ballgame.The Redbirds came up short Wednesday in a 3-2 walk-off loss to Iowa, but Báez did his part. The Memphis outfielder went 3-for-4 with a double, putting together the most complete offensive performance in the Cardinals’ farm system and earning The Cardinal Chronicle Hitter of the Day honors.It was not a loud night for the Memphis lineup as a whole. The Redbirds were held scoreless through eight innings before rallying for two runs in the ninth. Nelson Velázquez brought home the first run with a sacrifice fly, and Bligh Madris followed with the game-tying single. For a moment, Memphis looked as if it might steal one late.Iowa answered in the bottom of the ninth, but Báez’s work at the plate still stood out.He was the steady bat in a game where Memphis needed every baserunner it could find. His three-hit night included a double, and he continued to show the offensive ability that has always made him one of the more intriguing names in the Cardinals’ system.Báez has long had the tools. That has never been the question. He has the frame, the athleticism and the raw power that scouts notice quickly. The developmental challenge has always been turning those tools into consistent production. Nights like Wednesday are a reminder of why the Cardinals have remained patient.There is still swing-and-miss in his game, and that is part of the evaluation. But when Báez is seeing the ball well, staying through the zone and using the field, he can impact a game in a hurry. Against Iowa, he did not need a home run to make his mark. He gave Memphis three quality at-bats that turned into hits and helped keep the Redbirds within reach.That matters.In Triple-A, the test is not just talent. It is adjustment. Pitchers have plans. Relievers have better secondary stuff. Mistakes are fewer. A young hitter has to prove he can produce even when the game is not handing him easy swings.Báez did that Wednesday.The Redbirds did not get the win, and that will always be the first line on the ledger. But player development is about more than the final score. Báez’s three-hit night was one of the bright spots on a difficult night across the system.For Memphis, it was a missed opportunity. For Báez, it was another step in the right direction.Old School TakeJoshua Báez does not need to be perfect to be interesting. He needs to keep stacking nights like this.Three hits, a double and steady production in a tight game — that plays. The tools have always been there. The next step is consistency.Wednesday night was a good one. Not flashy. Not overhyped. Just a strong Triple-A performance from a hitter trying to keep pushing his way forward. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Joshua Báez Earns Player of the Day Honors for Memphis

The Cardinal Chronicle Mason Molina Delivers Pitcher of the Day Performance for Springfield St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurMason Molina gave Springfield exactly what a club needs in the first game of a doubleheader.The left-hander worked five shutout innings Wednesday against Arkansas, allowing just two hits and giving the Cardinals a chance to steal the opener on the road. Springfield’s bullpen could not hold the lead in a 3-2 loss, but Molina’s outing stood out as the cleanest pitching performance of the night in the Cardinals’ farm system.That earns him The Cardinal Chronicle Pitcher of the Day honor.Molina did not get the win, and that is one of those little baseball injustices that has been around forever. A starter can do his job, hand over the ball with a lead, and still end up with nothing but a good line in the box score. But development does not always follow the win-loss column, and Molina’s lineThe Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

