Nolan Gorman hits a 3-run home run to defeat the Dodgers

street. Lewis – When the Cardinals concluded they had to find a way to get the massive power and budding hitter of Nolan Gorman into the lineup on a daily basis – even against left-handed pitchers, they shielded him from the start of the season – Coach Oliver Marmul had a rather blunt and pointed question about a player The second year.

“In a joking way, I asked him if he was ready to grow up,” Marmol said. ‘He said yes!’ So I gave him the first left-handed [of the series against the Dodgers] We are here.”

Two nights after hitting his first MLB home run, a left-handed home run — Dodgers outfielder Julio Urías, in that case — Gorman hit Victor Gonzalez deep on a tie-breaking three-run shot in the eighth inning and lifted the Cardinals to a 6-5 victory on Saturday. at Busch Stadium.

The crowd cheered when 23-year-old Gorman hit a 93.9-mph fastball over the middle of the plate for his 13th home run of the season. The blast, which came on the one-year anniversary of his MLB call-up, traveled 400 feet and left the bat at 104.6 mph, per Statcast.

Most importantly for Gorman, the towering shot provided further evidence that he was a capable left-hander and should be in the Cardinals’ growing lineup no matter what pitcher they faced. Taking Urías and González three days deep, he said, showed that the Cardinals were right to give Gorman the opportunity to play every day—something he quietly craved early in the season, he said.

“I mean, I want him more than anything,” said Gorman, who extended his hitting streak to 11 games. “That’s why we’re all here. We all want to be there every day and help this team win as much as possible. So, to answer the question [of playing every day]Yeah, I want him more than anything else.”

What Gorman also wants is to hit the board for the damage he can do when he’s selective. According to Statcast, Gorman hit 11 of his 13 home runs on the remaining pitches above the heart of the strike zone. He’s on that list along with notable power hitters Max Muncie, Aaron Judge, Matt Olson, and Pete Alonso.

“Obviously, that’s the name of the game—you have to have good ground to hit it, and everyone’s trying to do it when they’re in the box,” said Gorman, who is 16-for-37 (. 432) with six home runs and 16 RBIs during the streak. a hit. “Being able to be able to put up and be ready to hit when you get that good pitch is really important.”

The Cardinals, who broke a record-breaking seven franchises on Thursday, improved to 17-13 in games in which they homers. They range in age from 3 to 14 when they fail to hit a ball out of the park, including losing their shutout on Friday.

Known mostly in his clubhouse for being an equalizer—so much so that people often tell him jokes just to make him smile—Gorman showed some rare emotion when he hit the most home runs of his young career. As the long ball sailed towards the benches, he thrust his bat into the ground and smiled broadly as he looked on at his teammates celebrating in the dugout.

“I don’t know what that was,” said Gorman, who implied that he didn’t dare Dodgers NFL quarterback Paul Goldschmidt to get to him. “So excited in that moment and the crowd excited me. I just felt the playoff atmosphere.”

Gorman said he was aware that Saturday was the anniversary of his promotion. Last season, he hit 14 homers, but the year ended on a sour note when he was demoted for struggling hitting high fastballs. During the off period, he worked tirelessly to fill that hole in his hammock. Now, the sophomore star has 39 RBIs — second in the NL only to the Mets’ Alonso.

Growth hitting high fastballs, growth hitting lefties – it’s all part of Gorman’s flourishing of a knockout game the Cards can count on every day.

“Obviously I’ve worked every season, to be able to help these guys win, it’s fun to see and it’s fun,” Gorman said. “I think, in general, it’s fun too.”