Cardinals’ power drought is definitively over

12:25 AM ET

MILWAUKEE — The St. Louis Cardinals were having a good offensive night, but it was taking longer than usual and requiring an unusual number of moving parts. They needed 11 hits and five walks to push the first five runs across.

Then came a hanging slider, a loud crack and a familiar sight. Jedd Gyorko turned sideways, did a little shuffle step and watched the ball soar over the left-center field fence in the eighth inning of the Cardinals’ 10-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night.

The Cardinals’ scoring method of choice this season, the three-run home run, had finally shown up. Gyorko was anticipating a slider because the pitcher, David Goforth, had thrown one after another to Yadier Molina.

“We know that’s his go-to pitch when he gets in situations, so I was looking for it, not just completely selling out on it, but looking to get it elevated,” Gyorko said.

Jedd Gyorko’s eighth-inning home run made him the ninth Cardinal to have six or more home runs this season. Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Things change from year to year in baseball, which is why experts’ predictions so often look foolish by the All-Star break, but what the Cardinals have done this season is on another level. They have revolutionized their offense without revolutionizing their roster. The Cardinals were among the most feeble-hitting teams in baseball last season. With nary a major free-agent signing, they have become one of the brawniest teams west of the Green Monster.

Gyorko’s blast was the Cardinals’ 71st home run this season. After 53 games last season, they had hit 40 on their way to swatting a total of 137, more than just five other …

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