Sharing MLB RBI lead? No thanks! Burleson's pinch-hit blast puts him back on top

MILWAUKEE -- Just a few hours before the first pitch of Friday’s series opener against the Brewers, Alec Burleson looked up at the American Family Field clubhouse TV to see he’d officially lost the sole lead for most RBIs in MLB.

The Cardinals’ first baseman had been ahead of the pack for the bulk of the 2026 season, entering the final series of the year with an MLB-leading 113 runs batted in. But Orioles slugger Pete Alonso cracked a pair of homers against the Yankees on Friday afternoon to move into a tie for first place.

With Burleson not penciled into Friday night’s lineup, it looked like he might have to share the lead for at least one day.

Apparently, that wasn’t a scenario he was willing to accept.

Burleson entered as a pinch-hitter in the seventh, and within just five pitches, he officially put Alonso back in second place. The 27-year-old scorched an inside four-seamer off the right-field foul pole, briefly tying the game with a two-run blast before a rocky eighth inning sealed St. Louis’ 8-4 loss to Milwaukee.

Yet, even as his 114th and 115th RBIs gave him the lead with just two games left in the season, Burleson remained quick to credit those who put him in position to put runs on the board in the first place.

“It means a lot of guys in front of me have a really good on-base percentage,” Burleson said. “Any time anybody asks, it's all about those guys. Obviously, I'm not going to hit 100 homers a year, so to have guys on in front of me and be able to drive them in consistently is a lot of fun.”

Burleson’s latest blast came at a time when the Cardinals were desperate for any sort of offense they could find. St. Louis’ bats had been held in check by Brewers starter Robert Gasser for the first six innings, with Iván Herrera’s fourth-inning solo shot representing the club’s only hit to that point.

But after Gasser was replaced by Bryse Wilson in the seventh, the Cardinals were able to kick off a rally.

Jordan Walker led off the frame by slugging his 29th homer of the season, going deep for the first time since Sept. 1. It was homer No. 56 for his career, and each one of those blasts has come off a different pitcher. Only Willy Adames has had a longer streak of home runs off different hurlers (57) to start a career.

Leo Bernal singled two pitches later, and suddenly Burleson had his name called to enter. He knew he’d be tabbed to pinch-hit at some point Friday night, but the decision came quicker than anticipated.

Wilson threw the first four pitches down or away, seemingly hinting he didn’t want to offer Burleson anything in the strike zone. His fifth pitch ended up being a prime example of why he was trying to avoid it.

Burleson turned on an inside four-seamer, scorching it toward the pole. He craned his neck while watching the ball’s flight, unsure if his 109.6 mph shot off the bat was going to stay in fair territory. He even attempted to aid his chances with a muted Carlton Fisk impression, subtly pointing the ball fair as if trying to will himself a homer right before it hit the pole.

“I was standing there leaning with it, kind of blowing it fair,” Burleson said. “I’ve had a few like that this year that went foul, so it was good to see one stay fair.”

Though his 25th homer of the year wasn’t enough to spark a comeback victory, that he was able to maintain his ability to drive in runs -- even after coming into the game sooner than anticipated -- has clearly left an impression with his team.

“The consistency has been impressive,” manager Oliver Marmol said. "I think there's still more in there, to be quite honest with you. His ability to focus every day, and then -- when he's not having a good game -- his ability to refocus and do something to contribute to helping the group has been probably the most impressive.

“If you're driving this many runs, you’ve gotta lock it in daily.”

He’ll need to lock in for just a couple more games to secure the RBI lead for good, an outcome he hardly expected back in Spring Training. Though unsure if he’ll get enough at-bats to maintain his hold on first place, he at least knows an Orioles’ scheduling quirk will help his chances.

“Pete's off tomorrow, right?” he joked. “We'll see where we're at on the last day and see what we need to do.”