Alec Burleson’s two homers, five RBIs power Cardinals to 9-4 win over Giants, Jordan Hicks

The 25-year-old had to add to his day with a second blast during St. Louis’s 9-4 win over San Francisco at Busch Stadium.

After he homered off Giants starter and former Cardinals pitcher Jordan Hicks two innings prior, Burleson sent a 1-0 knuckle curveball from reliever Sean Hjelle to center field for a two-run homer.

The two-run blast traveled 416 feet. It provided Burleson with the first multi-homer game of his career and helped him to a career-best five RBIs.

His two jolts were part of a four-home run day from Cardinals hitters.

The Cardinals (38-37) received a two-run home run from Paul Goldschmidt in the first inning after they trailed 3-0 to begin the ballgame and received an additional insurance run in the seventh with a solo home run from Brendan Donovan.

The four homers in front of an announced crowd of 41,815 tied the Cardinals for the most they’ve hit in a single game this year and helped the club get above .500 for the first time since June 17. St. Louis hitters combined for four homers May 17 against the Boston Red Sox.

After he allowed three runs in the first inning against San Francisco, Mikolas kept opposing hitters to one run on two hits and two walks through his final five innings of work. The right-hander’s ability to keep the bases clean in the final innings of his start included retiring the final 10 batters he faced before left-hander JoJo Romero replaced him at the start of the seventh inning.

The six innings of work extended Mikolas’s streak of starts with at least six innings to six consecutive starts.

The only trouble faced in his final five innings came in the third. The right-hander began his third inning of work by walking Patrick Bailed and inducing a double play on a ground out against Jorge Soler. But a walk to Matt Chapman was followed by a two-out double from Michael Conforto.

The damage was kept to one run after Michael Siani made a diving play in center field to end the inning.

Back at Busch Stadium for the first time as a visitor, right-hander Jordan Hicks could not get to a fifth inning of work in his first opportunity to face his former team.

Hicks was removed from his start for the Giants after he allowed five runs in four innings. The righty allowed six hits including two homers, walked two batters, and hit another. Thirty-nine of his 88 pitches missed the strike zone.

Hicks, a 2015 Cardinals draft pick and a quick riser through St. Louis’s farm system, was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays at last summer’s trade deadline. The deal netted the Cardinals pitching prospects Sem Robberse and Adam Kloffenstein, the latter of whom made his MLB debut on Thursday against San Francisco at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama.

From 2018 to 2023, Hicks pitched in 187 games for the Cardinals with eight coming as a starter in 2022. Hicks posted a 3.98 ERA and held a 1.86 strikeout-to-walk ratio during his time with St. Louis. He inked a four-year, $44-million deal with the Giants this past winter and has been utilized as a starter with his new club. Through 16 starts, Hicks has a 3.24 ERA through 80 2/3 innings.

Nolan Arenado returned to the Cardinals starting lineup after missing Thursday’s game but left at the start of the eighth inning due to left forearm discomfort. Arenado sat on Thursday after he came out of Wednesday’s road game in Miami after he was hit by 95 mph pitch on his left elbow in the eighth inning. Jose Fermin replaced the veteran at third base.

Center fielder Michael Siani exited Saturday’s game in the fourth inning with bruised ribs. Siani made a head-first diving play in center field on a sinker liner off the bat of Thairo Estrada to end the top of the third inning and appeared to be in discomfort after making the grab.

Siani was slow to get up after making the diving play and was met by Cardinals athletic trainer Adam Olsen as he walked off the field. Dylan Carlson replaced him in center field at the start of the fourth inning.

Paul Goldschmidt and Matt Carpenter both moved up records books with productive at-bats early on Saturday.

Goldschmidt blasted a 421-foot home run to center field that gave him 350 homers for his career. Goldschmidt’s homer, which jumped off his bat at 106.5 mph, per Statcast, tied him for 99th all-time with former three-time World Series winner Chili Davis. With the home run, Goldschmidt trails former MVP Dick Allen (351) for 98th all-time.

With his single to right field in the second inning, Carpenter became the 19th player to reach 2,000 total bases as a Cardinal. The 38-year-old is the seventh left-handed batter to do so as a Cardinal.