The Cardinals had led the National League Central Division for most of May, but in June they went just 10-17 and slid into a tie for third place, eight games behind the division-leading Brewers. By the end of August, the Cardinals were 12 games behind Milwaukee. If they were to qualify for the playoffs, they would need to do so as a wild-card team.

The Dodgers, who were 1 ½ games behind the Giants in the NL West, held the first wild-card position and a 15-game lead over the Cardinals, leaving only the second wild-card within easy striking distance. For that, the Cardinals would need to pass the Reds, Padres, and Braves and hold off the Phillies.

On September 10, following a 4-2 loss to the Reds, the Cardinals trailed the Padres and Braves by 3 ½ games and the Reds by 3 games. They were just ½ game ahead of the Phillies and one game ahead of the Mets. With approximately three weeks remaining in the season, it was going to take a strong finish to reach the postseason.

A “strong finish” didn’t begin to describe it.

Saturday, September 11

Fittingly, the Cardinals’ history-making win streak began with a comeback at Busch Stadium.

After starting pitcher Miles Mikolas was touched up for four runs in the third inning, the Cardinals slowly worked their way back. Nolan Arenado hit an RBI triple and a two-run homer, Paul DeJong added a solo shot, and the Cardinals’ bullpen threw four scoreless innings in a 6-4 win.

“Nobody gave up. Nobody felt down,” Arenado said.[1]

Sunday, September 12

A day after the Cardinals’ bats picked up their starting pitcher, the St. Louis hurlers led the way in a 2-0 win over the Reds.

Trade deadline acquisition J.A. Happ threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings before Luis Garcia, T.J. McFarland, Genesis Cabrera, and Giovanny Gallegos combined for 3 2/3 innings of scoreless relief as the Reds managed just five hits for the game.

Arenado’s two-run, first-inning homer proved the difference.

Now, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch declared, the pursuit of the wild card was “a horse race.”[2]

“Around the stretch they come,” Cardinals manager Mike Schildt said. “They know we’ve got good closing speed.”[3]

Monday, September 13

With their third consecutive victory, the Cardinals officially had a win streak on their hands.

In a game that pitted 40-year-old Adam Wainwright against 41-year-old Mets starter Rich Hill, the Cardinals posted four runs in the ninth inning to cruise to a 7-0 victory.

Paul Goldschmidt hit his 25^th home run of the season and six different Cardinals drove in runs in support of Wainwright, who scattered four hits and three walks over six innings and lowered his ERA to 2.88. McFarland, Alex Reyes, and Kodi Whitley each threw scoreless innings of relief.

Tuesday, September 14

It took a wild win for the Cardinals to move into a wild-card spot.

After the Mets’ Javier Baez homered in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings, the Cardinals needed all three runs they scored in the 11^th to hold off the Mets in a 7-6 win.

In the 11^th, with Yadier Molina opening the inning at second base, Edmundo Sosa hit an RBI single and Andrew Knizner followed with a two-run single to give St. Louis a 7-4 lead.

The Mets, however, didn’t go easily, as Pete Alonzo smacked an RBI double and scored on an error three batters later. With runners on first and second, however, Kwang Hyun Kim got Albert Almora to ground out to second base to end the game and earn his first save of the season.

Tyler O’Neill hit his 26^th homer of the season and finished with three RBIs, and Reyes earned his eighth win of the year with a scoreless inning of relief. With the win, the Cardinals moved ½ game ahead of the Reds for the second wild-card position.

“We’ve been waiting to bust out all year,” O’Neill said. “This is crunch time.”[4]

Wednesday, September 15

The Cardinals completed their three-game sweep of the Mets behind the strength of a five-run first inning.

Harrison Bader, Goldschmidt, Arenado, and Edmundo Sosa each homered and Jon Lester earned the 199^th win of his career as the Cardinals picked up an 11-4 victory. Altogether, the lineup produced 16 hits, including eight for extra bases.

“Ultimately, the best baseball is when you’re going it all together,” Schildt said. “You’re getting the hitting, consistent at-bats. You’re getting the quality pitching. It’s just about doing it all together at one time.”[5]

Friday, September 17

Back at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals continued their winning ways with an 8-2 series-opening victory over the Padres. With their sixth straight win, they tied their season high.

Dylan Carlson homered twice – including a grand slam – and Mikolas threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings as the Cardinals led the entire way, scoring four runs in the eighth to put the game out of reach. O’Neill’s first-inning home run gave him 27 for the year.

