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