Bernal sparks late rally as Redbirds edge Stripers, 6-5

Leo Bernal turned the finale in one swing, homering to start a two-run eighth inning that lifted Memphis past Gwinnett 6-5 at AutoZone Park and earned the Redbirds a split of the six-game series. The comeback fit the way this club has been winning all spring: stay close, wait for the leverage spot, then expect somebody to handle it.

Bernal, the Cardinals’ No. 6 prospect, finished 3-for-3 with three RBI and a walk, and he was the center of everything Memphis needed after chasing the Stripers for much of the afternoon. His blast tied the game, then César Prieto followed with a sacrifice fly that put the Redbirds ahead for good. It was a sharp reminder of why Memphis has been so dangerous late. The Redbirds improved to 10-0 when leading after eight innings this season, a record built on clean execution rather than luck.

The eighth also completed a series that never settled down. Memphis opened with a 4-3 win on April 14, Gwinnett answered with a 4-3 result of its own, Memphis moved to 7-2 in games decided by two runs or fewer with a 5-3 win on April 17, and the Stripers forced extra innings in Saturday’s game before the Redbirds closed the door Sunday. Two days earlier, Memphis had regained sole possession of first place in the International League, and the comeback preserved that edge going into the next homestand.

The pitching side was far messier. Hunter Dobbins made his fourth MLB rehab start and worked through a 53-minute bee delay in the top of the fourth, then finished with three runs allowed on six hits in 3.1 innings. The bullpen answered with one clean, crucial outing: Max Rajcic, the Cardinals’ 2022 sixth-round pick, threw the club’s only scoreless relief appearance and stranded the tying run in scoring position and the go-ahead run at first base with a game-ending lineout.

For Memphis, this was more than a one-run win. It was another tight-game test passed, another late inning won on contact and composure, and another sign that the Redbirds expect the game to bend their way once the pressure rises.