The win marked Mikolas’s first since 2019. Surgery to repair a flexor tendon in his pitching arm had forced him to miss the 2020 season, and he had just been reactivated from the 60-day injured list in August.

“I took a nice sage bath the other night,” he said.[6]

Meanwhile, excitement started to build as the Cardinals’ win streak reached six games.

“No one knows where the best stretch of Cardinals baseball we have watched this season is headed,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson. “No one knows why the clubs that could have stomped it out before it ever started spent the past weeks dissolving like Tums dropped into battery acid. All we can know for sure is that the focus now is fully back on this season. This postseason. Not the offseason. Not next season. And considering the way things were headed, that’s worth some celebration, isn’t it?”[7]

Saturday, September 18

It took a three-run, eighth-inning rally for the Cardinals to extend their win streak to seven games.

Padres starter Yu Darvish was dominant for seven innings, holding the Cardinals to just three hits while striking out nine. Meanwhile, Wainwright allowed just two runs over his even innings, allowing RBI singles by Tommy Pham and Victor Caratini in the fourth inning.

With reliever Emilio Pagan in the game and the Padres leading 2-0, the Cardinals finally struck in the eighth. Bader led off with a double to left field and scored on a sacrifice fly by Tommy Edman. After Goldschmidt drew a walk, O’Neill homered to left field to give St. Louis a 3-2 victory.

Justin Miller earned the win with a scoreless eighth inning and Gallegos earned his ninth save of the season. Wainwright struck out two batters to finish with 1,999 for his career.

“I just found out I only needed one strikeout to get to 2,000,” Wainwright said. “If I had known that, I would have started pumping stuff into the dirt to get some swings and misses. I thought I needed a couple more.”[8]

Sunday, September 19, 2021

One day after coming from behind to beat the Padres, the Cardinals needed to fight of a San Diego rally to come away with an 8-7 victory and complete their second consecutive series sweep.

The Cardinals jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning as Fernando Tatis Jr. misplayed a fly ball, Sosa hit an RBI double, and Bader drove in two with a double of his own. The Padres, however, fought back. Even after the Cardinals scored two in the fifth inning to extend their lead to 7-3, the Padres scored three runs in the eighth to pull within 8-7.

Gallegos proved up to the task in the ninth. Striking out two of the three batters he faced, he earned his 10^th save of the season and dropped his ERA to 3.27.

More importantly, the win marked St. Louis’s eighth straight and gave the Cardinals a three-game lead for the second wild-card spot.

“Huge, huge series,” Happ said. “That’s definitely an understatement, but we definitely have a … ways to go yet.”[9]

Monday, September 20

The Cardinals’ ninth consecutive victory marked the 200^th win of Lester’s career.

The recently acquired veteran held the Brewers to two runs over six innings and Whitley, McFarland, and Luis Garcia combined for three scoreless innings of relief in the 5-2 win. Arenado hit a two-run homer in the first inning and Molina drove in a pair of runs.

“I don’t think people realize how hard it is to have winning streaks over four, five, six games,” Lester said. “They don’t happen a lot. Now that we’re at nine, hopefully we can keep going.”[10]

Tuesday, September 21

The Cardinals’ win streak reached double digits thanks to five shutout innings from Jake Woodford and another strong performance from the bullpen.

With Brandon Woodford on the mound for the Brewers, O’Neill and Edman each drove in runs and the Cardinals’ bullpen again came through, allowing a single run over four innings. Reyes and Cabrera each threw scoreless innings of relief before a sacrifice fly by Willy Adames cut the Cardinals’ lead to 2-1.

That proved to be plenty for Gallegos, who earned his 11^th save of the season as the Cardinals reached 10 consecutive wins for the first time since 2001. It marked just the 13^th time the Cardinals had won 10 consecutive games in franchise history.

“It’s hard to capture because I don’t plan on being done with it,” Shildt said.[11]

Wednesday, September 22

After their pitching led them to victories in the first two games of the series, it was the offense’s turn in a 10-2 win over the Brewers. O’Neill and Goldschmidt each homered and the Cardinals totaled 15 hits, including seven for extra bases.

Milwaukee starter Brett Anderson lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs – two earned – over that span. Goldschmidt and Bader each had three hits to pace the Redbird attack.

Despite the lopsided win, the victory was marred by Arenado’s early exit with back tightness just a few innings after he dove over a tarp to make a catch in foul territory.

