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Cardinals outfielder accomplishes huge feat with clutch home run vs. Mariners
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- Cardinals outfielder accomplishes huge feat with clutch home run vs. Mariners
Cardinals outfielder accomplishes huge feat with clutch home run vs. Mariners appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The St. Louis Cardinals (14-12) left Busch Stadium with a tough 11-9 loss to the Seattle Mariners (13-15), but they did come away with a potentially palatable consolation prize. One of their young players enjoyed the game of his life . Rookie outfielder Nathan Church hit two home runs and robbed another on Saturday afternoon, ensuring that the fans who attended this inter-league matchup would remember his name on their drive back home.
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The 2022 11th-round draft pick was one of four Cardinals players to take Mariners All-Star Bryan Woo deep , as he launched a 396-foot solo blast in the second inning. He belted his second homer off Cooper Criswell in the seventh, putting St. Louis on top 9-7. In between those mighty swings, Church leaped up against the left field fence to deny Mitch Garver a surefire dinger. The 25-year-old left-handed hitter and speedy fielder should be the man of the weekend.
But it is hard to properly appreciate his effort following a loss.
The Cardinals have now dropped three in a row and each of their last two series, falling to fourth place in the National League Central. Fans expected turbulence, however. This franchise is supposed to be in a rebuilding/transitional phase, where long-term growth takes priority. Ideally, Nathan Church just took a huge step forward in his development.
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The UC Irvine alum is now slashing .254/.300/.460/.760 with four home runs and 12 RBIs in 63 at-bats this season. He has hit safely in seven of his last eight games. Church will try to keep his hot stretch going when St. Louis faces Seattle in the series finale on Sunday.
