photo: Jordan Walker (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals won the home series over the Mets but lost the set in Detroit. Right-fielder Jordan Walker is off to a strong start offensively and defensively. Our history section highlights key Opening Day events in team annals.
Game Recaps
Monday, March 30, 2026 – Cardinals 2, Mets 4
The St. Louis Cardinals fell to the New York Mets by the score of 4-2 in the first of a three-game series at Busch Stadium.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up four runs on eight hits, walked two and struck out one. Leahy took the loss.
Matt Svanson and George Soriano each threw two scoreless innings of relief.
The Mets went up 1-0 in the top of the first inning. The Cardinals quickly tied it in the bottom half of the inning. JJ Wetherholt walked and later scored on a single by Alec Burleson.
New York regained the lead with a run in the fifth and extended the lead to 4-1 with a two-run top of the sixth.
In the home sixth, St. Louis put up their second and final run on a solo home run by Nolan Gorman.
The offense scored two runs on five hits. Burleson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Tuesday, March 31, 2026 – Cardinals 3, Mets 0
The Cardinals shut out the Mets by a 3-0 score at Busch Stadium on Tuesday. The win evened the series at 1-1.
Andre Pallante took the mound for St. Louis. The right hander pitched five scoreless innings with three hits allowed. He walked three and struck out three to earn the win.
Gordon Graceffo relieved Pallante and threw a scoreless sixth. Ryne Stanek, JoJo Romero, and Riley O’Brien each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.
The Cardinals took a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Victor Scott led off with a double. JJ Wetherholt singled. Iván Herrera drove in both runners on a double.
The score remained 2-0 until the Cardinals tacked on a third run in the seventh on a solo home run by Ramón Urías.
Wetherholt went 2-for-4. Herrera had two RBI. Scott was 2-for-3 with a double.
Wednesday, April 1, 2026 – Cardinals 2, Mets 1 (11 innings)
On Wednesday, the Cardinals edged the Mets in extra innings to take the home series. St. Louis starter Matthew Liberatore pitched six innings, gave up one run on three hits, walked one and struck out two. Liberatore took a no-decision.
Ryne Stanek relieved Liberatore and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. JoJo Romero followed with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Riley O’Brien and Justin Bruihl each hurled a scoreless frame. Chris Roycroft got the first out of the 11th and Gordon Graceffo ended with the final two outs to earn the win.
The game was a pitchers’ duel for the first five innings. In the top of the sixth, the Mets broke through to lead 1-0.
The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom half of the inning. JJ Wetherholt singled and Iván Herrera walked. After Alec Burleson struck out and Masyn Winn popped out, Nolan Gorman singled to score Wetherholt.
The game remained 1-1 through regulation. After neither team scored in the 10th, and the Mets failed to score in the top of the 11th, Wetherholt started the bottom of the 11th on second base. Herrera was intentionally walked. Burleson grounded into a double play, leaving Wetherholt on third base with two outs. Masyn Winn came to the plate and popped a fly ball into shallow right field. Two Mets fielders failed to catch the ball and Wetherholt came home for the walk off win.
The Cardinals offense scored two runs on five hits. There were no extra base hits. Wetherholt scored both Cardinals runs.
Winn stole his first base of the season. Gorman made a fielding error and Pedro Pagés was charged with catcher’s interference. Liberatore picked Francisco Lindor off first base.
Thursday, April 2, 2026 – Off day
Friday, April 3, 2026 – Cardinals 0, Tigers 4
The Cardinals were shut out by the Tigers in the first of a three-game weekend series in Detroit on Friday. It was the Tigers’ home opener.
Starter Michael McGreevy pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up three runs on seven hits, and fanned four. McGreevy took the loss.
Justin Bruihl relieved McGreevy and threw 2/3 scoreless innings. George Soriano surrendered one run in 2/3 innings. Gordon Graceffo and Chris Roycroft each tossed a scoreless inning out of the bullpen.
The Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning and didn’t look back. They added a run in the fifth and another in the sixth.
The offense for St. Louis went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base against Framber Valdez and the Tigers bullpen. They scattered five hits, none for extra bases.
Jordan Walker prevented a run by throwing out a runner at home plate.
Saturday, April 4, 2026 – Cardinals 6 at Tigers 11
The Tigers destroyed the Cardinals in the second game of the series with 11 runs against the Cardinals pitching staff.
Starter Dustin May was responsible for seven of the 11 Tigers runs. The right hander pitched only 3 1/3 innings with seven runs and seven hits allowed, two walks and four strikeouts. This was May’s second loss of the season.
Justin Bruihl relieved May and allowed one run on no hits. Matt Svanson surrendered a run on three hits. Chris Roycroft relinquished the final two runs in the eighth.
