Arenado homers and Gray pitches Cardinals past Twins 5-3 in rain-delayed opener

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado (28) hits a solo home run during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches during the fourth inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21), Willson Contreras (40) and Michael Siani (22) celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Thursday, March 27, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Pedro Pagés (43) and Ryan Helsley (56) celebrate after defeating the Minnesota Twins in a baseball game Thursday, March 27, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) celebrates with teammates after hitting a two run homerun during the second inning of an opening-day baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Jordan Walker (18) hits a single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) and Jordan Walker (18) celebrate after scoring during the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) hits a 2 run homerun during the second inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Alec Burleson (41) hits a single during the first inning of an opening -day baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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St. Louis Cardinals’ Lars Nootbaar (21) celebrates with teammates after scoring in the first inning of a baseball game against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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The Budweiser Clydesdales participates in opening day festivities before abaseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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The infield is covered with a tarp cover as rain moves in before an opening-day baseball game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Minnesota Twins, Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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Minnesota Twins’ Trevor Larnach (9) strikes out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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Minnesota Twins’ Ryan Jeffers (27) strikes out during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, March 27, 2025 in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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Minnesota Twins outfielder Harrison Bader (12) celebrates with Jose Miranda (64) after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas)

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ST. LOUIS (AP) — Lars Nootbaar homered and Sonny Gray pitched five solid innings to help the St. Louis Cardinals to a 5-3 win over the Minnesota Twins in their rain-delayed opener Thursday.

Nolan Arenado also went deep for the Cardinals late in the game. The first pitch was pushed back by 1 hour, 38 minutes.

Harrison Bader hit a two-run shot for Minnesota against his former team.

Nootbaar slammed a two-run drive off Pablo Lopez in the second inning to stake the Cardinals to a 4-0 lead.

Gray allowed two runs and four hits. He struck out six and threw 49 strikes in his 77-pitch outing. Gray pitched for the Twins from 2022-23.

The Cardinals’ bullpen gave up just one run over four innings. Ryan Helsley earned the save.

Bader played parts of six seasons (2017-22) with the Cardinals. He homered off Gray in the fifth to cut it to 4-2.

Arenado, who turned down a trade to Houston in the offseason, took a curtain call for the sellout crowd after his home run in the eighth pushed the lead to 5-3.

Key moment

St. Louis outfielder Victor Scott II saved two runs by tracking down a long drive off the bat of Ty France with two on and one out in the sixth. Scott made a backhand catch right in front of the warning track. The Cardinals were clinging to a 4-2 lead at the time.

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Key stat

Gray struggled mightily in spring training, going 0-3 with a 12.56 ERA in four starts. He gave up eight home runs in 14 1/3 innings. But he came out and set down the side in order in three of the first four innings Thursday.

Up next

Minnesota RHP Joe Ryan (7-7, 3.60 ERA last season) faces RHP Erick Fedde (9-9, 3.30) when the three-game series resumes Saturday afternoon.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb