PHOENIX — After they saw a six-run lead evaporate in the span of one inning, the Cardinals regrouped and retook the lead thanks to the clutch hitting of Brendan Donovan and Paul Goldschmidt.
That run swung the pendulum back in the Cardinals' favor. The offense tacked on insurance runs, and the bullpen held on for a more-dramatic-than-it-needed-to-be victory against the Arizona Diamondbacks in the desert.
Nolan Arenado (3 for 5) and Lars Nootbaar hit home runs that accounted for five of the Cardinals’ first six runs, while Donovan went 3 for 4 with two runs scored as part of the 9-6 series-opening win over the Diamondbacks at Chase Field on Friday night. The nine runs are a season high for the Cardinals (7-7)
With one out in the seventh and the score tied 6-6, Donovan worked a full count in a matchup with Diamondbacks left-handed reliever Joe Mantiply then lined a triple into the left-center field gap. Donovan’s aggressive heads-up base running allowed him to beat the tag at third base by a split second.
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Goldschmidt then lined a two-strike single back through the middle into center field for an RBI double. That put the Cardinals back in front for good.
The Cardinals scored two runs in the eighth when Jordan Walker doubled and Masyn Winn whacked an RBI triple. Winn then scored on a sacrifice fly by rookie center fielder Victor Scott.
Closer Ryan Helsley pitched a scoreless ninth inning and protected a three-run lead for his fifth save in six chances this season.
The Cardinals scored four runs in the first two innings, which gave them their highest scoring output since they scored eight runs in their home opener against the Miami Marlins.
They hadn’t scored more than three runs in five straight games, and they surpassed that just 10 batters into the opening game of their series with the Diamondbacks (6-8).
They scored in each of the first three innings, and they also clubbed home runs in two of the first three innings.
Catcher Willson Contreras, who made his first start behind the plate since April 2, extended his on-base streak to 18 consecutive games with his first-inning walk. That matched the longest streak of his career and tied for the fourth-longest in the National League.
Contreras had not caught since he got hit on the left hand by a pitch from San Diego Padres pitcher Joe Musgrove on April 3. Contreras suffered a bone bruise as a result.
Cardinals left-hander Steven Matz allowed four runs (one earned) on eight hits and one error in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out two batters and didn’t walk a batter. He threw 76 pitches before the bullpen came on in relief. All four runs Matz allowed came in the fifth inning.
The fourth run charged to Matz came after he exited the game. That run scored as part of a three-run home run given up by reliever Giovanny Gallegos (2-0) with two outs in the fifth.
The Diamondbacks built a six-run fifth inning on the strength of an error, a walk and four hits.
Arenado’s bat was big early
Arenado mashed a 1-1 sweeper from Diamondbacks starter Brandon Pfaadt an estimated 425 feet into the left field stands for his first home run of the season with one out in the first inning.
That snapped the longest homerless streak of his career, a stretch of 39 games. His last home run prior to Friday night came on August 19, 2023, against the New York Mets at Busch Stadium.
Arenado’s home run gave the Cardinals a 3-0 lead.
Donovan started the game with a single up the middle followed by a walk by former Diamondbacks star and current Cardinals cornerstone first baseman Goldschmidt. Following a fly ball to left field off the bat of Nolan Gorman, Arenado gave the Cardinals a first-inning lead.
Nootbaar announces his return loudly
After hitting a harmless fly ball in his first at-bat of the game in the first inning, the recently-activated Nootbaar absolutely crushed a 1-0 fastball on the inner third of the plate from Pfaadt for a two-run home run.
Nootbaar’s mammoth blast traveled an estimated 438 feet, the longest home run for the Cardinals this season and the fifth-longest of Nootbaar’s career.
Nootbaar missed the first 13 games of the season after he fractured two ribs in a collision with the outfield wall during a spring training exhibition game.
He got 21 at-bats during a minor-league rehab assignment that included games with Triple-A Memphis and Double-A Springfield.
Walker’s defensive gem
The Diamondbacks put two men on with one out in the third inning against Matz. A leadoff single by Kevin Newman got them off on the right foot, while star outfielder Corbin Carroll smacked a one-out single to left field to make Matz feel a little bit of pressure for the first time in the outing.
The next batter, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., lined a ball into the right-center field gap that seemed likely to score a run and perhaps destined for an extra-base hit.
Walker, the right fielder, made a sliding catch to steal the hit from Gurriel. Newman, the lead runner, read the ball off of Gurriel’s bat and took off as though he expected to score on the play. When the ball landed in Walker’s glove, Newman had already rounded third base.
Walker tossed the ball back to the infield within plenty of time to double off Newman for an inning-ending double play. Matz was the first over several teammates to give Walker a high five as he reached the warning track just in front of the visiting dugout between innings.
A Jekyll and Hyde performance for Matz
Matz entered the outing having won five consecutive decisions, dating back to last season. That streak represented the second-longest active win streak over the past two seasons for a starting pitcher behind Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried’s six-game streak.
Matz also came into the game having tossed 13 consecutive scoreless innings against the Diamondbacks, including his time as a pitcher with the New York Mets. Last season, Matz held the Diamondbacks scoreless over six innings at Chase Field on July 25.
That scoreless stretch ended with one out in the fifth inning after Matz failed to field a slow roller in front of the mound hit by Blaze Alexander. The play, ruled an error, set up an RBI double to left-center field by the next batter Newman. Alexander scored on the double for the Diamondbacks first run of the game and their first against Matz in more than 17 innings.
Matz had also held opponents to two runs or fewer in eight of his last nine starts. The Diamondbacks logged their third run in the fifth on a two-out single by Gurriel just over the leaping attempt at a catch by the shortstop Winn.
That Gurriel single marked the end of the outing for Matz, who turned the game over to the bullpen one out shy of having qualified for the win.
Gallegos walked Christian Walker on a 3-2 pitch, and then Gallegos gave up a three-run home run hit 349 feet down the right field line by Eugenio Suarez. That tied the score 6-6.