O'Neill ready to be late-season spark after huge homer

ST. LOUIS -- His season a disjointed mess most of the way because of the numerous stops and starts caused by injuries, Tyler O'Neill admitted that it’s been difficult at times to look at the scoreboard and see disappointing numbers that aren’t indicative of the talent he has as a difference-making slugger for the Cardinals.

As a way to keep his confidence up -- and, for that matter, keep his sanity -- O’Neill has thought often of the closing stretch he put together last season and how a similar September/October could salvage this season. Over the final month of the 2021 season -- a time when the Cardinals remarkably won 17 games in a row and surged into the playoffs -- O’Neill hit .328, smashed 13 home runs and drove in 30 runs to elbow his way into the top 10 of the voting for the NL MVP award.

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On Sunday, O’Neill exhibited the kind of game-changing swat that could be indicative of another strong finish to come from the standout left fielder.

A night after walking with the bases loaded to force home the winning run, O’Neill drilled a two-out, three-run home run to dead center as the Cardinals rallied past the Braves, 6-3. For O’Neill, it was the brightest moment in a season that has tested his resiliency. Still, he said, he has a chance to have a major say in the way the Cardinals close this season.

“I have to understand my ability, trust my ability and trust who I am,” said O’Neill, whose 10th home run came after superstars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado struck out with two runners on in the eighth. “It’s tough looking at the scoreboard [and seeing his numbers] after a slow start and understanding that that’s not the hitter I am. I still have to stay positive and mentally engaged. I’m taking it day in and day out and pitch by pitch -- I know it sounds cliché, but that’s my key to success.”

For the Cardinals to be as successful of a team as they want to be, the muscular O’Neill must factor heavily into their late-season and postseason runs, manager Oliver Marmol has said for months. He was encouraged that O’Neill walked three times on Saturday -- including the final one for the winning run -- and he delighted in seeing O’Neill smash the ball off A.J. Minter much the way he did last season. O’Neill’s home run left the bat at 101.7 mph, and it traveled 423 feet to the delight of the home fans at Busch Stadium.

“That’s a guy who hit 30-plus home runs and had a .900 OPS last year, and we’re counting on him taking some big swings and tonight was one of them,” said Marmol, whose team is 20-6 since July 31. “We think Tyler’s trending in the right direction. He’s not chasing, and the three walks yesterday are indicative of that. He’s swinging it with more confidence and hopefully today is another step in that direction.”

O’Neill, who had his season interrupted by shoulder, hamstring and wrist injuries, has been used all over the lineup this season to try to spark his bat. He started the season hitting between Goldschmidt and Arenado and later was moved ahead of them in an attempt to get him more pitches to hit. Of late, he’s provided protection for the two MVP candidates from the No. 5 hole and it worked perfectly on Saturday and Sunday.

After Tommy Edman tied Sunday’s game at 3 with a solo shot to open the eighth, the Cardinals appeared to be in a perfect position to win it with Goldschmidt and Arenado up and Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan on base. When the two superstars failed, O’Neill picked them up with his powerful clout to center.

“To see Tyler come up huge in that situation, it gets you excited for what’s coming from him down the stretch,” said Nootbaar, whose solo homer in the sixth was the Cardinals' first hit of the night. “Recently, he’s been taking really good at-bats. He’s sticking with the positivity, and you never know what’s to come from Tyler.”

Finally healthy and swinging the bat the best that he has all season, O’Neill is hopeful he can repeat his 2021 late-season surge. Thus far, he’s hit .222 with a .744 OPS, five home runs and 17 RBIs in August. He feels that platform is a perfect place for him to launch yet another late-season run.

“There’s something about the second half with the ball team that gets us going, myself included,” O’Neill said. “I want to help these guys push into the playoffs and I’m going to play a big role in that. Again, I’m going to stick to my game plan and understand who I am as a player.”