Bill Batterman is the Scott Rolen entered Saturday’s game with a .125 batting average and 308 OPS. He had racked up four hits, including one double, one RBI, one walk, and six strikeouts.
Suffice it to say that the three-time All-Star, six-time Gold Glover, and career .286 hitter was having trouble getting his 2005 campaign started. Coming off a fourth-place finish in the National League MVP race and a season in which he hit a career-best .314 with a 1007 OPS, seventh-best in baseball, odds were good that his struggles at the plate wouldn’t last long.
Unfortunately for the Brewers, his return to form came sooner rather than later.
With southpaw Doug Davis on the mound for Milwaukee, Rolen ripped a two-out, two-run homer to left centerfield in the top of the first inning and finished the day 3-for-5 to help the Cardinals take game two of the series, 5-3.