Jon Jay finds comfort in two spot

MILWAUKEE • Back in the lineup spot he's made his own this season, Jon Jay stepped in for his first at-bat Monday, took a peek down at the third baseman and suspected he could drop a bunt for a base hit.

It wasn't where the third baseman stood.

It was instinct.

It comes with the job of batting second.

"It was one of those feelings I got, just go for it right there," Jay said. "I went with my gut feeling that now was the good time to do it. It was the first inning, time to get something going."

Jay got a lot of things going for the Cardinals as they evened the National League championship series at a game each with a 12-3 victory Monday at Miller Park.

As Albert Pujols powered through one of his finest postseason games, Jay merited a nomination for best performance in a supporting role with three hits and three runs scored. All of Pujols' RBI-producing swings included Jay.

The Cardinals' three-time MVP set a personal postseason best with five RBIs, and three of them were Jay. The first three times Pujols came to the plate in the game, Jay was on base, changing how the Brewers' pitchers could traipse around Pujols.

That's the job description, the center fielder said.

"I look at every situation to see what I can do to get on base," Jay said. "That was an opportunity for me to bunt (in the first inning). I got it down and everything else happened. It was a great start to the game."

Manager Tony La Russa said that Jay was "one of the key things. Get guys on base enough for the guys in the middle and we're going to score some runs. Jay had every bit as good a day as Albert did."

During the NL division series against Philadelphia, Jay did not appear ahead of Pujols in the No. 2 spot in the order until the final game, and even then it was as a replacement for injured Skip Schumaker.

Jay has returned to the two spot in both games of the best-of-seven NLCS against Milwaukee, and on Monday he described how comfortable he is there because the recipe is simple.

Get on base by any means necessary.

Get home by any means available.

He has done that in a variety ways through two games of the NLCS.

In Game 1, he drew a walk and scored on Matt Holliday's RBI single for the Cardinals' first run. He singled in the seventh to set up what was a failed rally that died via double play.

In Game 2, Jay reached base with the bunt single, a one-out single in the third inning and a leadoff double in fifth inning. Each time, Pujols followed right behind to score Jay from whatever base he reached.

Against Philly, Jay took up temporary residence in the No. 8 spot of the Cardinals' order, a spot in which he had minimal experience during the regular season yet appeared in for all four of his first-round starts. The NLCS has brought him home.

The No. 2 spot has been called by teammates the best place to hit in the majors because Pujols stands on deck every time. Jay made that spot a key part of his platform for more playing time this season. He hit .303 with a .418 slugging percentage in the No. 2 spot. Of National Leaguers with at least 250 plate appearances in the two spot this season, Jay's .303 ranked third behind two hitters the Cardinals have faced in the playoffs. Phillies third baseman Placido Polanco and Milwaukee center fielder Nyjer Morgan each hit .310 there.

Jay's feel for the No. 2 spot was clear in Game 1 as he worked Brewers' starter Zack Greinke through extended at-bats in each of his first three plate appearances.

Jay faced a total of 20 pitches in the three at-bats. He got the walk in the first inning, and he nearly broke the game in the Cardinals' direction with a busted-bat grounder in the fifth. A diving snare by Prince Fielder kept Jay from being part of a rally.

He was part of three Monday.

The bunt and run to beat third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr.'s throw for a single was prelude to Pujols' homer. The third-inning single was a hit-and-run play that put two on before Pujols' double. In the fifth inning Jay had leadoff double and scored on Pujols'second of three doubles.

"I have all these veterans (to) tell us take advantage of every opportunity you have," Jay said. "Even in the offseason, when I'm working out, I'm not saying, ‘Hey, I want to have a good (regular) season.' I'm want to get to the postseason. My goals aren't, ‘Hey, let's play the season and see what happens.' I want to win. I want to be known as a winning player.

"That is one of the things that drive me."


(stltoday.com)