Mason Molina Delivers Pitcher of the Day Performance for Springfield

The Cardinal Chronicle A Tough Night Across the Farm System St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurIt was a tough night across the Cardinals’ minor league system Wednesday, with all four full-season affiliates landing on the wrong side of the scoreboard.Memphis lost in walk-off fashion at Iowa after rallying in the ninth inning. Springfield received strong starting pitching from Mason Molina and Brandt Thompson but dropped both ends of a doubleheader at Arkansas. Peoria made a late push but fell one run short against Cedar Rapids, while Palm Beach lost a tight one to St. Lucie despite a solid start from Alex Breckheimer and a strong bullpen strikeout showing.Hitter of the Day Joshua Báez, Memphis RedbirdsJoshua Báez gave Memphis its best offensive performance of the night, going 3-for-4 with a double in the Redbirds’ 3-2 loss at Iowa. In a game where Memphis had to fight uphill late, Báez was the most consistent bat in the lineup and helped keep the Redbirds within striking distance.Pitcher of the Day Mason Molina, Springfield CardinalsMason Molina gets the nod after delivering five shutout innings in the first game of Springfield’s doubleheader at Arkansas. Molina allowed just two hits, giving the Cardinals exactly the kind of start they needed in a seven-inning game. The bullpen could not hold the lead, but Molina’s outing stood out as the cleanest pitching performance of the night.&nbsp; Memphis Redbirds Record: 28-19, 1st, International League WestIowa 3, Memphis 2Memphis entered the ninth inning trailing 2-0 and looked as if it might steal one late.Nelson Velázquez brought home the Redbirds’ first run with a sacrifice fly, and Bligh Madris followed with a game-tying single. That pushed the game even at 2-2, but Iowa answered in the bottom of the ninth with the winning run to hand Memphis a 3-2 walk-off loss.Báez led the offense with three hits, including a double, while Madris and Velázquez drove in the two Memphis runs. It was not a loud night for the Redbirds’ bats, but they did enough late to give themselves a chance.Hunter Dobbins deserved a better ending. The right-hander turned in his first quality start of the season, working seven innings and allowing two runs on three hits. He did not walk a batter and struck out five. Cade Winquest also made a strong return from the injured list, throwing a perfect inning with two strikeouts.The loss trimmed Memphis’ lead over Nashville to a half-game in the International League standings, though the Redbirds have still spent every day of the season in at least a tie for first place.Old-school read: Dobbins gave them seven strong, Winquest looked sharp, and Memphis tied it in the ninth. That is usually enough to feel decent about the night — unless the other club gets the final swing.&nbsp; Springfield Cardinals Record: 16-25, 5th, Texas League NorthGame 1: Arkansas 3, Springfield 2 Game 2: Arkansas 10, Springfield 0Springfield got strong work from both starting pitchers Wednesday, but it was not enough to avoid a doubleheader sweep at Arkansas.Mason Molina gave the Cardinals five shutout innings in the opener, allowing just two hits. Springfield had a 2-0 lead behind solo home runs from Ryan Campos and Chase Davis, but Arkansas rallied late for a 3-2 win. Davis now leads Springfield with seven home runs, while Campos has five.In the second game, Brandt Thompson struck out a season-high nine batters over 4 2/3 innings. He allowed two runs on three hits, but Arkansas eventually pulled away for a 10-0 win.There was also one notable streak ending: Travis Honeyman did not reach base, snapping his 18-game on-base streak.The Cardinals’ starters did their part. Molina was excellent, and Thompson missed bats at a high level. But Springfield did not get enough from the bullpen in the opener or enough offense in the nightcap.That is a hard way to lose two. Good starts are supposed to steady a club in a doubleheader. Instead, Springfield left North Little Rock with two losses and a reminder that pitching well early does not mean much if the rest of the game gets away.