Winn's streak rolls on as he remains a 'fire' for Cards lineup

CINCINNATI -- Throughout a hitting streak that has now propelled him past legendary slugger Albert Pujols and close friend Jordan Walker, and one that has nearly spanned the entirety of May, Cardinals rookie Masyn Winn copped to “getting lucky” a few times during his feel-good spree.

However, there was nothing lucky on Wednesday about the two-out, two-strike line drive that the 22-year-old Winn hit into right-center in the fourth inning to drive in a run. Winn, MLB’s leader in line-drive rate at 35.6 percent just ahead of Dodgers superstar Mookie Betts (34.8 percent), went down and got a low-and-away, four-seam fastball from Reds right-hander Frankie Montas for yet another clutch, two-strike hit.

Winn had three hits on Wednesday -- all of them with two strikes in the count -- to extend his hitting streak to 18 games as the Cards won 5-3 to take the three-game series from the rival Reds. Winn also came into the day hitting a National League-best .287 with two strikes, and he bettered that with his handiwork against Cincinnati.

“I wouldn’t say I’m super comfortable with two strikes and that’s just me going into defense mode,” said Winn, who is 25-for-68 (.368) during this streak. “I’m just trying to put a ball in play and give myself a chance. I think strikeouts kill teams, so if I can put balls in play, that will give us a chance, and good things will happen.”

Good things are certainly happening these days for the Cardinals, who won for the seventh time in eight games and nabbed a 12th victory in their last 15 outings. The Cardinals reached .500 for the first time since they were 9-9 on April 17. The Redbirds were a season-worst nine games under .500 after a May 11 loss in Milwaukee, but they have seemingly turned around their season with their best stretch of baseball over the past two seasons.

“The feel is good, it really is,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “The guys are getting after it. And they’re convicted about every game and committed to what we set out to do out of Spring Training. These guys are playing hard, the attention to detail is there, they’re taking good at bats, the starters are doing a good job and the bullpen has been good about taking the ball whenever needed. So, it feels really good in that clubhouse right now.”

Veteran slugger Matt Carpenter homered against Cincinnati for a 23rd time in his career to give the Cardinals an early lead in the third inning. The 38-year-old Carpenter said much of the credit for the hot streak that the Redbirds are on should go to Winn, who has brought some pop and production to the bottom of the lineup.

“He’s certainly been a fire that’s been lit in this lineup,” Carpenter raved. “We certainly wouldn’t be on this run without him.”

Winn’s work on Wednesday gave him the second-longest hitting streak by a rookie in Cardinals franchise history. He reached on a slow infield single in the second inning, roped an RBI single in the third and added a line-drive knock in the ninth. A night earlier, he tied Walker (2023) and Pujols (2001) at 17 games. Joe McEwing is the only rookie to hit in more games consecutively, going 25 games in 1999.

Wednesday was Winn’s first three-hit day of his career, and his seventh multi-hit game during a streak that dates to May 5. The only player in Cardinals history aged 22 years or younger with a longer hitting streak than Winn has a statue out front of Busch Stadium: The immortal Stan Musial hit in 22 straight games at 22 years old in 1943, per Elias Sports.

“He just continues to take professional at-bats, and he’s not trying to do too much,” Marmol said of the shortstop. “Whatever the game presents, he’s willing to give it a good shot. Today was another example of that. It was a really good day at the plate for him.”

Winn said there have been various points during the hitting streak that he thought it would end. Not one to be overly superstitious, he thought his mother had jinxed him a couple of weeks back, but he’s somehow kept it rolling.

“At about game eight or nine, I heard about the streak and my mom actually texted it to me. Then, I said, “OK, well the streak is over now,’” Winn joked. “Ever since then, I know what game I’m on, but I’m definitely trying to not put too much pressure on myself. It’s nice getting hits early in games to take the pressure off. Whenever this streak does end -- and it’s got to at some point -- it’s just not too big of a deal to me.”