St. Louis Cardinals’ Tommy Edmon talks about his game-winning hit.
Edmon came up to bat in the bottom of the 10th inning of the Cardinals’ home game against the San Diego Padres at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., on Tuesday (Sept. 30) and hit a single to left field to end the game.
It was the fourth time in his career and second shutout of the season, and the first time a St. Louis player has come in as a pinch-hitter and ended a game since Matt Carpenter on Aug. 21, 2019, at home against the Cincinnati Reds.
In his postgame interview, Edmon said, “It’s nice to be able to contribute to the team in some way. We haven’t had a lot of wins like this all season, so it’s nice to get a win.”
“Usually on an off day like this, I prepare for a pinch-hitting role in the right field against a left-handed bullpen. They had Josh Hader and I was ready to go against him. I started taking swings in the sixth or seventh inning,” he said, noting that he had been preparing to face Hader.
“He’s an unbelievable pitcher, one of the best in the league for a long time. When you face a pitcher like that, you can’t get too greedy. He has such a good fastball, you have to keep your bat short and be ready,” he said.
“I had a fast runner on third base, so I didn’t need a hit, I just needed to get the ball to the outfield, and that’s what I tried to do.”
“I liked the matchup, I knew he was going to finish it off,” Wilson Contreras, who contributed a multi-homer game, said of Edman’s at-bat. “Edman is a ‘ball player’ and we trust him. He’s going to be fine,” he added, expressing his faith in his teammate.
For Contreras, the game meant a lot. His parents traveled to the U.S. from Venezuela, and it was the first game he’d seen them in person since his move to St. Louis.
“I am who I am because of my parents,” Contreras said. They always have good things to say to me and give me strength,” Contreras said of his parents.메이저놀이터
Edmon’s game-winning hit was preceded by a perfect bunt by Richie Palacios.
“Anytime you can help your team win, it’s important,” said Palacios, who sent Mason Wynn to third with a ghost runner. My job was to lay down the bunt. I thought I picked the wrong pitch to bunt, but I made a good contact. It felt good,” he said, explaining the situation.