In , Oquendo played every position, except catcher, and was nicknamed "The Secret Weapon" by manager Whitey Herzog. His one emergency appearance on the mound came on August 7. Already down 12–4 to the Philadelphia Phillies, Oquendo pitched the eighth inning and gave up three earned runs. Oquendo reached the postseason for the only time in his career in . He batted .222, including a three-run home run in the second inning of the seventh game of the 1987 National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants; the Cardinals would appear in the 1987 World Series, falling to the Minnesota Twins in seven games.