Ludwick's been typically solid this month, going 26-for-83 (.313) with seven jacks, 15 RBIs and 17 runs scored. The surging outfielder has clearly put behind him a chilly June in which he batted just .228, as he sports a beastly .603 slugging percentage that's roughly .200 points better than his June mark.

After racking up five strikeouts in his last 10 at-bats prior to Friday, Ludwick got some good wood on the ball. He's batting .319 in July with seven homers. The surprise slugger of the NL has cracked 23 long balls this year but has also fanned 84 times.

Ryan Ludwick connected for his 23rd home run of the season on Tuesday.Ludwick was out of the starting lineup twice out of five games since the All-Star break, but with Chris Duncan landing on the DL, he should see a long string of starts coming his way.

Ludwick remains locked in at the plate, as the breakout All-Star has not hit safely in seven of his last eight games, batting .375 (12-for-32) with an absurd five homers and 10 RBIs in that span. Tuesday's jack gives him 23 homers on the year as his career year continues.

Ludwick drives in four as Cardinals lose

The Cardinals took a heart-breaking loss after 10 innings, falling 12-11 to the Pirates, but give outfielder Ryan Ludwick an "A" for effort. Ludwick went 3-for-5 at the dish with one walk, his third triple, and his 20th homer of the season to total four RBIs on the season and two runs scored.Ludwick has provided surges of power from time to time but is not consistent enough to garner top respect. However, you can see the star working to come out of the kid, and it may be a matter of time before he realizes his full potential.

Ryan Ludwick hit his 18th home run of the season on Tuesday.It was the All-Star's second in as many games and his third consecutive game with an RBI. he has not accomplished such a feat since May 19.

Ludwick homers as Cardinals beat Phillies

Ryan Ludwick hit his 17th home run of the season on Sunday against the Cubs.It was Ludwick's first home run since June 11th. During the drought, his average fell 30 points.