How the St. Louis Cardinals took command of second NL Wild Card spot
By Kevin Henry
Power
St. Louis didn’t record a home run on Sunday, marking the first time since September 8 a Cardinal hadn’t gone deep. The 10 straight games with a homer marked not only a season high but also the longest stretch of power for the Cardinals since a home run was recorded in 13 straight games from July 17-30, 2019.
A trio of St. Louis Cardinals is leading the way at the plate
These 2021 Cardinals are also knocking on a big franchise power milestone. Nolan Arenado (32 home runs), Paul Goldschmidt (26), and Tyler O’Neill (28) are seeking to become just the second trio of Cardinals to each hit 30 or more homers in the same season since Albert Pujols (46), Jim Edmonds (42), and Scott Rolen (32) turned the trick in 2004.
Nationally, O’Neill has perhaps been the most overlooked part of the recent success for St. Louis. With just 21 homers in his three previous seasons, O’Neill’s 28 long balls this year have given the Cardinals another big weapon at the plate outside of Arenado and Goldschmidt.
He’s also had a hot streak that coincides with the Cardinals’ rise in the postseason standings. Over the last 15 games, the 26-year-old former third-round pick of the Seattle Mariners, is hitting .345 with six homers and 14 RBI. In September, he’s slashing .333/.405/.712 with a 1.118 OPS, numbers that have been boosted with clutch hits like the one below.