Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals became the first Cardinal to record a multi-hit performance in the All-Star Game since Albert Pujols in 2008. Donovan slapped a single to left center field and also beat out an infield single that went past the pitcher. Donovan has been having a great season this year for St. Louis. His play style is a mixture of hitting the ball to all fields and being able to play multiple positions in the field.
Brendan Donovan’s Last At-Bat Didn’t Go Well
Donovan came up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning with the game tied 6-6. He tapped the ball to the left side of the plate, and he thought it was foul. The catcher waited for the ball to move and roll fair to the third base line, and when it did, he tagged Donovan, and he was out. Donovan had to have been 100 percent sure the ball was foul because he did not attempt to run to first base.
It was a tough break for the National League to proceed to the swing-off on a ball hit like that, but baseball is baseball. Plus, the reception behind the swing-off has been positive. The idea that the All-Star Game was going to be decided by a mini Home Run Derby was nothing short of exciting for fans.
Final Thoughts
Brendan Donovan is having a phenomenal year and deserves the All-Star nod. In 89 games played, Brendan Donovan has hit 8 home runs, 36 runs batted in, and has a .797 OPS. He has an OPS+ of 124, which means he’s been 24 percent above league average offensively this season for St. Louis. He has already notched 22 doubles this season. That is just 12 short of his career high, which he achieved last season. Donovan is a player the Cardinals need to extend. Right now, they’re on the outside looking in at the playoffs.
