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Cesar Hernandez heating up at the plate for Phillies

With three hits Wednesday, the second baseman continued to show that he has overcome his slow start to the season.

Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez, left, reaches to tag New York Met Michael Conforto, right, who stole second in the second inning of their game on April 17, 2019.
Phillies second baseman Cesar Hernandez, left, reaches to tag New York Met Michael Conforto, right, who stole second in the second inning of their game on April 17, 2019.Read moreMICHAEL BRYANT / Staff Photographer

ST. LOUIS -- Don’t look now, but Cesar Hernandez is one percentage point from being the Phillies’ leading hitter.

Batting at the top of the order for Andrew McCutchen, who got a day off, Hernandez stroked three hits, including a two-run double and a solo home run, in Wednesday’s 5-0 victory over the Cardinals to raise his average to .305. Jean Segura leads Phillies regulars with a .306 average.

“It doesn’t surprise me, because we’ve seen it in the past,” manager Gabe Kapler said. “We saw it for the first couple months [last year]. What has happened is some balls found some holes, so now he’s feeling more confident and actually driving the ball.”

Hernandez has improved steadily since the season’s first two weeks. Through 12 games, he was 8-for-45 (.178) with a .240 on-base percentage. And after a baserunning gaffe on April 21 in Colorado and some sloppy defense, there were questions about whether he would lose playing time to utility infielder Scott Kingery.

But Hernandez has 32 hits in his last 86 at-bats, including an eight-game hitting streak in which he's 12-for-26.

"I've been working really hard from the beginning of the season," Hernandez said through a team translator. "Things didn't start off the way I wanted them, but I have confidence in myself, I know what I'm capable of. That's how it goes."

Hernandez's seventh-inning at-bat was particularly impressive. With one out and the Phillies leading by four runs, he squared around on the first pitch and bunted a ball that rolled foul. On the next pitch from Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos, he drove a slider over the right-field fence.

"He had the confidence to swing and drive the ball and put the ball in the seats," Kapler said. "Those were the kind of Cesar Hernandez at-bats we saw at the beginning of last season. The average has slowly crept up, the on-base percentage has slowly crept up, and he's slowly become one of our best offensive performers again."

Extra bases

For the first time this season, McCutchen wasn’t in the lineup. With the Phillies idle Thursday, Kapler wanted to give the veteran outfielder back-to-back days off before a stretch of 17 games without one. ... What to do with an off-day in Kansas City? McCutchen is planning to visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. He received the museum’s Oscar Charleston Award in 2013 for being the National League MVP. ... Jake Arrieta (4-2, 3.40 ERA) will face Royals right-hander Homer Bailey (3-3, 5.25) in the series-opener Friday night.