Goldy-locks and the Three Bombs
Paul Goldschmidt (STL): 4-5, 3 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Once upon a time, there was an outstanding first baseman whose launch angle was just right.
Paul Goldschmidt (STL): 4-5, 3 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Goldschmidt introduced himself to Alex Faedo in the first inning of Sunday’s game, lifting an 0-2 hanging slider into center field for a 433-foot home run. In the third inning, he took a fastball down and in deep for another 407-foot shot. He added a leadoff single and a stolen base, third base for that matter, for good measure, and then hammered another 417-foot home run in the bottom of the eighth to cap a three-home run day.
Goldschmidt’s three-home run game powered the Cardinals past the Detroit Tigers, 12-6, snapping an eight-game losing streak for the preseason NL Central favorites. It marked Golschmidt’s third-career three-home run game, and his second in a Cardinal uniform (3/29/2019 vs. MIL). St. Louis opened the game with an early 3-0 lead but fell behind 6-3 in the top of the sixth. The Cardinals pieced together a seven-run sixth inning to come back and beat Detroit, avoiding a ninth-straight loss.
After Sunday’s game, Goldschmidt now sits at a .321 batting average with seven home runs and four stolen bases, with 22 runs scored and 20 RBI. Perhaps Sunday’s game will mark a turning point for the Cardinals, who find themselves in dead last of a stronger-than-anticipated NL Central with a record of 11-24. If Goldy continues to hit like this, it won’t be his fault if the team doesn’t meet preseason expectations, that’s for sure.
Let’s see how the other hitters did Sunday
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. (ARI): 2-3, 2 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 BB.
Gurriel continued his hot hitting, launching a pair of home runs in the Diamondbacks’ loss to the Nationals on Sunday. Gurriel took Trevor Williams deep, lifting a 2-1 sinker into the left field bleachers to lead off the second inning. In the fifth, he added another home run off of a sinker, this time a three-run shot to left. Gurriel now has four home runs in his last three games after leaving the yard just once through the entire month of April.
Hanser Alberto (CWS): 4-4, 2 2B, HR, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB.
Alberto finished just a triple short of the cycle as he led the White Sox to a lopsided 17-4 victory over the Reds on Sunday. Alberto began the top of the second inning with a two-run home run, sparking an 11-run frame for the Southsiders. He added RBI doubles in the third inning and fifth inning and tacked on a leadoff single in the eighth as the ChiSox routed the Reds. Alberto posted a career year in 2019 with Baltimore, batting .305 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI, but has fallen off since. With all the bad injury luck in Chicago, he could be a solid replacement bat in their lineup.
Adolis García (TEX): 3-4, 2B, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI, 2 BB, SB.
Garcia posted walks in his first two at-bats, showing more plate discipline in one game than we’ve seen from him throughout most of his career. He swatted a double to right-center in the fourth and led off the sixth inning with a single and swiped second base as well. He capped a five-run seventh inning with a three-run home run, taking an 0-2 slider down and away and depositing it in the left-center field bleachers.
Harrison Bader (NYY): 3-5, 3B, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Bader finished the day a double shy of the cycle as the Yankees fell to the Rays 8-7 in 10 innings. Bader launched his first home run of the season, a two-run shot off of a changeup down and in to put the Yankees ahead 3-0 in the top of the third. He added a leadoff triple in the fifth inning, driving a slow curveball to deep right-center field. He added a single in the seventh and had a chance to complete the cycle in the eighth, but flew out to center instead. Bader is 7-for-18 since returning from the injured list and should see consistent playing time for the Yankees even after Aaron Judge returns.
Brenton Doyle (COL): 3-5, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI, SB.
DOYLE RULES! The rookie center-fielder launched his first career home run in the fifth inning of the Rockies’ 13-6 victory over the Mets on Sunday. In addition to his power potential, Doyle showed off his speed as well, legging out a pair of infield hits and swiping a bag as well.
Anthony Rendon (LAA): 2-3, HR, R, 4 RBI, 2 BB.
Rendon began his day with a three-run home run off of a Martín Pérez cutter, turning on the inside pitch and putting it in the left-field stands. He added an RBI single in the fourth inning and a pair of walks later in the game, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Angels from losing to the visiting Rangers, 16-8.
Leody Taveras (TEX): 4-5, 2B, 2 R, 4 RBI, SB.
Taveras needs to travel to Los Angeles more often. In three games against the Angels, the Texas outfielder went 7-for-13 with four runs scored, four RBI, two doubles, and a stolen base. After batting just .205 through April, Taveras has begun May with a 10-for-16 hot streak. Widely available in 12-team and even 15-team formats, Taveras could be a sneaky good waiver pickup.
Salvador Perez (KC): 3-4, HR, 3 R, RBI.
Salvador Perez hammered a Mason Miller fastball over 450 feet to left-center to open the game on Sunday. Perez added a pair of singles to finish 3-for-4 from the plate, improving his batting average in the month of May to .391 (9-for-23). Through just six games this month, Perez has homered four times. He hit just three long balls through the entire month of April.
Kyle Schwarber (PHI): 2-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Schwarber snapped an 0-for-20 slump with an RBI single in the fourth inning of Sunday’s contest against the Red Sox. Two innings later, Schwarber committed lefty-on-lefty crime, taking Richard Bleier deep for a two-run home run, his eighth of the season. Schwarber was pulled for a pinch runner in the bottom of the eighth inning, completing his day with a 2-for-3 mark from the plate and three RBI.
William Contreras (MIL): 3-5, HR, R, 2 RBI.
Contreras and the Brewers took down the San Francisco Giants 7-3 on Sunday afternoon. In the top of the second inning, Contreras lined a 2-2 slider over the left field fence to give Milwaukee an early 2-0 lead. He added a pair of singles later in the game to earn his first three-hit game since April 12. The home run was just Contreras’ second of the season after driving 20 homers in only 334 plate appearances a year ago.