St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese congratulates Jordan Walker on his two-run seventh inning homer during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson,Post-Dispatch
There were moments during their shared time in Class AAA during the 2024 minor league season where Thomas Saggese said he and Jordan Walker would talk about how they could each make an impact in the majors.
“We’re capable of really handling this league and doing well,” Saggese recalls of the moments the two shared in Memphis.
What the pair of 23-year-old Cardinals did Thursday provided a glimpse at the potential Saggese described.
In the seventh inning of a game tied 1-1 vs. the Pirates, Thomas Saggese belted a double off the base of the wall in center field to score Masyn Winn after Winn walked to lead off the frame. On the very next pitch, Walker pulled a sweeper from Pirates reliever Yohan Ramirez over the wall in center field for a two-run homer to help power the Cardinals to a 4-1 win at Busch Stadium.
“For us to come through like that, it’s cool to see because we’re constantly discussing that we can do this,” Saggese said. “It’s definitely a big confidence boost.”
People are also reading…
Saggese’s and Walker’s RBI hits lifted the Cardinals to a lead after starter Miles Mikolas allowed one run over five innings and reliever Kyle Leahy completed two scoreless innings of relief and struck out four batters.
Riley O’Brien notched a hold in the eighth inning, and JoJo Romero successfully converted his fifth save of the season to secure the Cardinals a series split in a four-game set against the Pirates.
St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol speaks with the media on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, after a win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
Ethan Erickson | Post-Dispatch
For Saggese, the RBI on his seventh-inning double marked his first go-ahead RBI in the seventh inning or later in a big league game. For Walker, the home run was his first since Aug. 8.
“It’s wonderful,” Walker said of his and Saggese’s back-to-back RBIs. “(Saggese) made my job a little bit easier. Tied ball game, man on first base and we’re not even up yet — him going to that backside double was super-huge for us. We’re already up, we already have a lead — my job has been made a whole lot simpler now. I’ve got to put the ball in play and move him over, preferably something in the air. That kind of was the mentality, and it happened to go over the fence.”
For two of the youngest hitters on the Cardinals roster, the clutch hits provided moments of growth.
As he looks to cut down on his chase rate, Saggese showed progress Wednesday night with a pair of walks in a game where he was hitless.
He began his showing at the plate on Thursday by taking two pitches for balls from Pirates starter Braxton Ashcraft before singling to left field on the fourth pitch of the at-bat. In his second at-bat against Ashcraft, Saggese chased two pitches out of the strike zone before grounding out on a ball that had a 106.4 mph, per Statcast.
Once he stepped to the plate with the game’s potential go-ahead run on base, he looked for something he could “drive.”
“I was just trying to be on the fastball, ready to hit,” Saggese said.
On an 0-1 fastball Ramirez placed at the top of the strike zone, Saggese produced a drive with a 103 mph exit velocity that would allow Winn to score from first base.
“He took a good swing for the single and then stayed on that one to right-center. A big double,” Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said of Saggese. “Yesterday, he was patient, took his walks. … Today, swung the bat really well, and that’s the progression you’re hoping for is he continues to shrink the strike zone, make better decisions and get rewarded for it. Today was a good day for it.”
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker speaks with the media on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, after a win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium. (Video by Ethan Erickson, Post-Dispatch)
Ethan Erickson | Post-Dispatch
Walker entered Thursday hitless in his previous six at-bats. The hitless stretch grew to seven consecutive at-bats after he struck out swinging as Ashcraft attacked him with a heavy dose of sliders in the second inning. It reached eight consecutive at-bats in the fifth inning when Walker flew out to left field on a ball he hit with a 101.9 mph exit velocity.
During his at-bat in the seventh inning, Walker swung at an 0-0 sweeper Ramirez located on the outer half of the plate against him and sent it 404 feet. The home run had an exit velocity of 103.8 mph.
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker points back to the dugout to acknowledge the cheers of teammates after he hit a two run homer in the seventh inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson,Post-Dispatch
Walker described the moment as “luck,” considering he was looking for a fastball from Ramirez but saw the sweeper stay over the middle of the strike zone.
The home run provided Walker a reminder of what he needs to do to improve on attacking pitches thrown on the outside corner to him.
“I think today, I told myself: Now that I know I can (cover the outside corner), now I just need to replicate it and not pull off the ball or cheat so much,” Walker said. “Because … I just know, for myself, I’m strong enough to do that. But now I have to work on the consistency of staying there and keeping my bat there.”
The two-run homer provided a glimpse of the step forward the Cardinals are looking for from Walker.
“You’re hoping Jordan continues to take those types of steps in the right direction,” Marmol said. “He just missed one to left (field) earlier, the one he skied to left, and then was able to get that one. That’s a big swing. … He came through in a big moment.”
Photos: St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-1
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker points back to the dugout to acknowledge the cheers of his teammates after he hit a two run homer in the seventh inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Cardinals second baseman Thomas Saggese, left, congratulates Jordan Walker at home after Walker smacked a two-run homer in the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at Busch Stadium.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a two run homer in the seventh inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn slide across the plate to score in the seventh inning and give the Cardinals the lead during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Willson Contreras reacts after he was hit by a pitch in the sixth inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn runs to second to record the force out on Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Liover Peguero during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn runs to second to record the force out on Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Liover Peguero during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Lars Nootbaar slides home to score in the third inning on a RBI double by designated hitter Ivan Herrera during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera runs up the first baseline after hitting an RBI double in the third inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas pitches in the fourth inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera hits an RBI double in the third inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Lots of empty seats could be seen down the third baseline in the third inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Lots of empty seats could be seen down the first baseline in the first inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
John Mozeliak in dugout
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak waits in the dugout for the start of a pre-game ceremony before a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
John Mozeliak in dugout
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak waits in the dugout for the start of a pre-game ceremony before a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
John Mozeliak in dugout
St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak waits in the dugout for the start of a pre-game ceremony before a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham hits a solo homer in first inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas pitches in the first inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Tommy Pham salutes as he rounds the bases after hitting a solo homer in the first inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas pitches in the first inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy pitches in the seventh inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
Cardinals relief pitcher Kyle Leahy throws during the seventh inning of a game against the Pirates on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, at Busch Stadium.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo is congratulated by his teammates as he walks off the field after a 4-1 win in a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Pittsburgh Pirates vs St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher JoJo Romero pitches in the ninth inning during a game betweeen the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis on Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025.
David Carson, Post-Dispatch
Get in the game with our Prep Sports Newsletter
Sent weekly directly to your inbox!