WATCH: Marlins slugger Jake Burger crushes pair of home runs in hometown return vs. Cardinals
It's been quite the homecoming for St. Louis native Jake Burger. The Miami Marlins slugger, who was born in St. Louis, even attended Missouri State University in Springfield, Missouri. So, it's safe to say that Thursday's action between the Marlins and the Cardinals was a special one for the 27-year-old.
Now, Thursday's game might go down as one of the favorites of his career. During the matchup between the Marlins and Cardinals, Jake Burger launched a pair of home runs in front of his hometown crowd. As the Marlins look to pick up their first victory of the season, the pair of homers could not have come at a better time.
"A DOUBLE BURGER! Jake Burger does it again! @Marlins lead 4-1!" - @MarlinsRadio
It's been a slow start to the season for Burger, who along with Josh Bell, have been tasked with providing the Miami Marlins with the bulk of their home runs this season. The duo did just that, with both players recording their first home runs of the 2024 campaign, something that the Marlins will need more of if they hope to reach the postseason yet again.
The former first-round pick of the Chicago White Sox back in 2018 is looking to make an impact with the Marlins. He was acquired last season by Miami in a trade deadline deal that saw the Marlins send left-handed pitching prospect Jake Eder to Chicago.
Following the move, Burger performed immediately for the Marlins. The hard-hitting infielder appeared in only 53 games after the trade, however, he made his presence felt. Burger posted an impressive .303 batting average with 9 home runs and 28 RBIs.
Jake Burger will hope that his home run surge will help the Marlins turn things around
It's been a rough start to the season for the Miami Marlins who entered the 2024 campaign with the expectations of reaching the postseason yet again. However, it has been a disastrous start to the year as the Marlins remain winless, dropping back-to-back series to the Los Angeles Angels and Pittsburgh Pirates.
"Josh Bell's first of the season. Jake Burger's second of the GAME. The @Marlins lead!" - @MLB
The hope is that Burger's two-home run game will spark the Marlins' offense, which has struggled to get things rolling. Players such as Luis Arraez and Jazz Chisholm Jr. will also need to pick things up if the Marlins hope to break out of their slump.