Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker and rookie third baseman Blaze Jordan smashed home runs in the seventh inning to provide the difference in a 9-6 defeat of the Twins at Target Field.
A night after blowing four leads and losing to the Twins in one of their most humbling defeats of the season, the Cardinals looked on in horror on Saturday when they allowed an early four-run bulge to disappear.
However, it was their response that spoke volumes about a team that has kept coming back all season despite whatever potholes they encounter along the way.
Ivan Herrera, Jordan Walker and rookie Blaze Jordan hit tape-measure home runs in the seventh inning to provide the difference in a 9-6 defeat of the Twins on Saturday at Minnesota's Target Field.
“The way I hit is like a kid – I try to hit the ball backside and use a simple thought when I’m hitting of looking for one pitch and then reacting,” Herrera told Cardinals.TV, while also noting that he has been working with hitting coach Brant Brown to change his stance at the plate. “I’m a little harder to communicate with when it’s about hitting because my entire Minor League career, I kind of figured it out myself. But now I try to listen to (Brown) because he knows a lot about baseball.”
Herrera, who recently spoke of his disappointment about his lack of power early in the season, drilled homers in the first and seventh innings to key the comeback effort from a frustrating-filled 9-8 loss to Minnesota on Friday night. Herrera, now the Cardinals all-time home run leader as a designated hitter with 21, cranked a two-run shot in the first inning and jumped-started the five-run seventh by demolishing a 2-1 sinker.
Walker did the same thing to a 2-0 sweeper, connecting for the longest (454) and hardest-hit (116.6 mph) homer of the season at Target Field. Walker’s 18th homer tied him with Colorado’s Hunter Goodman for fourth in the National League in homers, behind only Kyle Schwarber (24), Matt Olson (20) and James Wood (19).
A second big game from Blaze Jordan
Jordan, who singled and drove in a run in his first MLB at bat on Friday night and added a second single, finished off the Twins in the seventh inning with titanic blast of his own for his first MLB homer. Jordan’s smash off Travis Adams traveled 418 feet and left the bat at a scorching 110.2 mph.
“I was just trying to do my job and get the runner in (with a fly ball) and luckily I was able to get three in on that at bat,” Jordan told Cardinals.TV. “I was just trying to keep it simple, and I got a good pitch to hit, and I was able to drive it.”
Jordan, who got his MLB promotion on Friday after spending six years in the Red Sox and Cardinals Minor League systems, tripled off the wall in the second inning and scored on a Pedro Pages double. When Pages scored on a Masyn Winn sacrifice fly, it gave the Cardinals a seemingly safe 4-0 lead.
In two MLB games, Jordan has a homer, a double and two singles and four RBI.
However, Cardinals starter Matthew Liberatore was plagued by the long ball once again. Solo shots by Byron Buxton and Royce Lewis in the fourth inning and a two-run smash by Luke Keaschall in the fifth chased Liberatore, whose 14 homers allowed this season are tied for the seventh most in MLB.
Cardinals closer Riley O’Brien closed out the ninth inning, but not without some trouble that required him to throw 30 pitches. O’Brien walked three batters and surrendered a run on an infield ground out. He ultimately ended the game by getting Victor Caratini to fly out – leaving the dangerous Buxton in the on-deck circle.
Join the conversation
Remember to join our CARDINALS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other CARDINALS fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
