As the Cardinals’ Class AA affiliate heads to its first Texas League championship series for the first time since 2012, the Springfield Cardinals’ rotation has yet to allow a run in the playoffs.
Lefty Brycen Mautz pitched five scoreless innings late Thursday night to drive the S-Cards to a 3-0 victory against Tulsa and a division series sweep.
The S-Cards advance to face the Midland RockHounds in a best-of-three league championship series that begins Saturday in Springfield, Missouri.
To cinch the North Division playoff series, Mautz stuck out four and scattered four hits in his five innings vs. the Tulsa Drillers, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Class AA affiliate. Closer Luis Gastelum, the Cardinals’ minor-league pitcher of the month in August, threw two shutout innings to secure the win.
Thursday’s game at Hammons Field was reduced to seven innings due to a lengthy rain delay and late start.
The S-Cards won the first game of the best-of-three series against Tulsa when right-hander Ixan Henderson pitched six scoreless innings in a 3-1 victory. He struck out four and allowed only three hits.
Henderson and Mautz were the right-left combo throughout the season for the S-Cards on their way to a franchise-record 88 wins. Henderson, 23, was 9-7 with a .2.59 ERA and 134 strikeouts in 132 innings pitched. He’s a candidate to win the Cardinals’ minor-league pitcher of the year award just two years after they selected him the eighth round.
Mautz, 24, went 8-3 this season with a 2.98 ERA in 25 starts. He struck out 134 in 114 2/3 innings.
The Cardinals’ second-round pick in 2022, Mautz made significant strides this season at the higher level against tougher opposition but also with better defense behind him. He cut his ERA down from 5.18 at High-A in 2024 to the 2.98 ERA in 2025, and slashed his hits allowed down to 94 in those 114 2/3 innings.
All three of the Cardinals’ runs late Thursday came in the fourth inning.
On his way to a three-hit night, right fielder Miguel Ugueto had an RBI infield single to score Zach Levenson. An error allowed Dakota Harris to score for a 2-0 lead. And leadoff batter Jon Jon Gazdar grounded into a force out that allowed Ugueto to score the third and final run of the inning and game.
Ugueto, 23, will represent the Cardinals in the Arizona Fall League.
He appeared at least briefly at three difference levels this season, but played most of his 60 games at Class AA Springfield. There, in 50 games, the Venezuelan outfielder hit .254/.276/.339 with two home runs. In addition to the RBI single on Thursday, Ugueto had one of the S-Cards’ three doubles.
Zyhir Hope, the Dodgers’ second-ranked prospect, went hitless in the game. He led off the second inning with a lineout. Tulsa teammate Taylor Young followed with a triple that put Mautz in his first true bind.
Any ball in play was likely to give the Drillers a lead.
Mautz struck out the next two batters to escape any trouble.
Gastelum struck out three batters, two of them in the ninth.
The S-Cards will host the RockHounds, the Athletics’ Class AA affiliate, on Saturday for Game 1 of the Texas League championship series. Game 2 and Game 3, if necessary, will be hosted next week by Midland.
A 6-2 loss to the Cincinnati Reds not only highlighted the slim difference between contending and receding but also how not all questions get affirmative answers.
While owning a 7.16 ERA in 16 outings since he returned to the majors in August, Fernandez has produced strikeout and swing-and-miss results similar to his strong rookie season.
Cincinnati capitalized on walks and a wild pitch from starter Andre Pallante to overtake the Cardinals early for a 6-2 victory and series win at Busch Stadium.
Baseball writer Derrick Goold fielded questions from readers for a few hours on the Cardinals’ missing core, middling season, and faced criticism for coverage.
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Derrick Goold | Post-Dispatch
Lead baseball writer
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