St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig had a three-RBI game on Sunday as the Dodgers were swept out of town.
Instead of waiting for another chance in St. Louis, rookie Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig helped make it happen by continuing to play hard after being sent down to Triple-A Memphis after an unproductive introductory period as a major leaguer.
His productivity is most evident by his 65 Pacific Coast League RBI in 67 games, good enough to be named by The Cardinal Nation as the Player of the Month across the organization for June.
Given another opportunity with the Cardinals on July 15 means Craig’s major league career is still only 11 games old. Coming into his start at first base on Sunday in place of resting Albert Pujols, some focused on his 2-for-22 (.091) beginning, expecting the worst from the right-handed hitter.
Fortunately, Craig had other ideas, enjoying a big afternoon on his 26th birthday.
Batting in Pujols’ customary third spot, Craig was on base three times, going 2-for-4 with a double and a walk. Further, he plated three of the Cardinals’ five runs in their comeback win over the Dodgers. Craig walked in the sixth, doubled in two runs and scored in the eighth and his single with two out in the ninth plated Yadier Molina with the tying run.
On Thursday, Craig had collected his first two career RBI in game one of the four-game sweep over the visiting Dodgers. Sunday’s three-RBIs in game four served as an impressive bookend.
With a pair of multi-RBI games in the first 11 games of his Cardinals career, Craig put his name on a list that now has just 30 names on it since 1920. As one might expect, Pujols is at the top with four such games, but in Craig, Cardinals fans may have much about which to be hopeful.
St. Louis Cardinals, two or more multi-RBI games in first 11 career games, 1920-present
| Player | Year | G | RBI |
| Albert Pujols | 2001 | 4 | 10 |
| Fred Whitfield | 1962 | 4 | 10 |
| Don Gutteridge | 1936 | 3 | 9 |
| George Puccinelli | 1930 | 3 | 7 |
| Jim Bottomley | 1922 | 3 | 7 |
| Wally Moon | 1954 | 3 | 6 |
| Joe Cunningham | 1954 | 2 | 9 |
| Hal Smith | 1956 | 2 | 6 |
| Enos Slaughter | 1938 | 2 | 6 |
| Heinie Schuble | 1927 | 2 | 6 |
| Allen Craig | 2010 | 2 | 5 |
| Adam Kennedy | 1999 | 2 | 5 |
| Rod Booker | 1987 | 2 | 5 |
| George Watkins | 1930 | 2 | 5 |
| John Gall | 2005 | 2 | 4 |
| Keith McDonald | 2000 | 2 | 4 |
| J.D. Drew | 1998 | 2 | 4 |
| Eli Marrero | 1997 | 2 | 4 |
| John Morris | 1986 | 2 | 4 |
| Vince Coleman | 1985 | 2 | 4 |
| Tom Nieto | 1984 | 2 | 4 |
| Ken Reitz | 1972 | 2 | 4 |
| Julian Javier | 1960 | 2 | 4 |
| Ken Boyer | 1955 | 2 | 4 |
| Stan Musial | 1941 | 2 | 4 |
| Harry Walker | 1940 | 2 | 4 |
| Bruce Ogrodowski | 1936 | 2 | 4 |
| Bill Lewis | 1933 | 2 | 4 |
| Chick Hafey | 1924 | 2 | 4 |
| Les Bell | 1923 | 2 | 4 |
Thanks to Tom Orf for the data table above.
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