The Tigers took the lead 3-0 in the first inning. The Cardinals managed one run in the top of the third when Iván Herrera doubled and scored on a single by Jordan Walker.
Detroit answered with a fourth run in the bottom of the third, then added three in the fourth to lead 7-1.
The bright spot for St. Louis occurred in the top of the fifth. JJ Wetherholt was hit by a pitch. Herrera drew a walk. Alec Burleson doubled to score Wetherholt. Nolan Gorman walked to load the bases. After a pitching change, Jordan Walker came to the plate and hit a 459-foot grand slam to bring the Cardinals within one run at 7-6.
The elation didn’t last, as the bullpen was leaky. The Tigers scored one run in the home half of that inning, then added three more in the seventh and eighth innings for an 11-6 lead. The last four runs were left unanswered by St. Louis.
Walker went 3-for-4 with five RBI as the only Cardinal with multiple hits.
Walker also stole a base, and had an outfield assist at second base. Wetherholt also stole a bag. Victor Scott made a fielding error.
Sunday, April 5, 2026 – Cardinals 5 at Tigers 3
The Cardinals avoided the sweep in Detroit, as they beat the Tigers 5-3 on Sunday night in Comerica Park.
Starter Kyle Leahy pitched five innings, gave up two runs on five hits, walked three and fanned four to earn his first win.
George Soriano relieved Leahy but was ineffective. The right hander surrendered a run in 1/3 of an inning, JoJo Romero came and cleaned up the mess, going 1 2/3 scoreless innings to save the bullpen. Ryne Stanek and Riley O’Brien each tossed a scoreless inning with O’Brien earning his second save.
Detroit took the early lead with two runs in the third on a Kerry Carpenter two-run home run.
St. Louis fought back to take the lead with a four spot in the fifth. Nolan Gorman led off with a single and Thomas Saggese walked. Nathan Church grounded into a force out, eliminating Saggese at second. Pedro Pagés drove in Gorman from third on a single. Victor Scott hit a sac bunt and reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. Church scored, Pagés advanced to third and Scott went to second on the error. Iván Herrera singled to score Pagés and Scott. The Cardinals led 4-2.
The Tigers came back with a run in the sixth to shrink the lead to 4-3. In the eighth, JJ Wetherholt singled to lead off the inning. Herrera and Jordan Walker walked to load the bases. Nolan Gorman tapped a sac fly to left and Wetherholt came home for the fifth Cardinals run.
The bullpen held the lead through regulation and the Cardinals salvaged one win from the road series.
The Cardinals scored five runs on six hits. Herrera had two RBI. There were no extra base hits, as the team won with small ball.
Victor Scott was caught stealing for the first time this season.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals ended the week with a 3-3 record. They won 2-of -3 from the Mets and lost 2-of-3 in Detroit. They are 5-4 in the early season and are in fourth place in the Division, two games back of the Brewers and one game in front of the last place Cubs. After three series played, there is nothing really to see here.
Iván Herrera has an OPS of .982 over the last seven days, while Jordan Walker leads with an OPS of .949 since opening day. The offense has been sluggish at times and ranks 24th in baseball in OPS since the season started. This is something to watch.
Pitching is the main worry currently. The Cardinals pitchers rank 26th in ERA, 30th in strikeouts and sixth in walks since the season started. The bullpen has been especially ineffective. Chris Roycroft has already been sent back to the minors, and another reliever, Matt Pushard, has been put on the injured list. Only JoJo Romero, Gordon Graceffo, and Riley O’Brien have yet to give up runs, and only those three plus Ryne Stanek have an ERA below 4.00.
The starters have been better. Michael McGreevy, Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante have all pitched well. More concerning is Dustin May, who gave up seven runs against the Tigers this week in less than four innings. Kyle Leahy needs improvement as well though he is not as concerning as May.
The Cardinals will finish their road trip in Washington. They will return to St. Louis this coming weekend for a homestand with the Red Sox and the Guardians. The Cardinals are making the rounds through the American League early with five series against AL teams in April. They meet the Astros and the Mariners as well this month and play their first series with a Central Division rival, the Pirates, before the month concludes.
Stay tuned as the season progresses.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
- Though not a trade or acquisition, the Cardinals have interest in a long term extension with rookie 2B JJ Wetherholt, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. No further details are available as to whether the interest has progressed into actual talks between the team and Wetherholt’s representatives.
Transactions
- 3/31 The Cardinals placed LHP Matt Pushard on the 15-day injured list retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis.
- 3/31 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds.
- 3/31 The Cardinals sent RHP Hunter Dobbins on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/5 The Cardinals designated LHP Nick Raquet for assignment.