“Just wanted to get him out of there – precautionary,” Shildt said. “We’ll evaluate it. There’s always some concern. It felt better after the game than it did when he got taken out. That’s encouraging.”[12]

Thursday, September 23

The Cardinals concluded their sweep of the Brewers by erasing a five-run deficit to rally for an 8-5 win.

Wainwright – who entered the game one strikeout shy of the milestone – struck out the 2,000^th batter of his career in the fourth inning, joining Bob Gibson as the only pitchers to strike out 2,000 batters during their tenure with the Cardinals. Though Wainwright emerged with his place in history, the game proved to be a struggle, as the Brewers posted a four-run first inning. Wainwright left the game after four innings with Milwaukee leading 5-0.

As they had throughout the win streak, however, the bullpen picked up their starter. Kwang Hyun Kim threw two scoreless innings and McFarland, Garcia, and Garcia each threw one to give the St. Louis offense a chance to rally back.

Molina got the Cardinals on the board in the fifth with an RBI single. In the seventh, the Cardinals scored four runs to tie the game, including a two-run homer by Goldschmidt. In the eighth, Arenado scored on a passed ball and Molina added a sacrifice fly to give St. Louis the lead, and one inning later Goldschmidt added his second home run of the night to make the final score 8-5.

At 12 games, their win streak was now the longest by a Cardinals team since 1982 and tied for the second-longest in franchise history, trailing the 14-game win streak that took place July 2-18 in 1935.

Friday, September 24

On Friday, September 24, the Cubs had two opportunities to end the Cardinals’ win streak. They couldn’t do it, and as a result, the Cardinals tied the franchise record.

Goldschmidt and O’Neill each hit their 30^th home runs of the season and Jose Rondon added a two-run shot as the Cardinals won the first game of the double-header 8-5.

In Game 2, Lars Nootbaar hit two homers, O’Neill hit his second homer of the day, and Bader added a solo blast in a 12-4 win. Molina hit the 400^th double of his career to drive in the first two runs of the game.

Saturday, September 25

Another 8-5 win extended the Cardinals’ win streak to 15 games. Bader, O’Neill, and DeJong each homered, Lester threw five innings, and the bullpen held the Cubs to just one run in four innings of work.

The Cubs led 4-2 after they scored two runs in the bottom of the fourth, but the Cardinals rallied for three runs in the seventh and three more in the ninth to continue their win streak.

“Everyone is stepping up,” Wainwright said. “New heroes every day.”[13]

“It’s the complete elation of knowing every time we come to the field that we’re going to win,” McFarland said. “It’s that confidence. It’s almost that motivation. Every time we come to the field we’re expecting to win. We’re rising to the occasion.”[14]

Sunday, September 26

With their 16^th consecutive win on September 26, the Cardinals also completed their fourth consecutive series sweep.

Once again, the Cardinals came from behind after Chicago took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth. Goldschmidt and Bader each hit two-out, solo home runs and Cardinals played small ball in the ninth, scoring on a wild pitch and an RBI groundout.

Woodford allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings before Andrew Miller, Whitley, Cabrera, and Gallegos held the Cubs scoreless the rest of the way. Gallegos’s scoreless ninth inning was good for his 14^th save.

Tuesday, September 28

With a 6-2 win over the Central Division-leading Brewers, the Cardinals’ win streak reached 17 games. Even more importantly, they clinched their third consecutive playoff berth.

Wainwright improved to 17-7 on the season by holding Milwaukee to two runs over six innings, and McFarland, Garcia, and Gallegos combined for three scoreless innings of relief. Carlson, Rondon, and Arenado each hit solo home runs.

“There’s no reason to stop,” Wainwright said. “We feel dangerous.”[15]

Conclusion of the Season

Ultimately, the Cardinals’ win streak was the product of luck, skill, and a well-rounded team getting strong performances on defense, from their bullpen, and from their offense. Goldschmidt, Arenado, and O’Neill each reached 30 home runs for the season, and Goldschmidt and Bader were especially potent throughout the winning streak.

Finally, on September 29, the streak came to an end, as the Milwaukee staff held the Cardinals to just three hits. Adrian Houser threw five shutout innings before Brent Suter, Brad Boxberger, and Aaron Ashby combined for four no-hit innings.

