ST. LOUIS — When the Cardinals decided they had to find a way to get the mammoth strength and up-and-coming hitter of Nolan Gorman into the lineup every day — even against the left pitchers they shielded him from earlier in the season – Manager Oliver Marmol had a blunt and rather pointed question for the second year.
“I jokingly asked him if he was ready to grow up,” Marmol said. ‘He said yes!’ So I gave him the first left-hander [of the series against the Dodgers] and here we are.”
Two nights after his first MLB home run against a left-hander — in this case, Dodgers ace Julio Urías — Gorman hit left-hander Victor González deep for a three-run shot that broke a tie in the eighth inning and lifted the Cardinals high a 6-5 win on Saturday at Busch Stadium.
The sell-out crowd cheered as 23-year-old Gorman smashed a 93.9-mph fastball down the center of the plate on his 13th home run of the season. According to Statcast, the blast occurred on the one-year anniversary of his MLB draft in MLB a distance of 400 feet and left the bat at a speed of 104.6 miles per hour, according to Statcast.
Most importantly for Gorman, the massive shot was further proof that he can hold his own against lefties and that he should be in the Cardinals’ burgeoning lineup, regardless of which pitcher they’re up against. The use of Urías and González within three days showed the Cardinals were right in giving Gorman a chance to play every day — something he had quietly longed for earlier in the season, he said.
“I mean, I want it more than anything,” said Gorman, who extended his winning streak to 11 games. “That’s why we’re all here. We all want to be there every day and help this team win as much as possible. So to answer the question [of playing every day]yes, I want it more than anything.”
What Gorman also wants is to throw across the plate to score because he can do damage if he’s selective. According to Statcast, Gorman hit 11 of his 13 home runs on fields that were over the heart of the Strike Zone. He is on this list along with well-known power hitters Max Muncy, Aaron Judge, Matt Olson and Pete Alonso.
“Of course that’s the motto — you have to get a good shot, and that’s what everyone tries to do when they’re in the box,” said Gorman, who is 16-37 (.432) with six homers and 16 RBIs during his hitting streak. “It’s really important to be in a good position and ready to hit the ball when you’re making a good throw.”
The Cardinals, who broke a franchise record seven home runs Thursday, improved to 17-13 in games in which they homed. They’re 3-14 when they fail to hit a ball out of the park, including their shutout loss on Friday.
Gorman was best known around his clubhouse for his even-tempered demeanor – people would often tell him jokes just to make him smile – and showed a rare emotion as he hit what was arguably the biggest home run of his young career. As the long ball flew toward the seats, he jabbed his racquet to the floor and smiled widely as he looked at his teammates celebrating in the dugout.
“I don’t know what that was,” said Gorman, who noted he didn’t take offense when the Dodgers took NL MVP Paul Goldschmidt to reach him. “At that moment I was really excited and the audience cheered me on. It felt like a playoff atmosphere.”
Gorman said he knew Saturday was the anniversary of his promotion. He hit 14 home runs last season, but the year ended on a sour note when he was demoted for his difficulty hitting high fastballs. During the offseason, he worked tirelessly to close that gap in his swing. The star now has 39 RBIs as a sophomore, second only to the Mets’ Alonso in the Netherlands.
Growth beats high fastballs and growth hits lefties are all part of Gorman’s evolution into the racquet the Cards depend on every day.
“Obviously, I worked throughout the off-season. So it’s fun to help these guys win and it’s fun to do,” Gorman said. “I think overall it’s also gratifying.”