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The game on Saturday between the Washington Nationals and St. Louis Cardinals was somewhat of a back-and-forth affair.

St. Louis jumped out to a 4-0 lead before squandering it as the Nationals rallied to tie things up.

But it could have been a lot worse.

With two runners on and just one out, Joey Meneses hit a line drive to deep left field that looked to be headed out of the ballpark.

However, Alec Burleson managed to pull it down and rob Meneses of a home run.

After the game, Burleson gave Cardinals legend and current coach Willie McGee some praise for helping him become a better outfielder.

Alec Burleson on his home run robbery: “Credit to Willie McGee for pushing me every day during BP and treating it like my game. Without him pushing me, I don’t think I make that play.” #STLCards

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— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) July 16, 2023

Burleson said that his only goal in that moment was to try and catch the ball.

Had the ball cleared the wall, Washington would have taken a 6-4 lead.

But Burleson’s catch ensured that just one run would score.

Burleson then talked about the work he has been putting in all season long and how McGee has been pushing him to reach new heights as a player.

The young Cardinals outfielder also had three hits on Saturday, including a solo home run early in the game.

But his defense may have ultimately saved the day for the Cardinals.

Burleson says that without McGee constantly pushing him, he would not have been able to make that play and he expressed his gratitude towards the Cardinals Hall-of-Famer for helping him improve his game.

Fortunately for the Cardinals, he brought it back down and prevented any further damage from occurring.

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Cardinals Activate Backup Catcher From Injured List