It’s perhaps a disproportionate amount of optimism considering the small sample size, but that’s the point we’re at regarding the slugger formerly known as Paul Goldschmidt.
So on Sunday, Goldschmidt actually looked good. Looks good? As in, will continue to hit well?
Admittedly, there’s been a lot to like in his past six at-bats, going back to Saturday. Of course, there was little to like in the previous 32 at-bats, in which he didn’t get a single single (or double, triple or homer). It was the worst stretch of his career, coinciding with, wouldn’t you know, one of the Cardinals’ worst offensive stretches.
Then came the slump-buster.
Late Saturday, the sub-.200 hitter swatted a knuckle curve to the opposite field. Quite a bit timely, too, considering there were two outs in the ninth inning. Goldschmidt’s single went 103.3 mph off the bat — a legit hit, as are many batted balls hit harder than 100 mph. Alas, Nolan Arenado lined out to end the game in the Brewers’ favor 5-3. But after Goldschmidt’s 0-for-32 run — and 0 for 4 on Saturday with four strikeouts before the hit — it was reassuring that he proved he still could produce (and in a high-leverage spot, to boot).
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And in Sunday’s 4-3 win in Milwaukee — the Cards’ first victory since May 3 — “Goldy†went 2 for 5 with a homer and two RBIs. Goldschmidt looked locked in, even in a couple of the at-bats in which he made outs.
“Today was a really good day for him,†manager Oliver Marmol told reporters. “And we need to continue to build off of that.â€
Goldschmidt and the Cardinals play their next three on the road against the Angels — the team with the second-worst ERA in the American League. Oh, and in seven games at Angel Stadium, Goldschmidt has three homers.
Having “Goldy†be “Goldy†is imperative for this team. Imperative. The last-place Cardinals have one of baseball’s least-producing lineups — they’re homering with the frequency of the 1924 Cardinals (I kid). But their starting pitching, bullpen and defense has kept some games close. So some good Goldschmidt swings could swing the outcomes. After all, getting Goldschmidt going also doesn’t just mean dinks; it means damage. He is a doubles-and-homers guy when he’s on.
For instance, he homered Sunday.
In fact, Goldschmidt drove in half the runs of what was the most-important win of the season. No, it wasn’t the most-exciting win or anything like that, but never did the 2024 Cardinals need a win more than on Sunday. They had lost seven straight games. They were on the verge of being swept — in a four-game series, no less — by first-place Milwaukee. And the offense had been so bad for so long, I wondered if one more dud could mean the end for hitting coach Turner Ward. Instead, the Cardinals responded with 11 hits and seven walks in the win.
In Sunday’s first inning, I was particularly impressed by Goldschmidt’s approach, even if the result was negative. He got behind 0-2 in the count. But he took the next two pitches for balls and fouled off the following two. Just battling with the bat. And his swings were strong. He ultimately struck out, but it took eight pitches.
In his second at-bat, he hit a ball 101 mph — but it was caught.
In his third at-bat, he hit a ball 103.6 mph — and it was not caught.
Solo homer.
It was his first round-tripper of May.
It gave him 781 career extra-base hits, tying Hank Greenberg for 33rd place among players who primarily played first base.
And it caused one of the rarest sights in a while: Goldschmidt smiling.
In his fourth at-bat, he again flirted with triple digits (99.6 mph). His smacked single to left drove in Michael Siani and tied the game 3-3 in the sixth.
This was a rare sight, as well: a Cardinal actually getting a hit with a runner in scoring position.
ºüÀêÊÓƵ finished just 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position on the day. And for all the things that have been said (and written in this column space) about Ward’s offense, the RISPy business is perhaps the most glaring. With runners in scoring position, the Cardinals have the lowest batting average in Major League Baseball. It’s .192. Brutal.
Goldschmidt struck out in his final Sunday at-bat. But that was against the nasty Hoby Milner and his 1.86 ERA. And so, “Goldy†packed a .197 batting average in his bag for Los Angeles. Here’s thinking he returns to ºüÀêÊÓƵ this coming weekend with an average over the “Mendoza Line.â€
The Cards’ lineup still is a mess. It’s like the game Whac-a-Mole — one negative is thwacked away, another one pops up. Nolan Arenado, for instance, has three hits in his past 23 at-bats. But having Goldschmidt swinging a confident bat could help lift Arenado — and change the dynamic of the whole lineup, really.
Paul Goldschmidt is a main reason why this team is under .500.
Paul Goldschmidt is a main reason why this team could get over .500.