&nbsp; Peoria Chiefs Record: 16-24, 6th, Midwest League WestCedar Rapids 4, Peoria 3Peoria made a late run Wednesday night at Dozer Park but came up one run short in a 4-3 loss to Cedar Rapids.The Chiefs trailed 3-1 after four innings and were still behind 4-2 entering the ninth. They pushed across one run in the final inning but could not complete the comeback.Jesús Báez continued to show some pop, going 1-for-3 with a solo home run, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Josh Kross stayed hot, going 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored, raising his average to .305 with an .853 OPS. Cade McGee added an RBI double, while Christian Martin also doubled and scored. Tai Peete, recently activated from the injured list, drove in a run despite going hitless.Ty Van Dyke made his High-A debut and had to work through traffic. The right-hander allowed three runs on four hits over 3 2/3 innings, walking three and striking out two. Bobby Olsen, Jawilme Ramírez, Dominic Freeberger and Christian Worley handled the rest, with Ramírez working two scoreless innings and Worley striking out two in a clean ninth.Peoria did enough late to make Cedar Rapids sweat, but the Chiefs could not overcome the early deficit. The offense had six hits, three doubles and a home run, but the club left itself with too much to do in the final innings.Old-school read: Van Dyke’s debut was not clean, but that is part of the climb. New level, better hitters, smaller margin for mistakes. The arm is still worth watching.&nbsp; Palm Beach Cardinals Record: 23-18, 2nd, Florida State League EastSt. Lucie 4, Palm Beach 3Palm Beach lost a close one Wednesday morning, falling 4-3 to St. Lucie at Clover Park.The Cardinals had chances, collecting eight hits and drawing six walks, but they could not push across the tying run after St. Lucie took the lead in the eighth inning.Ryan Mitchell led the offense, going 2-for-3 with two walks, one run scored and an RBI. Michael Dattalo continued to swing a strong bat, going 2-for-3 with a walk and raising his average to .391 with a .952 OPS. Jonathan Mejía reached three times with a hit and two walks, while Yordalin Peña added a hit and two walks. Brayden Smith, Tuesday’s Hitter of the Day, drove in a run but struck out three times.Alex Breckheimer gave Palm Beach five solid innings, allowing three runs, two earned, on three hits with one walk and three strikeouts. The bullpen piled up strikeouts behind him. Yordy Herrera struck out all three batters he retired in a scoreless sixth, Nelfy Ynfante added two strikeouts in a scoreless seventh, and Liam Best struck out three in the eighth but allowed the decisive unearned run.That was the difference. Palm Beach pitching allowed only six hits and struck out 11, but two errors and a late unearned run helped swing the game toward St. Lucie.Old-school read: When a staff gives up only two earned runs and strikes out 11, that should usually be enough to win. But walks, errors and missed chances have a way of turning a good pitching day into a one-run loss.&nbsp; Old School TakeThis was one of those farm-system nights where the results were rough, but the details were not all bad.Hunter Dobbins gave Memphis seven strong innings. Mason Molina threw five shutout innings for Springfield. Brandt Thompson struck out nine. Peoria got another home run from Jesús Báez and two more hits from Josh Kross. Palm Beach pitching struck out 11 and Michael Dattalo kept hitting.That is the development side of the ledger.The standings side was not as kind. Memphis lost in walk-off fashion. Springfield was swept. Peoria’s comeback fell short. Palm Beach gave up the winning run late.There is no need to dress it up more than that. The arms gave the Cardinals plenty to like, but across the system Wednesday, the finish was missing. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports

