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Stuck in a prolonged slump that has caused some restless fans in Cardinal Nation to wonder whether or not he would ever show his potential in St. Louis, Greene quieted the masses. At least for a day.
Greene went 3-for-3 with a single, double, triple, walk and scored a run to help the Cardinals beat the Chicago Cubs, 7-6, at Busch Stadium. It was just the second multi-hit game of the season for the talented infielder, who saw his batting average raise from .194 to .231 by day's end.
"It's great to have a day like this to get back on track," Greene said. "You just have to keep playing. I've had a couple hard hit balls that just haven't fallen. I'll keep going at it, keep putting hard contact and hopefully they will find their spots."
Greene went 3-for-3, hit two home runs, scored three runs and had four RBI on May 6 in Houston, raising his average from .200 to .256. But he was just 1-for-19 since that day and was stuck in an 0-for-16 skid entering Tuesday.
The speedster doubled down the right field line to open the second inning and later scored to tie the game at 3. He singled in the fourth and walked in the sixth before legging out a triple on a ball down the line in left in the eighth.
"He's electric," said manager Mike Matheny. "When he gets going, it's fun to see him do what he can do. It's nice to see him put together some good, short strokes and the next thing you know he has a ball down the right field line. I love to watch him run. He's a pretty impressive athlete."
Greene has been one of the more debated figures on the Cardinals this season. While some supporters speak of his potential, some feel a fresh start in another organization might be what the former first round draft pick needs to flourish.
The former Georgia Tech star had three nearly identical seasons as a mostly reserve player for the Cardinals heading into this year. He hit .222 in 108 at-bats in 2009, .221 in 104 at-bats in 2010 and .212 in 104 at-bats in 2011.
A change in manager and a fresh start figured to be what Greene needed to get going. He was all but given the second base job in spring training but struggled and allowed both Dan Descalso and Skip Schumaker back into the mix.
His struggles continued into the regular season, going just 7-for-35 (.200) in April and 8-for-40 before his breakout day in Houston. He enjoyed his second banner day of the year Tuesday to end another skid.
"They are two good days, but I've just got to try to stretch them out a little bit more," Greene said. "It's always great but we're still early in the season. There's no pressing, no forcing or anything. We're still in May. I'm just working hard and trying to get better every day.
"You just keep working and keep pushing and it will come at the end. You just have to believe it and have confidence in it and I feel I've done that the last week, week and a half. There hasn't been much to show for it but I believe big days like this will turn into more consistency and better, longer good stretches."
As bad as things have been for the Cardinals infielder, he finished play Tuesday with better stats than former St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols. Green is hitting .231 with three home runs while Pujols entered the Angels' game Tuesday night with a .197 average and just one home run.
A longtime supporter of Greene's, Matheny figures to continue giving his infielder plenty of chances to get things rolling at the plate. And although it was a rarity so far, Greene hopes to stay positive and take advantage of the opportunities.
And keep that batting average on the rise.
"Hopefully we can keep it going up and then even it out," Greene said. "Today was a great day but tomorrow is a new day. I'm going to enjoy it today and get ready to play whenever I'm in there again."
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/mlb/article_external/struggling_greene_enjoys_great_day/10799891
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