The Cardinals went 2-2 over the final four games of the regular season; however, their 17-game surge placed them seven games ahead of Cincinnati for the second wild-card spot. Though the Dodgers beat St. Louis 3-1 in the one-game wild-card playoff, the Cardinals saw what they could accomplish during their incredible September run.

“Attitude is everything. Success is contagious. Luck favors the prepared,” Mikolas said. “There are a dozen cliches that could describe the way our winning streak went, but the best way to describe it is teamwork and having everyone pushing toward a common goal will win out.”[16]

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[1] Rick Hummel, “Arenado Caps Cardinals’ Rally,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 12, 2021.

[2] Rick Hummel, “Birds Back In Business,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 13, 2021.

[3] Rick Hummel, “Birds Back In Business,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 13, 2021.

[4] Derrick Goold, “One Wild Cards Win,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 15, 2021.

[5] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals Put On A Show,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 16, 2021.

[6] Rick Hummel, “Mikolas picks up win, Carlson hits two HRs,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 2021.

[7] Ben Frederickson, “Redbirds making this a September to remember,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 18, 2021.

[8] Rick Hummel, “O’Neill homer in eighth helps Birds win again,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 19, 2021.

[9] Rick Hummel, “Some Wild Developments,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 20, 2021.

[10] Ryan Herrera, “Cards roll to 9^th straight in Lester’s 200^th W,” MLB.com, September 20, 2021, https://www.mlb.com/news/jon-lester-gets-200th-win-for-cardinals-in-playoff-hunt.

[11] Derrick Goold, “A Perfect 10: Redbirds roll on,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 22, 2021.

[12] Derrick Goold, “Cards crank it up to 11,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 23, 2021.

[13] Derrick Goold, “A Roll For The Ages,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 26, 2021.

[14] Derrick Goold, “A Roll For The Ages,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 26, 2021.

[15] Derrick Goold, “Cards win 17^th in row, clinch playoff slot,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 29, 2021.

[16] Derrick Goold, “Run Is Done For Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 30, 2021.

The post How the Cardinals’ 17-game win streak got them into the 2021 playoffs first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

On September 23, 2021, Wainwright joined the 2,000-strikeout club, whiffing Brewers infielder Luis Urias to reach the milestone in his 16^th major league season. Paul Goldschmidt homered twice and the Cardinals won their 12^th consecutive game in a streak that would reach an incredible 17 games.

“It doesn’t surprise me at all,” Matt Carpenter said of Wainwright’s 2,000^th strikeout. “It’s the kind of guy he is. His work ethic, his character, and most importantly, his competitiveness. He takes the ball every day with the expectation to not just win, but to go out and dominate.”[1]

Wainwright originally was a first-round draft pick by the Braves before he was traded to St. Louis in the 2003 trade that sent J.D. Drew to Atlanta. The three-time all-star had finished among the top three in the National League Cy Young Award balloting four times in his career and twice reached the 20-win plateau.

Along the way, Wainwright collected three seasons with more than 200 strikeouts, including a career-high 219 in 2013. At age 40, Wainwright remained capable of missing bats, as the strikeout of Urias marked his 170^th of the season. He joined Bob Gibson as the only pitchers to collect all 2,000 strikeouts with St. Louis and became the 85^th pitcher in big-league history to join the 2,000-strikeout club.

Though Wainwright entered the game one strikeout shy of 2,000, it wasn’t clear early in the game that he would last long enough to get it. Former Cardinal Kolten Wong led off the bottom of the first with a single, and with two outs, Wainwright walked Eduardo Escobar and Urias. With the bases loaded, Tyrone Taylor hit a grand slam to left field to give the Brewers an early 4-0 lead.

Wainwright retired the side in order in both the second and third innings. Then he led off the fourth inning by making history. On a 3-and-2 pitch, Wainwright’s longtime partner, catcher Yadier Molina, called for “Uncle Charlie.” Urias swung over the curveball and Wainwright had the 2,000^th strikeout of his career.

“That’s a lot of punchouts,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “It’s an impressive number. It speaks to a lot of things. Obviously, duration. You’ve got to have a strikeout pitch, or pitches. He’s got the signature curveball, but he’s got other weapons as well.”[2]

Taylor followed Wainwright’s big moment with his second home run of the game. In the fifth, Dylan Carlson tripled down the right-field line and Molina drove him home with a single to right. Later in the inning, Carpenter pinch-hit for Wainwright, ending the veteran’s historic day.

Though he only pitched four innings, allowing five runs on four hits and two walks, the day’s work gave Wainwright 200 1/3 innings for the season. It marked the first time he had surpassed 200 innings since 2014.

