ST. LOUIS -- If things go according to plan for the Cardinals, there will be many more nights when promising young stars Masyn Winn, Jordan Walker and Michael McGreevy do exactly what they did late in Wednesday’s come-from-behind victory.

Winn, the dynamic shortstop who has stayed on the fringes of the Rookie of the Year race with stellar defense and some clutch, two-strike hitting, ignited a rally with a game-tying homer to lead off the seventh inning. Walker, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound outfielder who has put the memory of his early-season struggles behind him with a strong finish, crushed a double 115.5 mph – the hardest a ball has been hit all season by a Cardinal – to drive in three runs. Finally, McGreevy celebrated his second big league callup on Wednesday by pitching three scoreless innings to earn his second MLB win.

Put it all together and it equaled a 10-5 victory for the Cardinals over the Pirates in a game they led 4-0, trailed 5-4 and then rallied for six runs in the seventh to win for a third straight night. Walker and Winn, the 22-year-olds so often linked together because of how their careers have blossomed within a year of one another, are at the center of any hopes that the Cardinals can get back into the playoffs as early as 2025.

“As an organization, that’s exactly what’s needed, for both of these guys to become the players we think they are capable of becoming and that they think they are capable of becoming,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “We’re going to do everything possible to make sure that happens.”

Winn’s rookie season has gone about as well as the Cardinals could have hoped after he struggled mightily at the plate during an MLB cameo late in the 2023 season. He is bidding to become the first rookie to lead the Cardinals in hits since future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols did it in 2001. The 5-foot-10, 185-pound Winn has also shown off the surprising pop in his bat by mashing 14 home runs, the latest one coming after former All-Star closer David Bednar hung a curveball and the Cardinals shortstop mashed it 383 feet to knot the game at 5. It was his 10th homer that has either tied a game or given the Cards the lead.

“I’m afraid to put a ceiling on him because he’s capable of a lot,” Marmol said of Winn, whose 148 hits trail Brendan Donovan for the team lead by one knock. “When it comes to a guy who wants to be in the lineup every single day, we have that now. This is the guy who wants to be the shortstop for 162 games, he doesn’t want days off and he’s building toward that. … He takes pride in being able to post.”

Demoted to Triple-A for 3 1/2 months after struggling early in the season, Walker has done a much better job of keeping the ball off the ground by hitting all four of his home runs in September. His double in Wednesday’s seventh inning was on the ground, but he smashed it so hard that Pittsburgh third baseman Nick Yorke had zero shot at stabbing it. The 115.5 mph double barely edged out the 115.3 mph single by Willson Contreras on July 22, making it the hardest-hit ball by a Cardinal this season.

“In that situation, I need to put something in play,” said Walker, who redeemed himself after two defensive misplays led to two Pittsburgh runs in the fourth inning. “I took a hack on my first swing, and I missed it. In that situation with the bases loaded, I’ve got to put something in play and try to hit it hard. To be honest, getting it in the air was not one of my biggest worries there.”

It wasn’t lost on Walker that following his double Winn was on the top step of the dugout pumping his fists and motioning to his close friend. They have played together at every level of the organization and they are hopeful that they can finally thrive together in the big leagues.

“I was super excited when he hit his homer, too,” Walker said of Winn. “His energy boosts the whole team, and it helps me. Things don’t go well, he’s the first person talking to me and if things go well, he’s the first person cheering me on.”

McGreevy chuckled that it was Winn and Walker playing starring roles in a game where he got the win. After all, the three of them have played together in the Minor Leagues for years.

“I think Cardinal fans should be excited about the future with all the young guys here contributing,” he said.