Cardinals Get 10 Hits, Five Doubles, Six RBI From Middle of Order to Throttle White Sox

In addition to Alec Burleson being one of the St. Louis Cardinals most productive hitters in 2026 by registering career-best numbers in homers, RBI and doubles, the slugger has also morphed into being one of MLB’s most clutch hitters.

Burleson opened Friday’s game at Busch Stadium with a run-scoring double in the first inning and then delivered his MLB-leading 59th hit with a runner in scoring position to jump-start a game-clinching three-run fifth inning for the Cardinals.

Burleson, Jordan Walker and rookies Joshua Baez and Leo Bernal each had multiple hits and doubles, and Burleson pushed his RBI total to 106 as the Cardinals beat the White Sox 7-3 at Busch Stadium.

Baez (3 for 4, 2 RBI), Bernal (3 for 4, 2 RBI), Burleson (2 for 4, 2 RBI) and Walker (2 for 4) combined to go 10 for 16 with five doubles and six RBI. Eight of the Cardinals’ 13 hits had an exit velocity of 102 mph or greater with Walker (115.4 mph), Burleson (112 mph) and Baez (111.5 mph) leading the way.

"We haven't had (length in the lineup) in a while, but they're young and they're doing it now," Cardinals' manager Oliver Marmol said of the production in the heart of the lineup. "There's some length there now because any of those guys can bop you. Baez is starting to take better at bats and not just going for the power. Bernal, my goodness, he's spraying balls all over the field with real professional at bats. So, there's length to (the lineup) now."

Bernal, who had 10 hits, two homers and 10 RBI on the nine-game road trip to begin his MLB career, kept his hot start going with the first three-hit game in his Busch Stadium debut. He doubled and scored in the second inning and then racked up two more RBI by driving in Baez following his doubles in the fifth and seventh innings. In 10 big-league games, Bernal -- who was given a rousing ovation before his first at bat -- is hitting .325 (13 for 40) with two homers, two doubles and 12 RBI.

Incredibly, Bernal's 12 RBI in 10 games are the most by any Cardinals rookie in the storied history of the franchise.

"I really didn't know that I did that," a smiling Bernal said via translator Kleininger Teran. "Obviously, I'm not worrying about the numbers; I'm just worrying about going out there and doing my job and the numbers will appear, and that's what has happened." 

Burleson drove in multiple runs for the 25th time this season, while Baez posted his second game with two doubles since his stirring, three-homer MLB debut on Aug. 15.   

The Cardinals (73-75) avoided a dagger in the top of the sixth inning when Miguel Vargas drilled a 397-foot shot to the left-field gap for what initially looked like it could have been a game-tying grand slam when it left the bat at 104.3 mph. However, Cards’ center fielder Nathan Church ran down the drive right at the wall. The smash off rookie reliever Luis Gastelum would have been a home run in 12 of 30 MLB ballparks, but not Busch Stadium with its muggy summer air.

Then, in the seventh inning, Church ran down a 108.5 mph laser off the bat of Braden Montgomery before crashing into the wall for an inning-ending gem. Just for good measure, Church also walked twice and singled in the eighth inning to extend his hitting streak to a career-best 10 games.

When Burleson drilled a double into the right field corner in the first inning, it allowed him to move into a tie for the second-most doubles in MLB. Burleson's 35th double is the most by a Cardinals player since 2022 when Nolan Arenado (42) and Paul Goldschmidt (41) topped the 40-double plateau. Burleson easily blew past his previous career high in doubles of 26 set last season when he won a National League Silver Slugger award.

Burleson's 35 doubles are tied with Boston's Wilyer Abreu for second in MLB. Giants star Rafael Devers and Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds are tied for the MLB lead in doubles with 36.

With the Cardinals leading 3-2 after an RBI single by Baez in the third inning, they battered reliever Trevor Richards in the fifth inning. After Walker drilled a 115.4 mph double into the left-field corner, Burleson sat on a changeup and drilled it back up the middle for his 106th RBI of the season. Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart (107 RBI) is the only player standing between Burleson and the MLB lead in RBI.

Incredibly, Burleson recorded his 59th hit of the season with runners in scoring position. That’s 11 more knocks than the next closest player with runners in scoring position. Josh Bell. Pete Crow-Armstrong and St. Louis’ Walker are tied for second with 48 hits with runners in scoring position.

"He does a really good job of game-planning and understanding what the pitcher is going to do," Marmol said of Burleson. "He takes at bats that are kind of reflective of what the game is calling for. He does that often, he doesn't take a pitch off and he grinds every pitch. He's done a really good job -- with runners on or not -- of taking really, really professional at bats. He's driven in a handful of runs this year."