What a late-inning offensive rally Wednesday at Busch Stadium did for the Cardinals was lift the club in a “must-win†series finale against the Angels.
How they did it provided a glimpse of what their lineup can do when each piece makes its presence felt.
Down by two runs entering the bottom of the seventh inning after Sonny Gray’s nine-strikeout, no-walk start was spoiled by a Logan O’Hoppe grand slam, the Cardinals rallied to tie the game with a double from Willson Contreras that allowed Masyn Winn and Lars Nootbaar to score.
The momentum continued an inning later when Jordan Walker’s leadoff single, which had a 115.8 mph exit velocity per Statcast, was followed by bunt singles from Victor Scott II and Winn. Those were followed by bases-loaded walks from Contreras and Alec Burleson that yielded a two-run lead and set the stage for a two-run single from Nolan Arenado that furthered it.
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A three-run home run from Ivan Herrera three pitches after Arenado’s single put him in Cardinals record books as the only catcher in franchise history with a three-homer game and punctuated the outburst that elevated the Cardinals to the win.
“It’s sick. One through nine, there’s some there’s some speed in there and there’s some pop,†Winn said. “There are guys that are just willing to take their walks. Guys coming in clutch. (Arenado) with that big single and then Herrera with the homer. That’s just good baseball right there.â€
The win for the Cardinals (4-2) helped them avoid a three-game sweep to the Angels after they lost in extra innings on Monday and Tuesday. The win in the series finale wrapped a season-opening homestand that began with a three-game sweep of the Twins.
“That’s what I’ve really liked about our club is they’re not giving in,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of his club’s effort to come back from the two-run deficit. “Even if you think about (Tuesday), it was a frustrating loss. You go down three in extra innings, and you come back and put a three spot on them. We couldn’t overcome it the second time. But I just like the overall fight.
“(Wednesday’s) game turned pretty quickly. It’s a huge blow. You got your No. 1 on the mound and that happens. The guys answered back immediately. They’re picking each other up, which is a big part of this.â€
The Cardinals begin their 2025 road slate Friday in Boston, where they will open a three-game series at Fenway Park against the Red Sox before heading to Pittsburgh to face the Pirates for three games beginning Monday.
“We battled back from Day 1, especially against a good team like Anaheim,†Contreras said. “We came back, we lost two, we won one. Happy flight today. That’s all that matters. ... We’re looking forward to playing our best baseball in Boston, and we know we’re going to face a tough team.â€
Through their first six games, Cardinals hitters have combined for a .298 batting average that was tied for the second-best in the majors at the start of Thursday. The team’s .879 on-base plus slugging percentage ranked third. The 42 runs they’ve scored ranked fourth.
They’ve had at least 10 hits in six consecutive games to open the season, making it the first time a Cardinals club has begun a season as such since 1966. Double-digits hits Friday at Fenway Park would tie the 2025 Cardinals with the 1956 and 1901 clubs for a franchise record.
“I like to preach on this lineup’s ability to be dynamic,†Scott said. “Guys that can run. Guys that can slug. Guys that hit the ball hard. I mean, it’s got a lot of cool pieces to a lot of elements that are sweet to utilize within a game. In that instance (Wednesday), that was fun baseball right there.â€
Much of the production from Cardinals hitters through their first six games came as two of their regular starters — Winn and Contreras — were held hitless before they stepped into the batter’s box in the seventh inning of Wednesday’s finale.
The leadoff single from Winn to begin the frame snapped a 0-for-20 skid to open the year. Two batters later Contreras snapped his 0-for-22 streak with a line drive to left field that resulted in a tie game. Contreras’ hit avoided tying him with former Cardinal Ed Bressoud, who went 0 for 23 to begin the 1967 season, for the longest hitless streak to begin a season by a Cardinal.
Marmol said the timing for Winn’s and Contreras’ first hits of the season, which came before an off-day and ahead of the start of the road trip, give them a positive feeling they can hold onto and time to “clear your head†before Friday’s opener in Boston.
As for the timing and impact of their hits during Wednesday’s ballgame, their production provided a lens of what their bats can do for a club that has been quick to start.
“That was important for them,†Marmol said. “But you can see what the lineup looks like when those two contribute the way they did today. ... Those two guys can start contributing their abilities, which that’s coming. Both of them are good hitters. It could be a lot of fun to watch. It really can.â€
