By CHRIS HOBBS
HobbsDailyReport.com
ST. LOUIS — Alec Burleson, who first drew attention to his baseball skills in Lincoln County, got into his first major league game on Thursday.
In an afternoon game at Busch Stadium, he batted seventh in the St. Louis Cardinals’ order — going 0-for-4 with a run scored and a walk in an 11-6 loss to the Washington Nationals.
Burleson, who starred at East Lincoln High and in college at East Carolina (or any of the Cardinals, did not face former Bandys High star Hunter Harvey on Thursday. Harvey, a reliever, did not pitch.
Burleson started in right field, and the batter in front of him in the St. Louis lineup was Albert Pujols.
St. Louis promoted Burleson from Triple A Memphis (Tenn.) on Wednesday but he did not get into the game that night against Washington.
The Cardinals are on their way to Pittsburgh for a three-game series with the Pirates that begins Friday night.
Washington’s next series is Friday through Sunday before they go home to face the Baltimore Orioles, the team that drafted Harvey in the first round in 2013.
Burleson, 23, played 109 games at Memphis this season, hitting 20 home runs, 25 doubles, driving in 87 runs and hitting .331.
In 228 career minor league games, he hit .300 with 42 home runs, 43 doubles and 163 RBIs.
THURSDAY’S BOXSCORE: https://www.mlb.com/gameday/nationals-vs-cardinals/2022/09/08/661923#game_state=final,lock_state=final,game_tab=box,game=661923
BURLESON’S MINOR LEAGUE STATS: https://www.mlb.com/player/alec-burleson-676475
CARDINALS SCHEDULE: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/schedule