Madris, Báez power Memphis past Charlotte in extra innings, 6-4

Bligh Madris and Joshua Báez turned a tense extra-inning grind into another power-driven statement for Memphis, lifting the Redbirds past Charlotte 6-4 at Truist Field and giving the St. Louis Cardinals more evidence that this roster can supply useful depth if the big club needs help.

Madris supplied the first jolt in the fifth inning, launching a two-run homer that gave Memphis a brief lead. He finished 3-for-4 with a double and three RBIs, a line that underscored why his bat keeps forcing attention when the game tightens late. Báez delivered the bigger swing, breaking a tie with a three-run homer in the eighth inning that put Memphis in control for good. Colton Ledbetter added three hits and scored twice, giving the Redbirds production throughout the order instead of depending on one hot hand.

The win came one night after Memphis lost 9-8 in extra innings despite erasing a 7-0 deficit with four home runs, a reminder of how volatile this series had become. Earlier in the week, the Redbirds also became the first professional baseball team to 10 wins in 2026 with a 4-1 victory at Charlotte, and Saturday’s result showed they were not coasting after that milestone. Instead, Memphis kept taking punches and answering with the kind of power and late-game poise that matters when a Triple-A roster is being evaluated for the next man up.

Brycen Mautz gave Memphis a strong platform, allowing one unearned run over 6.0 innings while permitting three hits, two walks and striking out five. Scott Blewett picked up the win after giving up three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings, and Luis Gastelum closed it out for his second save by working the final five outs. Those innings mattered just as much as the home runs, because the Cardinals are looking not only for bats that can change a game, but for arms that can hold one together when the schedule gets messy.

Memphis secured game five of the six-game series and was set to return to AutoZone Park on Tuesday, April 14, to begin a six-game set against Gwinnett. Affiliated with St. Louis since 1998, the Redbirds have long served as a proving ground, and this stretch in Charlotte showed why their power bats and late-inning answers can become more than a hot streak if injuries or roster churn hit the majors.