Jimmy Crooks, who has been struggling since being recalled from Triple-A Memphis, hit a hanging sweeper for a solo home run in the eighth inning as the Cardinals beat the Braves 2-1. All-Star Riley O'Brien closed out the ninth for his 23rd save.
Not in the starting lineup – or even in the game during the two-hour, 43-minute rain delay – but reserve catcher Jimmy Crooks was ready when he finally got his shot after midnight at Busch Stadium on Saturday morning.
“After the rain delay, everybody had to get ready and we all had to do our part and we got the job done,” Crooks told Apple TV. “For me, it was just about being ready on the heater and when he hung the (sweeper), I hit it.”
O’Brien, who picked up his 23rd save of the season, had a scare with an out in the ninth inning when Braves catcher and Missouri State product Drake Baldwin drove the ball to the middle of the warning track in center field.
The win was a much-needed victory for a Cardinals club that lost four of five games earlier in the week against the Brewers. The victory allowed the Cardinals to climb back within two games of the Marlins for the final Wild Card slot in the National League.
The Cardinals face the Braves again on Saturday and Sunday before breaking for the MLB All-Star Game. Jordan Walker will be joined by Ivan Herrera, O’Brien and manager Oliver Marmol on the NL squad for the All-Star Game.
Crooks hit an 83 mph sweeper from Danny Young for his third career home run – and his second off a left-hander in his young career. It was Crooks’ first career home run at Busch Stadium.
“It took a long time,” Crooks said of his first homer at home. “But it definitely felt great.”
Walker drive in tying run in 6th inning
The Braves scored the game’s first run in the fifth inning – Soriano’s second inning of work. Mike Yastrzemski turned on a 96.1 mph four-seam fastball and laced it into the right field corner for a double. Struggling slugger Austin Riley followed on a single back up the middle to plate Yastrzemski and put the Braves up 1-0.
The Cardinals knotted the score at 1 in the sixth inning when Walker drilled a single the other way to plate JJ Wetherholt, who had walked and moved to second on an Ivan Herrera single. It was Walker's MLB-leading 74th RBI.
Starting pitchers Kyle Leahy and Chris Sale were brilliant before the two-hour, 43-minute rain delay. Leahy allowed just an infield single, while striking out three over three-plus innings. As for Sale, the Cardinals reached him for a Ivan Herrera single and a Blaze Jordan double, but he struck out five – including four straight at one point during the second and third innings.
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