SAN FRANCISCO — Rather than write Brendan Donovan into the lineup only to have to take him out if his leg was sore or stiff, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol flipped the script Tuesday afternoon and, after consulting with the infielder, decided to have Donovan force his way into the lineup.

Almost three hours before first pitch, Donovan took groundballs to make sure he could comfortably make explosive moves. He went to a backroom in the visitors’ clubhouse to receive treatment, stretch, and prepare to take swings to see if his leg would support the necessary posture to drive the ball. Then he tested his swing in an underground batting cage.

“Feeling pretty good,” he said. “So they put me in there.”

In a few hours flat, Donovan went from out of the lineup to major-league record.

The Cardina

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