Cardinals come home in style, romp to 10-1 win
The St. Louis Cardinals capped a stirring pregame ceremony with three runs in the first inning Monday, added two in the second and four in the third as they enjoyed a 10-1 win over Milwaukee in the Redbirds’ home opener at Busch Stadium.
The Cardinals got first-inning RBI doubles from Matt Holliday and Randal Grichuk and an RBI single from Yadier Molina, giving a capacity crowd something to cheer in the very first inning played at Busch this season. Those hits came after a one-out triple by rookie Jeremy Hazelbaker, the team’s first hit of the season at home this year.
“That was a great opener,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said after his team hit an opening-day record 19 hits en route to an easy win before 47,608 red-clad fans at Busch Stadium. “A very excited crowd. You get reminded how unique it is here.”
Matt Carpenter tripled home Aledmys Diaz after his leadoff double in the second inning, and Hazelbaker followed with a sacrifice fly to put St. Louis ahead 5-0.
They added four in the third – on an RBI double from Molina, a sacrifice fly from Kolten Wong, an RBI double by Diaz and an RBI single from Carpenter – to jump out to a nine-run lead.
The teams traded single runs in the seventh to make the final 10-1, with the victory going to Cardinals right-hander Michael Wacha (1-0). He allowed four hits in six scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking one.
Eight of the first nine hits for St. Louis were for extra bases – six of them doubles and two triples – as they continued a run-scoring flurry begun over the weekend in Atlanta. Counting the nine runs in the first three innings Monday, the Cardinals had scored 34 runs in a 30-inning span dating to Friday in Atlanta, and the team has scored 41 runs in its last four games..
The team’s coming-out party took place in brilliant sunshine Monday, with the Budweiser Clydesdales, a parade of Hall of Famers and the 2016 roster greeted by nearly 50,000 roaring fans at Busch Stadium.
A capacity crowd of red-clad fans were in their seats early for the 3:15 p.m. starting, watching the traditional home-opener ceremonies.
The cheering reached a peak with Brock threw a perfect first pitch to Ted Simmons. Brock, who lost the lower part of his left leg to an infection this winter, was able to balance on his prsothetic leg as he made the throw halfway between home plate and the mound.
“Lou! Lou! Lou!” the crowd cheered as Simmons congratulated Brock on the toss.
On hand: Brock’s fellow Cardinals Hall of Famers Bob Gibson, Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Bruce Sutter, Ozzie Smith, Mike Shannon, Jim Edmonds and Ted Simmons. All nine – clad in their customary Cardinal-red sports coats – watched as the Cardinals players and coaches road around the warning track before they were introduced and took up postion along the first-base line.
Among the new faces on hand: First-year Redbirds Jeremy Hazelbaker and Aledmys Diaz, both in the starting lineup for the game with Milwaukee.
Hazelbaker, 28, is hitting .400 (6-for-15, two homers, four RBIs) after one week in the majors, and will hit second for the Redbirds and play left field. Diaz, 25, is hitting .500 (5-for-10, one homer, four RBIs); he will play shortstop and bat eighth.
The Cardinals batting order: Matt Carpenter, third base; Hazelbaker; Matt Holliday, first base; Stephen Piscotty, right field; Randal Grichuk, center field; Yadier Molina, catcher; Kolten Wong, second base; Diaz, shortstop; and right-handed starter Michael Wacha.
“The home opener here is always special; it always has been,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said. “It’s just very unique, how much the organization puts into this, and how much the fans put into it also. It’s something that’s always exciting.
“Being home is what we look forward to all spring.”
The game is set for 3:15 p.m., following pregame ceremonies marking the first game at Busch Stadium this season. Cardinals Hall of Famers, players and the coaching staff will be paraded around the ballpark, along with the Budweiser Clydesdales.
Steady rain Monday morning gave way to sunshine for the afternoon, with a gametime temperature expected in the upper 50s.
Many of the fans were in their seats at 2:15 p.m., an hour ahead of gametime, awaiting the pregame ceremonies scheduled for 2:30 p.m. Some of the fans had attended a morning pep rally at Ballpark Village just north of the ballpark.
Bright sunshine bathed the field as the afternoon wore on, shining on the Gateway Arch symbol mowed into the outfield grass at Busch Stadium. It was the 11th home opener at the park, which began operations in 2006.
A special pregame video marked the 10 years the park has been open, including highlights of the 2006 and 2011 World Series titles for the Redbirds, along with shots of fan favorites to play at the park, including David Freese, Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and the late Oscar Taveras, who died in a car accident following the 2014 playoffs.
“This is my 21st (opener) with the Cardinals,” St. Louis General Manager John Mozeliak said. “You realize that, unlike maybe 29 other places, this really does have a very communal feel to it. The city embraces it.
“Driving in today, (I said), ‘It’s a bummer. It’s raining.’ But we’re sitting here and the sun is coming out. It’s going to have that special window that we’re going to take advantage of. To the community, it means something to each individual. Part of it is just because it’s such a generational team and experience.”
This story was originally published April 11, 2016 at 1:44 PM with the headline "Cardinals come home in style, romp to 10-1 win."