PITTSBURGH — JJ Wetherholt has been to PNC Park loads of instances, however he’d by no means had an evening like Monday.
The Cardinals’ rookie second baseman hit a game-tying homer throughout a four-run ninth inning because the Redbirds rallied for a 4-2 victory within the opener of a four-game collection. St. Louis ended its four-game shedding streak.
Rising up within the northern Pittsburgh suburb of Mars, Pa., Wetherholt was an enormous Pirates fan and idolized outfielder Andrew McCutchen. There was additionally a time, as a baby, when Wetherholt was late to his personal celebration at PNC Park as a result of his good friend’s father couldn’t discover a parking area near the stadium.
Wetherholt performed collegiately at West Virginia and took half in three Yard Brawls in opposition to Pitt, that are performed yearly at PNC Park.
But it was a distinct scenario for Wetherholt on Monday night time. It marked Wetherholt’s first time in Pittsburgh as a Main League participant.
The Cardinals trailed, 2-0, getting into the ninth inning, however Pedro Pagés and Wetherholt hit back-to-back homers off Dennis Santana to tie the rating. José Fermín then hit a two-run go-ahead double into the left-field nook.
“I actually was simply actually attempting to get on base and was in a position to put swing on the ball,” Wetherholt mentioned. “It was good to come back by, however it was an awesome staff win.”
4 Pirates pitchers mixed to carry the Cardinals and not using a baserunner by 6 2/3 innings earlier than Alec Burleson’s two-out infield single off Evan Sisk within the seventh broke up the perfect-game bid.
Burleson hit a floor ball that third baseman Nick Gonzales backhanded. Nonetheless, Burleson beat the throw to first.
Opener Mason Montgomery and Justin Lawrence pitched one inning every, and Wilber Dotel labored the following 4 innings. Sisk pitched two-thirds of an inning earlier than he was relieved by Isaac Mattson following Burleson’s hit.
“It says lots that our guys had been in a position to keep engaged and steal this sport,” supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned. “That’s one of many nice issues about this staff. Our guys all the time preserve preventing.”
“It’s loopy,” Wetherholt, St. Louis’ No. 1 prospect, mentioned earlier than the sport. “It’s form of a goofy expertise, however it’s such an honor to be right here. Enjoying in opposition to the staff you grew up rooting for will all the time maintain a particular place in your coronary heart.
“For me, I really feel prefer it’s simply what number of video games I’ve watched right here, so I really feel like I do know this park higher than every other park. Simply being right here as a child and taking part in right here slightly bit in school was tremendous cool. The backdrop of the town you grew up in, to have the ability to play in a ballpark like that’s particular.”
Wetherholt stayed on the sphere and took footage together with his household for about quarter-hour after the sport.
“The cool half is when he hit the house run … all his household sitting in that one part all went loopy,” Marmol mentioned. “That’s one thing you don’t overlook.”
Wetherholt, 23, is hitting .238/.359/.429 with six house runs and 14 RBIs in 28 video games. He’s residing as much as being ranked the sport’s No. 5 prospect.
“He’s had an unimaginable season,” Marmol mentioned. “I believe we’ve talked fairly a bit about his success early, not solely offensively, however defensively, on the bases, his demeanor, what he brings to the membership. There are plenty of positives there, particularly for a younger child.”
“He’s gone about his enterprise as if he’s been right here for a number of years, which is cool to see. That, his understanding of the sport and his starvation is a superb mixture. He’s assured sufficient of who he’s as an individual and a participant, however by no means snug sufficient to not need to see what’s subsequent.”