ST. LOUIS – The power that Rockies leadoff hitter Jake McCarthy knew was within him has been unleashed.
McCarthy homered on Saturday night’s first pitch and added a two-run shot in the sixth – and finished with four hits, the last a ninth-inning bunt – in the Rockies’ 8-6 victory over the Cardinals at Busch Stadium.
The third multi-homer game of McCarthy’s career – second this season – raised his Major League career-high total to 13. His only professional season with more homers was 2021 with a combined 15 at Double-A and Triple-A with the Diamondbacks, who traded him to the Rockies in January.
Last year, McCarthy hit .204 and was optioned to Triple-A by the Diamondbacks – in part, he admitted, because he tried to manufacture the ability to drive balls. But all aspects of his game are falling into place. Since July 1, McCarthy has slashed .315/.348/.569 with seven homers and 30 RBIs in 31 games.
Saturday was McCarthy’s second straight game with at least three hits, and he added his 19th and 20th stolen bases of the season.
On Friday, McCarthy never scored as the Rockies went 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position in a 3-2 loss. He took care of that problem by blasting Matthew Liberatore’s initial pitch 420 feet, into the right-field stands over the home bullpen.
In the sixth, he followed a walk drawn by Ezequiel Tovar – whose adjustments to shake a season-long slump may finally be working – with a 417-foot shot into the center-field seats for a 7-3 lead.