Sunday’s Game Report: Cardinals 9, Twins 2
By Rob Rains
It’s OK if none of the current Cardinals remember the last time the team started a season 3-0 … all of them had better things to do with their time in the spring of 2006.
Only four of the 26 were even older than 13 – Nolan Arenado (15), Sonny Gray (16), Steven Matz (14) and Mikes Mikolas (17) – when the Cardinals swept a season opening series against the Phillies in Philadelphia 19 years ago.
Victor Scott II was five. Pedro Pages was seven. While too young to tell you anything about 2006, they had a very active role in helping the 2025 Cardinals move to 3-0 on the season on Sunday, completing a sweep of the Minnesota Twins at Busch Stadium.
Scott II launched a three-run homer into the Cardinals bullpen in the second inning and Pages followed with a three-run blast of his own in a five-run third inning.
The home run was one of three hits for Pages, who doubled in front of Scott’s homer and added a single in the fifth.
Scott later reached on a fielder’s choice and stole his third base in as many games, which he knows is his game – not the home run.
“Those are accidents for me,” he said. “That’s not my job. It’s cool to see one go though.”
The homers, plus one from Nolan Gorman on Sunday, were part of a 19-run outburst in the three-game sweep.
“There were a lot of meetings in spring training a, a lot of conversations just amongst the group to say that we’ve got to get off to a good start,” Scott said.
The combination of offense, defense and pitching all played a role in the three victories.
“I like what we’re seeing,” said manager Oli Marmol. “We did a lot of things positive. We’re convicted about playing the game the right way.”
It had been even longer – since 2003 – since the Cardinals opened a season with three consecutive wins at home.
“I was probably learning my ABC’s or something,” Scott said of what he was doing then.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
At the plate: Gorman started for the first time in the series and went 3-of-4, including a solo home run in the seventh, and scored three runs … Six of the Cardinals 10 hits went for extra bases, including a two-run double by Alec Burleson in the third, when they strung together five consecutive hits … Needing a triple to complete the cycle in his final at-bat in the seventh, Pages grounded out to first.
On the mound: Andre Pallante worked the first five innings before a 58-minute rain delay, allowing four hits and both Minnesota runs. He struck out three and walked two … Matz came in after the delay and did not allow a run to earn his first career save as he retired 12 of the 13 hitters he faced.
Key stat: The franchise record for the longest winning streak to begin a season is seven games by the 1962 Cardinals. The last time they were 4-0 to start a season was in 1986.
Worth noting: The only two Cardinals who have not joined in the offensive fun are Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn. Contreras was hitless in five at-bats and is 0-of-14 to start the year, only the second time in his career he failed to get a hit in the first three games. Winn, who had only four hits in 50 at-bats during spring training, was 0-of-3 and is hitless in nine at-bats after the first three games … The only position player yet to play for the Cardinals is Luken Baker, who might get a start at DH on Monday night when the Angels are scheduled to start a lefthander (Tyler Anderson) on the mound … The Triple A Memphis Redbirds hit four homers in a 13-9 win on Sunday at Louisville, including the first of the year from Thomas Saggese.
Up next: The homestand continues on Monday night with the first of three games against the Angels. Miles Mikolas will get the start. The Angels’ Mike Trout has played five career games at Busch Stadium, with one home run, hit on May 3, 2023 off Giovanny Gallegos.
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