ST. LOUIS — After a stirring first weekend at the Major League level in which he had a single in his first at-bat and five hits total, Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman got something of a sobering reality check over the next four games when pitchers adapted to his powerful left-handed stroke.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol’s reaction to a skid in which Gorman not only went 0-for-11, but also struck out seven times? Move the 22-year-old standout up in the batting order instead of down or out of it all together.
Gorman, the Cards’ No. 2 prospect per MLB Pipeline, responded to that lineup promotion right away on Saturday by notching hits in his first four at-bats, raising his average from .238 to .360. In his first at-bat of the day against Milwaukee starter Adrian Houser, Gorman hit a fastball 449 feet for the first home run of his MLB career. Gorman’s blast traveled over the Cardinals’ bullpen and five rows up into the crowd for the longest home run by a St. Louis player this season.
Next, Gorman singled in Harrison Bader with a line drive to right-center in the third. Whereas Gorman’s first-inning home run left the bat at 110.6 mph, his third-inning single was smashed at 107.7 mph.
An inning later, with Gorman down in the count 0-2, the Cardinals sent Tommy Edman from first base, and it proved to be the right call as the rookie second baseman drilled a line drive down the right-field line for a two-run double. Seconds later, Gorman didn’t hesitate running on…
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