O’Neill raises stock with key knock in Cards’ 5-run frame
PHOENIX — A day that started with the deal with starter Adam Wainwright returning to the mound in quest of profession win No. 199 in the end zeroed in on the late-game theatrics of the Cardinals’ offense, which rallied within the ninth to attain 5 runs, as St. Louis claimed the opening contest of the sequence in Arizona, 10-6.
The essential blow was delivered by Tyler O’Neill, who arrived at Chase Field on Monday scheduled for an off-day after 4 consecutive begins. Thrust into motion as a defensive substitute within the seventh, it was his bases-clearing double within the ninth that offered a cushion for the underside body.
It was additionally — with one swing on a dangling slider — a breath of contemporary air in a season that has been sidetracked by a decrease again pressure that compelled O’Neill to overlook two and a half months of recreation motion.
“I feel like I’m in a really good spot physically,” O’Neill mentioned after taking part in in simply his fifth recreation since getting back from the IL. “I formulated a extremely strong routine that will get me going every single day.
“Had a handful of at-bats down at Triple-A to get me ready, whatever it took to get me to the spot where I am now. To me, it’s just getting those everyday reps and continuing to get that timing down, continuing to be in a good spot.”
“It’s really nice to have him offensively, [a player] who, 30-plus homers and driving [in] runs and being a real threat at the plate,” supervisor Oliver Marmol mentioned. “He’s confident, he’s feeling good and he’s bought into what needs to happen in order to get back to that. I think we’ll see that Tyler O’Neill again.”
The final time O’Neill stepped foot on the diamond in Arizona got here again in March in the course of the World Baseball Classic with Team Canada. Looking to place a 1-for-11 efficiency with the nationwide staff in 2017 within the rearview mirror, the 28-year-old outfielder was an important cog on the coronary heart of the order, going 8-for-13 over 4 video games with an eye-popping .722 on-base share.
But for all the promise that the 12 months started with, O’Neill hit a chilly spell early on that, coupled with the Cardinals’ appreciable outfield depth, led to a lower in taking part in time. And then harm struck, forcing the slugger to the sidelines.
O’Neill’s return to full well being coincides with Lars Nootbaar’s, which implies St. Louis as soon as once more finds itself with 4 succesful outfielders — together with Dylan Carlson and Jordan Walker — for 3 on a regular basis slots. Given the aforementioned 34-homer marketing campaign on O’Neill’s ledger in 2021, there’s purpose to consider that groups within the thick of the pennant chase wanting so as to add right-handed thump may very well be all for his providers.
“I mean, obviously there’s lots going on; we’ll see what the front office wants to do over the next week here,” O’Neill mentioned. “But, you know, as a player, it’s not something that I want to think about. Every day, it’s trying to show up to the ballpark, show up with a good attitude, show up and compete with these guys, and you know, that puts us in a good spot at the end of the day.”
Originally, Wainwright was imagined to merely throw a stay batting apply session Monday in entrance of Cardinals employees. But when it turned obvious that the membership would want innings in recreation motion, the 41-year-old toed the rubber in entrance of 23,184 in attendance and largely saved a D-backs lineup that entered the evening ranked fourth within the National League in OPS (.756) beneath wraps, scattering 4 singles and two walks throughout 5 frames.
Taking the hill with a smooth 65-pitch goal, Wainwright relied on his bread and butter. His mixed sinker and curveball utilization rated as his second-highest this season, with 71.1 % (54 of 76) of his pitches approaching these two choices.
“Stuff was way better, a lot more life,” Wainwright mentioned. “Breaking ball was snapping, sinker was sinking. Now we just want to hone it a little bit more, but that’s certainly a game that I can build off of. I’m very excited about moving forward from here.”
Wainwright, who insisted that the cortisone shot he obtained had completed the trick and returned him to feeling like himself, tinkered with new arm slots to additional add to his expansive repertoire.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” Wainwright said. “I just never really knew if I should. You know, why not right now? Don’t leave anything in the tank.”
