Carlson continues May surge after losing leadoff spot

SAN FRANCISCO -- “It’s a matter of time before it clicks.”

That was Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol’s prognosis on Thursday for outfielder Dylan Carlson, who was in the midst of a slump. Two games later, Carlson’s swing appears to be clicking again.

The Elk Grove, Calif., native didn’t start Friday’s game, but he won it with his biggest hit of the young season. After rookie Juan Yepez powered a double to left field, Carlson, who had just entered the game at right field in the seventh inning, stepped to the plate for his only at-bat. Carlson then drove a cutter up the middle to bring home pinch-runner Brendan Donovan for the game-winning run, as the Cardinals won their third straight game, 3-2.

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“I worked myself into a count where I could be a little more aggressive and then was looking for something I could handle, and I just kept it simple from there. Luckily for me, it got through,” said Carlson.

Last year’s third-place finisher for NL Rookie of the Year had fallen into a career-worst 0-for-18 slump heading into May and was removed from the leadoff spot, but Carlson broke that streak with a double on Monday and is 5-for-11 since, including a two-hit, two-run performance on Thursday to kick off the series in San Francisco.

“I really think coming back out to Northern California, where I’m from, has added a little extra excitement, a little extra energy,” said Carlson.

“It’s a huge moment for him to come in there and take that at-bat that he did,” said Marmol. “That’s a really big moment, not only for him, but for this club. Hopefully he’s able to build off that.”

Carlson credits a focus on simplicity for his recent success.

“Just keeping things simple. Sticking to the basics,” he said.

When asked to elaborate on his approach to correcting his swing, he offered a methodical explanation.

“First things first, I always look at timing,” Carlson said. “After that I look at what pitches I’m swinging at. And after that is when I actually start evaluating my swing and seeing where things are. Now I’m definitely feeling balanced, feeling under control and seeing the ball well.”

His teammates praised his ability to get back on track. “It’s awesome. Just goes to show you that if you have the ability to clear your head after every at-bat, you really free up,” said fellow outfielder Harrison Bader. “He’s young, he’s learning, after never having been in that situation. To see it in his performance and on the results side is awesome and there’s more where that came from.”

It was Bader who tallied the other two RBIs of the night, with a two-run homer to left in the fifth inning that just cleared the outfield wall. After a slow start of his own, Bader has five RBIs in six May games.

Outside of the dinger from Bader, the Cardinals relied on velocity from the mound to keep them in it after the Giants responded with a two-run fifth inning. Both starter Jordan Hicks and reliever Ryan Helsley routinely clocked over 100 mph in strong performances. For Hicks, it was a sign of continued optimism as he continues to build his arm.

After hitting career highs in innings pitched, strikeouts and pitches in his last start Sunday, Hicks beat those marks again Friday, putting together a 4 2/3-inning outing with five strikeouts and 68 pitches, with 22 sinkers hitting triple digits on the radar gun.

“I feel like I definitely had more in the tank,” said Hicks. “That’s important to me to know that I’m building up and I still feel good when I’m coming out of the game.”

For Helsley, it was another entry in a streak of continued dominance. The righty entered the game in the seventh and immediately went to work improving his 18 K/9 ratio, top among MLB relievers, facing five batters and striking out four. He has still allowed only one baserunner in 10 innings this season.

That got the Cardinals to the ninth, where Yepez hit a first-pitch double to put the run in scoring position. The rookie, who was recalled from Triple-A Memphis on Monday, has a hit in all three of his starts. He had no trouble with the late-game pressure.

“I was just trying to tell myself, ‘You’re competent. You’re good enough for this moment.’ These are the moments you have to prepare for,” said Yepez. “There’s going to be moments like this.”