A Tough Night Across the Farm System

The Cardinal Chronicle&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; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;Matt Svanson and the Thin Line Between Patience and Performance&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurMatt Svanson is finding out what baseball teaches just about every young reliever sooner or later.Yesterday's outs do not carry over.A year ago, Svanson looked like one of the best bullpen discoveries in the Cardinals’ system. He came up from Triple-A Memphis, forced his way into higher-leverage work, and finished 2025 with the kind of numbers that make a front office feel awfully smart: a 1.94 ERA, a 0.88 WHIP, 68 strikeouts in 60.1 innings and a place on the MLB Pipeline All-Rookie Team.By the end of last season, he was not just another arm. He looked like a possible future closer.Now, in late May of 2026, the conversation has turned.After Wednesday night’s 7-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium, Svanson became the latest target of an impatient fan base that has seen enough of the struggle. He allowed four earned runs in just two-thirds of an inning, pushing his season ERA to 9.64 over 23.1 innings and 22 appearances. The online reaction was not subtle.Fans called it “brutal baseball.” Others leaned into the gallows humor of the “Svanson Experience™.” Plenty of them made the same demand: send him to Triple-A Memphis and let him sort it out there.That frustration is understandable.When a reliever comes into a game and cannot stop the bleeding, fans are not interested in long-term development theories. They want outs. Especially in a season where the Cardinals have played well enough to make every game feel meaningful again, patience gets thinner. A struggling bullpen arm is no longer just a struggling bullpen arm. He becomes the guy standing between a competitive club and a winnable night.But this is where the Cardinals have to be careful.There is a difference between accountability and panic.Svanson’s 2026 numbers are ugly. There is no soft way to dress that up. His command has backed up. The walks have climbed. The WHIP has ballooned. The home runs have become a problem. A sinker-heavy power reliever can survive hard contact on the ground. He cannot survive free passes and balls leaving the yard.That combination is how a reliever goes from trusted to terrifying in a hurry. The stuff, though, has not disappeared.Svanson still has the frame, the power sinker, the sweeper and the cutter that made him so effective a year ago. His sinker has lived in the upper 90s. His sweeper gives him a legitimate swing-and-miss weapon. This is not a case of a pitcher suddenly waking up without major league tools.This looks more like a pitcher who has lost the strike zone, lost some confidence, and maybe lost the clean simplicity that made him so dangerous in the first place.That happens.Relievers are volatile by nature. One bad week can wreck a stat line. One bad month can change a role. One bad inning can turn a stadium against you. It is a cruel job. Starting pitchers can work around trouble. Hitters get four at-bats. Relievers often get one mess, one matchup, one missed spot — and then the entire town wants to fire up the bus to Memphis.The hard truth is this: The Cardinals may be reaching the point where optioning Svanson is not punishment. It may be protection.If the club believes his mechanics are drifting, his release point is inconsistent, or his confidence is getting chewed up at the major league level, then Memphis might be the right place to breathe, reset and rebuild the strike-throwing foundation.That is not giving up on him.That is player development.The worst thing the Cardinals could do is keep running him into bad spots simply because of what he did last year. The second-worst thing would be to write him off entirely because of what he has done this year.Both would be lazy.Svanson earned his chance with a tremendous rookie season. He also has not earned continued high-leverage trust with the way he is pitching right now. Both things can be true. Baseball rarely fits neatly into one sentence, which is inconvenient for social media but good for actual thinking.The Cardinals’ larger bullpen picture makes this decision even more important. Riley O’Brien has become a late-inning anchor. JoJo Romero has value. The club has churned through depth arms and will continue looking for ways to stabilize the middle innings. In a competitive season, the Cardinals cannot afford to let games get away while hoping a struggling reliever figures it out one batter at a time.At some point, performance has to matter.That does not mean Svanson’s future in St. Louis is finished. Far from it. He remains under club control for years. He has already shown he can get Major League hitters out. Power sinker/sweeper relievers do not grow on trees, and smart organizations do not discard them at the first sign of trouble.But the Cardinals also cannot pretend this is just a small bump in the road. A 9.64 ERA in late May is no longer noise. It is a problem. The rising walk rate is a problem. The home runs are a problem. The inability to stop innings before they get sideways is a problem.The question now is whether the Cardinals believe the fix can happen in St. Louis.If they do, then Svanson’s role has to shrink until the strike-throwing returns. Lower leverage. Cleaner innings. Shorter leash. Let him rebuild trust one outing at a time.If they do not, then option him to Memphis, give him a defined plan, and let him work without every mistake becoming the lead item in a postgame autopsy.That would not be waving the white flag.That would be the grown-up move.The Cardinals found something in Matt Svanson once. The arm is still worth betting on. But betting on a pitcher does not mean ignoring reality. Right now, reality says he is hurting the club and needs a reset, whether that comes in a smaller role or a temporary trip back to Triple-A.Fans can be harsh. Sometimes too harsh.But this time, the frustration did not come out of nowhere.The “Svanson Experience™” may be funny on the internet, but it is not funny when the Cardinals are trying to win baseball games.And if St. Louis is serious about staying in the race, the front office and coaching staff have to decide soon whether Matt Svanson’s next step is another inning at Busch Stadium — or a reset in Memphis. The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future

