Welcome back! Pham's slam in return to St. Louis ignites Cardinals

ST. LOUIS -- Never one to sidestep a sensitive subject or sugarcoat his feelings no matter how bitter they may be, Tommy Pham said the quiet part out loud on Tuesday about how he would never be content as merely a right-handed bat against lefties or an occasional pinch-hitter now that’s he’s back with a Cardinals club that coveted his bravado.

Then, in his first game back with the club since 2018, Pham went out and let his bat do his talking for him with one of the most stirring sequences seen at Busch Stadium since Albert Pujols retired in 2022.

A day after the Cardinals pulled off a three-team deal to bring him back to the city where his MLB career began, Pham drilled a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right-center field for a pinch-hit grand slam that propelled St. Louis to an 8-1 victory over the Rangers.

The slingshot effect of Pham’s cool confidence was evident the moment the ball left his bat at 106.2 mph, traveling a projected 405 feet for just the second grand slam of his career. The usually stoic Paul Goldschmidt danced and laughed in a Cardinals dugout that mobbed the 36-year-old Pham. Similarly, a crowd of 32,395 -- one that murmured when Pham stepped into the on-deck circle and gave him a standing ovation upon walking to the plate -- pulsated with raw emotion as the slugger circled the bases and fireworks filled the air.

“It was different because of the ovation and that’s probably my best moment here and one of the top moments of my career,” a somewhat still-awed Pham said. “There were guys [in the dugout] pulling for one another. When a team comes together with that kind of togetherness, it’s a dangerous team.”

Led on Tuesday by Pham, Lance Lynn and Matt Carpenter -- all veteran players back for their second stint with the Cards -- St. Louis suddenly looked like a team capable of pulling off a strong closing kick instead of one that had previously dropped seven of 12 games. With one swing, Pham showed how his swagger could be infectious throughout a team dreaming big again.

“[Pham] showed what he brings to the table, and he brings a sense of urgency,” said Lynn, who earned his first win over Texas to give him victories over all 30 MLB clubs. “Tommy’s about winning and doing what he can to win. That’s what you need on this team.”

The Cardinals came into the week ranked 29th in MLB in OPS against left-handed pitching (.633), prompting president of baseball operations John Mozeliak to aggressively pursue starting pitcher Erick Fedde and Pham in a deal with the White Sox. Pham, who played for seven different teams in between stints with the Cardinals, hit his second home run of the season against left-handed pitching and pushed his OPS to a sterling .848 versus southpaws.

At long last, Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol feels his lefty-heavy squad is better equipped to combat left-handed pitching. Previously, the Cards had little more than lefty Brandon Crawford, switch-hitter Dylan Carlson and Carpenter off the bench. Pham greatly changes that dynamic, Marmol said.

“We’ve got a right-handed bat that we can use, man, so welcome back, Tommy,” said Marmol. “There’s not a moment that’s going to scare him. He loves competition and he loves the big stage. The bigger the better and that’s part of the reason we wanted him here. He loves to win. To be able to do that on your first at-bat, that’s big.”

Not long after the trade was consummated, Marmol talked to Pham about how he wants to use him over the final 55 games of the season. Of course, Marmol wants Pham’s bat in the lineup against lefties, but also plans to sprinkle the veteran in at all three spots in the outfield to give Brendan Donovan, Alec Burleson and Michael Siani the occasional day off.

At the time, Pham said all the right things to his new manager and someone he’s known in the Cardinals' organization since 2007. Later, he revealed his true mission when it comes to wanting to be a Cardinals cornerstone.

“[Marmol] said I would play against lefties and get me in there against some righties,” Pham said with a sly smile. “You guys know me … I’m going to try and play my way in there and be in that lineup every day.”

Added Marmol: “Part of what makes him good is he wants to figure out a way to help the team every day and I welcome it. I’d rather have guys pushing me to play than the other way around.”