- 4/5 The Cardinals optioned RHP Chris Roycroft to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 4/5 The Cardinals selected the contract of LHP Jared Shuster from the Memphis Redbirds.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar (heel surgery) will continue his rehab for his Haglund’s Deformities surgery on both heels. Nootbaar was placed on the 60-day injured list effective March 22. He began his running progression on March 20. No timetable for returning to play has been reported.
- RHP Hunter Dobbins was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 25, retroactive to March 22, as he continues to rehab from his right knee ACL surgery. Dobbins was sent on a rehab assignment to the Memphis Redbirds on March 31 and has made one start to date. The assignment is for a maximum of 30 days with the option of extension with the approval of the Commissioner’s Office.
- LHP Matt Pushard was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 31 retroactive to March 30. Right knee patellar tendinitis. The placement on the injured list was motivated by imaging done on the knee indicating multiple days of unavailability. Pushard was replaced on the roster by RHP Gordon Graceffo.
- SS Masyn Winn was kept out of the final two games in Detroit due to hip tightness that is apparently unrelated to his automobile accident in St. Louis this past week.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals end the current road trip in Washington with three games against the Nationals beginning on Monday. Andre Pallante is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Matthew Liberatore on Tuesday and Michael McGreevy on Wednesday.
The Cardinals begin a six-game homestand on Friday, April 10. The team takes on the Boston Red Sox in a weekend series and ends the homestand with the Cleveland Guardians.
After a travel day on Thursday April 16, the Cardinals play a weekend set in Houston with the Astros, followed by three against the Marlins in Miami.
The team returns from its second road trip for a brief homestand. The Cardinals play the Seattle Mariners beginning Friday, April 24 and ending Sunday, April 26.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past finishes the two-part series recalling one opening day event(s) in each decade since the St. Louis Browns (later St. Louis Cardinals) were purchased by St. Louis saloon owner Chris von der Ahe in 1882.
Each decade will be listed, followed by the date of one opening day in which an interesting or notable event occurred. It could be an unusual game, or some other experience that is worth taking note of and recalling.
The final seven decades (1950s-2020s) will be chronicled in this installment.
1950s
April 18, 1950 – The Cardinals played in the first ever major league opening game held at night. The Cardinals beat the Pirates 4-2 at Sportsman’s Park before a crowd of 20, 871. Night baseball was first played in 1935 and the Cardinals had only played it since 1940. The Cardinals played the most night games in 1950 of any other major league team (70% of Cardinals games were played at night that season). The April 18 game was the first opening day game played at night.
1960s
April 11, 1962 – The Cardinals played in the first ever game by the New York Mets, a brand-new franchise. In opening day at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals won, 11-4.
1970s
April 6, 1979 – The Cardinals beat the Phillies in an 8-1 win on opening day. It marked the introduction of the new mascot, named “Fredbird”. The 1970s were the decade when feathered mascots became the rage, and the Cardinals were not to be undone, as Fredbird joined the San Diego Chicken and the Phillie Phanatic.
1980s
April 8, 1986 – On this opening day, the Cardinals forbid Ozzie Smith from doing his traditional back flip, citing injury concerns, as Smith was recovering from a rotator cuff injury. Instead, Smith brought his son O.J on to the field to do a somersault.
1990s
April 26, 1995 – This late opening day in 1995 occurred because the season was pushed back due to the ending of the 234-day major league players strike, which officially ended on April 2. The original opening day was scheduled for April 3 but was delayed. This strike, the longest in MLB history to date, had earlier forced the cancellation of the 1994 World Series.
2000s
April 3, 2000 – The Cardinals beat the Cubs 7-1 in the season opener. This opening day would not have happened if Cardinals’ players had not vetoed a planned season opener against the Mets in Tokyo. Mark McGwire led a majority of Cardinal players in saying “no” to playing the Mets in a two-game series in the Tokyo Dome on March 29 and 30th. The Mets played the Cubs there instead.
2010s
April 5, 2015 – This began the traditional opening ceremony feature of red-jacketed Cardinals Hall of Famers circle the field in cars. The Cardinals Baseball Hall of Fame inaugural class was inducted the previous year, and Baseball Hall of Fame as well as Cardinals Hall of Fame members were introduced in 2015 during the opening ceremonies wearing the Red Jackets.
2020s
July 24, 2020 – The 2020 season was shortened to 60 games due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Opening Day was not only very late in the traditional season, but fans were not allowed in the stadium. Instead, cardboard cutouts of fans were placed in seats. Following the season, they could be purchased by fans who submitted photos from which the cutouts were made. Proceeds were used to support Cardinals Care and community youth initiatives.
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