Matt Svanson and the Thin Line Between Patience and Performance

The Cardinal Chronicle ARMCHAIR GM: The Cardinals Should Be Calling Matt Bowman St. Louis, MO By Ray MileurThe Cardinals do not need to make a blockbuster trade to fix every bullpen problem by Memorial Day.They do, however, need to keep looking for usable arms.That is where Matt Bowman comes in.Bowman, the former Cardinals right-hander, was granted his release by the Minnesota Twins after exercising an opt-out clause in his minor league contract. He did not force his way out because he was pitching poorly. Quite the opposite. At Triple-A St. Paul, Bowman posted a 1.69 ERA over 21 1/3 innings, with a 28.1 percent strikeout rate and a 6.7 percent walk rate.That is not the kind of arm a club with bullpen questions should ignore.St. Louis entered Wednesday at 28-19, very much in the middle of the National League conversation. But the bullpen remains one of the soft spots on the roster. The group has had moments, and Riley O’Brien and JoJo Romero have given manager Oliver Marmol real late-inning answers, but the bridge to those arms has not always been steady. The bullpen ERA sits at 4.43, ranking 20th in the majors, according to the pushed data.That does not mean panic. It means maintenance.Good teams do not wait until the wheel falls off before checking the lug nuts.Bowman is not a savior, and nobody should pretend he is. He is 34, he has bounced around, and there is a reason he was available. But that is exactly the point. This is not a prospect-for-reliever trade. This is not a July overpay. This is not the kind of move that costs you a young arm you may regret losing two years from now.It is a phone call.It is a low-cost veteran look for a club that needs more dependable middle-inning coverage.Bowman also fits the Cardinals’ current identity. He is a ground-ball pitcher, and the pushed data has him inducing grounders at a 54.5 percent rate. Put that type of arm in Busch Stadium, in front of a strong infield defense, and there is at least a baseball reason to believe it can work.That matters.The Cardinals are not built right now to simply overpower everyone from the sixth inning on. They are winning with defense, timely hitting, athleticism, and just enough pitching to survive. A veteran sinker-baller who throws strikes and keeps the ball on the ground is not flashy, but neither is a good pair of work boots. You still reach for them when there is a job to do.There is also familiarity here. Bowman began his major league career with the Cardinals and pitched in 181 games for St. Louis from 2016 through 2018, according to the pushed background. That does not guarantee a reunion makes sense, but it removes some of the mystery. The organization knows the pitcher. Bowman knows the organization. Sometimes baseball people make the game harder than it needs to be.The Cardinals do not need to declare him the answer. They just need to decide whether he is better than the next arm on the shuttle.That is the real question.If the answer is yes, then go get him.This is exactly the kind of roster housekeeping a contending club should be doing in May. The trade deadline is still down the road. The standings are still forming. The division picture is still taking shape. But wins in May count the same as wins in August, and a bullpen leak today can become a flooded basement by July if nobody grabs a wrench.Bowman is not the whole solution.But he might be part of one.And for the cost, the Cardinals should be interested.Old School TakeYou do not have to win the transaction wire with fireworks. Sometimes you win it by paying attention.Matt Bowman is available, he is pitching well, he throws strikes, he gets ground balls, and the Cardinals need bullpen help. That is not complicated.Call the man.The Cardinal Chronicle, in association with Gateway Sports Preserving the Past, Promoting the Present, and Projecting the Future.

The Cards Should Be Calling Matt Bowman

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

Cardinals Turn to Dustin May in Early Series Finale Again...

Joshua Báez Earns Player of the Day Honors for Memphis

Mason Molina Delivers Pitcher of the Day Performance for ...

A Tough Night Across the Farm System

Matt Svanson and the Thin Line Between Patience and Perfo...

The Cards Should Be Calling Matt Bowman