By Rob Rains
As they worked out together over the winter in southern California, there were times when Lars Nootbaar wondered if he and Nolan Arenado would still be teammates when Opening Day arrived for the Cardinals.
The subject of trade rumors, with confirmation from team officials that Arenado was very much a trade candidate, produced Nootbaar’s uncertainty.
“I think just like everybody else I wondered that,” Nootbaar said. “But at the same time we just were hitting, working out, hanging out, all of that and taking it day by day.
“If I heard something I asked him if it was true, other than that, it wasn’t much of a topic.”
Nootbaar was glad a trade never happened, and he and Arenado got to share the spotlight as the Cardinals opened the season against the Twins on Thursday at Busch Stadium.
Nootbaar, after getting a single and scoring a run in the first inning, hit a two-run homer in the second before Arenado capped off the 5-3 win with an eighth-inning homer.
For Arenado, the day began with a loud ovation from the fans when he was introduced before the game.
It was a moment he wondered about over the winter as well, if he would still be with the Cardinals or playing somewhere else.
“It meant a lot to me today,” Arenado said. “I took it all in. I usually don’t but today I did. The way they cheered for me it got me motivated. I was just fortunate to give them something to cheer about.”
His home run produced the second curtain call of the day, following one after Nootbaar’s homer.
“I don’t think I got one last year so it felt good to get one,” Arenado said. “Even walking out when they were introducing the lineup they got loud for me and it meant a lot. It was awesome, I was pumped up.
“I wasn’t expecting boos or anything. I don’t know what I was expecting to be honest but I wasn’t expecting it to be that loud. It kind of hit me a little bit.”
Nootbaar was happy to see the fans’ reaction.
“He’s a legendary player and he deserves all of it,” Nootbaar said. “He should get the loudest ovation.”
The day ended better for Nootbaar then it began – when he found himself on the wrong truck during the pre-game parade, ahead of relievers Ryan Fernandez and Phil Maton.
“I was mis-directed and I knew it; I should have said something,” Nootbaar said. “If you see something, say something, and I didn’t. I couldn’t even enjoy riding around because the entire time I was thinking about how I was going to get myself out of this mess.”
He found a way during the game.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Nootbaar scored the first run on a single by Brendan Donovan, who also singled and scored on a single by Ivan Herrera in the third inning as the Cardinals built a 4-0 lead … The lead was down to 4-3 when Arenado hit his second opening-day homer for the Cardinals, providing a big insurance run … That was one of only two hits for the Cardinals after the third inning, the other a double by Herrera in the sixth.
On the mound: Sonny Gray got the win, allowing four hits over five innings, one a two-run homer by former Cardinal Harrison Bader. He struck out six and walked two … The Twins got a run off Kyle Leahy in the sixth but the combination of John King, Chris Roycroft, Maton and Ryan Helsley were able to close out the win.
Key stat: The Cardinals have homered on Opening Day every year since 2017, the longest active streak in the majors.
Worth noting: Nootbaar became the sixth leadoff hitter to homer on opening day for the Cardinals. The others were Donovan in 2023, Willie McGee in 1996, Ray Lankford in 1994, Lou Brock in 1967 and Ernie Koy in 1941 … Fernandez was not available to pitch because of hip tightness … The game was sold out, with an announced attendance of 47,395 … The Cardinals acquired right-hander Sean Harney from the Mets Thursday for cash considerations. He pitched in Class A and Double A for Tampa Bay last year and was traded to the Mets in December. He is expected to be assigned to Springfield … In other minor-league transactions, five players were released including West Point graduate and St. Louis native Ross Friedrick as well as infielder Adari Grant, a one-time top international prospect who didn’t hit in four years in the organization … Michael McGreevy is the scheduled starter for Memphis in their season-opener on Friday night in Louisville.
Up next: After a day off on Friday the Cardinals and Twins will resume their series on Saturday. Erick Fedde is the scheduled starter.
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains
Photo by the Associated Press
