After producing one of his best individual performances Saturday night, Colorado Rockies leadoff hitter Jake McCarthy hinted at the reason he is having the best season of his career.
“It’s been nice to get a ton of at-bats, and that they have faith in me to bat me against lefties and righties at the top of the lineup,” McCarthy said. “I just want to make (the Rockies) look good and take advantage of the opportunity I’ve been given.”
McCarthy will look to lead Colorado to a series win over the host St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday afternoon when they play the decisive contest of a three-game set.
McCarthy, 29, on Saturday became the second player in the live-ball era (since 1920) to have at least four runs, four hits, three RBIs, two homers and two stolen bases in one game. Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani achieved the feat against the Miami Marlins on Sept. 19, 2024.
It also was McCarthy’s second two-homer, four-hit game of the season, matching his output July 3 against the San Francisco Giants at home. He drove in six runs in that contest, a 15-3 victory for Colorado.
The Rockies have the lowest win total (46) in the National League, but they’ve already surpassed their 43 victories from a season ago.
“I’ve just had so much fun playing here,” McCarthy said after Saturday’s 8-6 win.
Cardinals right-hander Michael McGreevy (4-9, 3.59 ERA) will start on Sunday in a bid to slow McCarthy, who is batting .305 with a .341 on-base percentage and a .516 slugging percentage to go with career highs in homers (13) and RBIs (67). He also has 20 stolen bases.
After playing with the Arizona Diamondbacks for parts of five seasons, McCarthy has surpassed 100 games for just the second time and is on pace to finish with a career high in plate appearances.
McGreevy is 1-0 with a 3.50 ERA in three career appearances vs. Colorado. He made two solid starts against the Rockies last season, posting a 1-0 record with a 2.77 ERA with three strikeouts and no walks in 13 innings. McGreevy has never faced McCarthy, but he’s held his own against most Rockies hitters aside from Mickey Moniak (4-for-6, homer).
McGreevy has struggled in three starts since mid-July, posting an 0-2 record with a 9.49 ERA and six walks in 12 1/3 innings.
In addition to McGreevy regaining his form, Cards manager Oliver Marmol hopes Jordan Walker is breaking out of a slump. Against the Rockies, he homered for the first time since July 9.
“It was good to see Walk get into one there,” Marmol said.
Right-hander Michael Lorenzen (3-10, 6.94 ERA) will start on Sunday for the Rockies, who had lost four games in a row before McCarthy’s monster game.
Lorenzen has a 13.50 ERA in his past three starts, which total 10 2/3 innings. Overall, he has been better away from home, posting a 5.16 ERA in 13 starts, compared with a 9.12 ERA in 11 home starts.
Lorenzen is 4-3 with a 3.39 ERA in 37 career appearances (four starts) vs. the Cardinals.
–Field Level Media
