51黑料

ATLANTA 鈥� When the Cardinals planned to commit starts to Nolan Gorman in the coming week, they described how he needed a 鈥渞unway鈥� to maintain momentum and give him ample time to actualize recent improvements.

They got their example a few hours later, distilled down to a game.

Fresh off a two-hit night Monday, Gorman struck out twice in his first four at-bats Tuesday and flew out in his bases-loaded chance to revive his team from its long, winding road struggles. He was furious as a rally ended with his swing.

But the game wasn鈥檛 done with him yet.

Teammate Willson Contreras鈥� patience paid off with a nine-pitch walk in the eighth inning that brought Gorman back to the plate with the bases loaded 鈥� and a second chance to leave a lasting impression on the scoreboard.

Gorman drilled a change-up to clear the bases, break a tie and send the Cardinals to a 10-4 victory against Atlanta at Truist Field that ended a five-game losing streak.

鈥淭he frustration is you put in so much hard work, and you want to get rewarded for it,鈥� manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 going about it the right way. To be able to come back in that situation and drive in those runs is what this is about. Just sticking with the process and allowing to have a little bit of time. That was one of my favorite parts of that game to come back up in that situation and actually come through.鈥�

Gorman鈥檚 hit and a bevy of runs that followed claimed the Cardinals鈥� first win of this road trip and their second win of the regular season in 12 road games.

The game condensed many of the things the Cardinals have shown in the opening weeks. Leadoff hitter Lars Nootbaar鈥檚 two-run homer staked them to a lead that was then lost as Atlanta tagged starter Andre Pallante for four extra-base hits in the middle innings to seize a 4-2 lead. The Cardinals offense pressed on, resourcefully turning two singles, two walks and a wild pitch into a tie game in the sixth. Victor Scott II had his second consecutive three-hit game in his hometown. Steven Matz pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings of relief to buy time for the game-tying and game-winning rallies.

It was a game similar to so many that they鈥檝e played and lost in the past week with one glaring difference.

鈥淚 feel like that鈥檚 the game we鈥檝e been playing,鈥� Marmol said, 鈥渨ithout the big knock.鈥�

That came courtesy of Gorman after four fruitless, frustrating at-bats.

He rewarded the time they gave him.

鈥淚 always say it doesn鈥檛 matter how you start the game, it鈥檚 how you finish the game,鈥� Contreras said. 鈥淲hen you start it 0 for 3 or 0 for 4, you have to keep your head in the game because you never know when the big at-bat is going to come.鈥�

The 24-year-old Gorman, a former first-round pick, was a prominent example of the pivot the Cardinals planned for this season. They were going to focus on development, guarantee playing time to priority talents and use the entire season to evaluate who could be in their next core. And they sure wanted Gorman to be that left-handed power to plug in.

Then a funny thing happened on the way to Jupiter, Florida: The other Nolan stayed put at third. No player on the roster saw his situation shift more than Gorman when the Cardinals were unable to trade Nolan Arenado.

Without Arenado, Gorman would be the starting third baseman.

With Arenado, Gorman was second to Brendan Donovan at second base.

A hamstring injury put Gorman on the injured list in the season鈥檚 first weekend, so the lack of potential playing time and playing time to unlock his potential wasn鈥檛 so overt. It has become so upon his return. Marmol acknowledged that in his office early Tuesday and said he and the staff decided to commit a lengthy 鈥渞un鈥� of starts to Gorman in the coming week. They mapped out the lineups through the weekend series against Milwaukee, and Gorman is in there, either at designated hitter or second base.

The reason was best described by Contreras late Tuesday.

鈥淲hen he makes contact,鈥� the veteran said, 鈥渋t鈥檚 going to be loud.鈥�

In Gorman鈥檚 first 19 at-bats back from the hamstring injury, he hit .105 (2 for 19) with eight strikeouts and only six times on base. Both of his hits were doubles. What the Cardinals started to see in New York this past weekend was Gorman making more contact, and with contact came the chance for extra bases.

Gorman struck out three times on Saturday, plunged back into the batting cage to work with hitting coach Brant Brown and emerged on Sunday to drive the ball.

He was rewarded with a single 鈥� and clarity.

鈥淔igured some things out,鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淎nd I didn鈥檛 go down a rabbit hole of swing adjustments.鈥�

What he solved was a shift in approach, one that took him back to the success he had in spring training. The emphasis in Florida for Gorman was looking to drive the pitch to left-center or center field. Marmol called it 鈥渦sing the bigger part of the field.鈥� Gorman did that consistently, did that with authority and did that without losing his pull-side power. He lost some of that with the disrupted start to the season and had to get back to it this past weekend.

He prepared for velocity and looked to hit it through the middle.

鈥淛ust changing the direction of where I鈥檓 focused on hitting the ball,鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淕etting back on the heater, staying on the heat and trying to drive it to left-center field, center field. That鈥檚 what I need to do.鈥�

In a tie game that was already a patchwork of relievers for manager Brian Snitker, Atlanta turned to Enyel De Los Santos to pitch the eighth inning. Scott sparked the Cardinals when his assertive baserunning turned a base hit to left into a one-out double. He took third on a wild pitch. After De Los Santos struck out Masyn Winn, Snitker opted to intentionally walk Nootbaar to force the game into Contreras鈥� hands. The Cardinals first baseman remained composed until he walked on the ninth pitch and celebrated with a cascading bat flip.

The game found Gorman again with the bases loaded for a second time in as many at-bats. Gorman saw two fastballs from De Los Santos, both at 97 mph.

He stayed on the heater.

He aimed to drive it to center.

When he got an 87 mph change-up, that allowed him to pull it into the right-field corner and sweep clear the bases for three RBIs and the game鈥檚 decisive hit. Look heater, crush change.

And he鈥檒l play again tomorrow.

And the next day.

But he stressed after the game the 鈥渞unway鈥� isn鈥檛 infinite.

It鈥檚 only as long as he makes it.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have results, you鈥檙e not going to be here,鈥� Gorman said. 鈥淭he game is always about production. You鈥檝e got to produce to stay here. They鈥檙e not going to want you here if you鈥檙e not helping the team win.鈥