Church robs would-be walk-off, saves Cards win
Apr 29, 2026, 11:44 PM ET PITTSBURGH — Nathan Church is making a habit of stealing home runs. The rookie left fielder’s latest saved the game for the St. Louis Cardinals. Church ended a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates by robbing Nick Gonzales of what would have been a walk-off, two-run homer by making…
PITTSBURGH — Nathan Church is making a habit of stealing home runs.
The rookie left fielder’s latest saved the game for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Church ended a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates by robbing Nick Gonzales of what would have been a walk-off, two-run homer by making a leaping catch at the left-field wall Wednesday night.
Just four days earlier, Church took a potential tying homer away from Seattle’s Mitch Garver in the sixth inning. The 25-year-old also had his first career two-homer game in that 11-9 loss to the Mariners.
On Opening Day, Church made a dazzling catch at the top of the wall against Tampa Bay’s Ryan Vilade. A homer then also would have tied the game.
“Everything to left field is an out,” said Cardinals starter Andre Pallante, who got the win Wednesday after allowing one run in six innings. “We love having Church out there.”
Gonzales’ drive above the top of the 6-foot wall — 373 feet from home plate — would have been a home run in 27 of the 30 big league ballparks, according to MLB Statcast, all but PNC Park, Baltimore’s Camden Yards and Texas’ Globe Life Field.
Church said his ability to snag balls at the wall is no coincidence, saying he works on them at the start of every series with outfield coach Jon Jay.
“That was some of the work that we did right when we got here,” Church said. “Knowing the walls and how they’re going to play, just doing that homework beforehand, so when plays like that happen, you’re ready for it.”
Reliever Riley O’Brien, who got his eighth save thanks to the grab, held his arms over his head with a stunned look toward left as Church casually jogged away from the wall with the ball in his glove.
“Initially off the bat, I thought it was gone,” O’Brien said.
He added: “I said, ‘I love you. Thank you for catching that.'”
Church earned a reputation as an elite defender in the minor leagues as an 11th-round draft pick by the Cardinals in 2022. He’s on his best stretch at the plate, hitting .281 with four homers in the past eight games.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
