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Alec Burleson delivered one of the most dominant offensive performances in St. Louis Cardinals history on Tuesday night, blasting three two-run home runs to lead his team to a 13-7 victory over the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. The Cardinals’ first baseman made his mark just hours after learning he would remain with the organization as the trade deadline passed Monday.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol met with Burleson approximately one hour before first pitch to inform him of his status. “He kind of messed with me a little bit,” Burleson recalled, noting that Marmol initially summoned him to his office in a manner that suggested uncertainty. “He just told me to be myself.” Marmol praised his player’s ability to maintain focus despite the uncertainty surrounding his future.
The 27-year-old left-handed batter capitalized on Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch, hitting his first home run in the first inning off starter Cam Schlittler and his second in the fourth against reliever Tim Hill. Both drives landed in the right-field seats, with the first traveling 350 feet and the second going 365 feet.
St. Louis erupted for seven runs in the eighth inning to overcome a 7-6 deficit and secure the win. Burleson’s third home run came off Angel Chivilli on a 2-2 slider, traveling 418 feet to right field. Teammates Nathan Church and Jimmie Crooks also contributed go-ahead homers in the decisive frame.
Burleson became the 15th player in Cardinals franchise history to hit three homers in a single game and the first since catcher Iván Herrera accomplished the feat on April 2, 2025, against the Angels. He also became the eighth visiting player to record a three-homer game at the current Yankee Stadium, which opened in 2009.
The Cardinals had traded outfielder Lars Nootbaar to Arizona and pitchers Dustin May and JoJo Romero to Milwaukee as part of Monday’s deadline transactions. The young Cardinals entered Tuesday’s game with a 56-57 record, having been nine games above .500 on June 16.
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