ST. LOUIS -- So a Rookie of the Year candidate, the National League’s third-ranked on-base threat, a reigning Silver Slugger Award recipient and the potential NL MVP walk into the clubhouse…\n\nThat’s not the setup for a corny joke. It’s how Cardinals manager Oli Marmol starts his lineup card.
The top four hitters in the Cardinals’ lineup have been as potent as any leading quartet in the league this season, but what has come thereafter, in slots five through nine, has needed some adjustments along the way.
Recently, the bottom of the lineup has seen a revival -- one that has unlocked a cheat code for the Cardinals’ offense.\n\nThe workmanlike contributors stationed fifth through ninth in St. Louis' batting order were at it again Tuesday night at Busch Stadium, providing all three RBIs in the Cardinals’ 3-2 win over the Padres.\n\n
Before last week, neither player was on the active roster.\n\n“It was a special moment,” Jordan said of his first-ever Busch Stadium RBI. “I just went up to the plate just trying to do my job. Luckily, I was able to come through and get a good pitch to hit.”\n\nChurch was activated from the injured list on June 9. Jordan’s first big league opportunity came a few days later as the Cardinals sought more offensive punch from the third base spot.\n\nThat’s what they’re getting so far from Jordan, who is 6-for-19 (.316) with a .948 OPS since his promotion.\n\n“We’re so deep one through nine,” Jordan said. “It’s a special and fun lineup that we’ve got here.” \n\nWhile the Cardinals still rank inside the bottom 10 in MLB in OPS from both the eighth and ninth positions in the lineup on the season, the tide is seemingly turning with the recent infusion of talent that has helped lengthen the lineup.\n\n“It’s awesome when different guys contribute,” Marmol said. “We’ve seen what happens when the bottom gets on and the middle of our order goes to town. Then, today, we needed them to come through and drive in a couple runs. That was really, really good to see.”
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