“It is a cool number,” Wainwright said. “It means you carried your team into the game a lot of times. That’s really what starting pitching is all about. It’s not the end-all, be-all by any stretch, but it is a cool number.”[3]

The Cardinals came back to tie the score in the top of the seventh. Edmundo Sosa started the rally with a one-out single before Harrison Bader and pinch-hitter Lars Nootbar each walked. Brewers manager Craig Counsell called upon reliever Brad Boxberger, who got Tommy Edman to ground into a force out that scored Sosa.

With Paul Goldschmidt at the plate, Edman was picked off but advanced to second on a throwing error that also allowed Bader to score. Goldschmidt then homered to left field, tying the game 5-5.

One inning later, the Cardinals claimed their first lead of the game. Nolan Arenado walked and scored on a passed ball, and Molina hit a sacrifice fly that gave St. Louis a 7-5 lead. With two outs in the top of the ninth, Goldschmidt hit his second home run of the game. Giovanny Gallegos retired the side in order in the ninth to earn his 12^th save of the season.

“They picked me up big time today,” Wainwright said. “Goldie hit some really good swings. I gave him a big old smooch on the top of his head and I don’t care who knows it.”[4]

Goldschmidt and Carlson each finished the game with three hits, and T.J. McFarland earned the win after throwing a scoreless seventh inning. The Cardinals’ 12 consecutive wins was their longest win streak since 1982 and just two shy of the franchise record of 14 set in 1935.

“It was a great team win,” Wainwright said. “I put us in a hole and they came back and won that game.”[5]

Enjoy this post? Take a look back at Adam Wainwright‘s home run in his first major league at-bat.

[1] Ryan Herrera, “Waino pads standout resume with 2,000^th K,” MLB.com, https://www.mlb.com/news/adam-wainwright-2-000th-career-strikeout.

[2] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright joins Cards’ 2K club,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 24, 2021.

[3] Derrick Goold, “Wainwright joins Cards’ 2K club,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, September 24, 2021.

[4] Joe Totoraitis (Associated Press), “Goldschmidt homers twice as Cards extend win streak to 12,” Belleville News-Democrat, September 25, 2021.

[5] Joe Totoraitis (Associated Press), “Goldschmidt homers twice as Cards extend win streak to 12,” Belleville News-Democrat, September 25, 2021.

The post September 23, 2021: Adam Wainwright throws his 2,000th strikeout first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

He celebrated the occasion with a game-winning home run, becoming just the fifth Cardinal since 1900 to hit a game-winning home run in the eighth inning or later in his home debut.[1]

Just a little more than two months earlier, the Cardinals shocked the baseball world by sending left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber and four minor-league prospects to the Rockies to obtain the eight-time Gold Glove third baseman.

“With the addition of Nolan, we think we went from a good to great team,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said.[2]

Arenado lived up to the hype on the team’s season-opening road trip, hitting .360 with a home run and three RBIs in six games, including four Cardinals wins. In St. Louis’s second game of the season, a 9-6 loss to the Reds, Arenado hit his first home run as a Redbird.

His first blast at Busch was much bigger, pushing ahead the game-winning runs in a 3-1 win.

“Baseball is a magical game, and it was magical today,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “The story created itself. What an amazing moment for a guy who loves to play the game. I get goosebumps just thinking about it.”[3]

Entering the game on a three-game win streak, the Cardinals turned to Adam Wainwright for their home opener. Due to COVID-19, it marked the first game at Busch Stadium with fans in attendance since October 2019. It was also Wainwright’s sixth home opener, tying the franchise record set by Bob Gibson.[4]

The 39-year-old veteran right-hander was coming off a 5-3 season during the COVID-shortened 2020 campaign, posting a 3.15 ERA in 10 starts. His first start of 2021, however, had not gone as well, as he allowed six earned runs in 2 2/3 innings.

In the home opener, Wainwright squared off against the Brewers’ Corbin Burnes. He threw five innings, striking out six while allowing just one run in the third. He left the game with six strikeouts.

“The first three innings, I felt completely out of sorts,” Wainwright said. “The ball was flat.”[5]

Burnes, who went on to win the National League Cy Young Award that season, was sharp from the start. He left the game after six innings with just one hit allowed and nine strikeouts.

“The ball kept coming out great,” he said.[6]

With Burnes gone by the seventh inning, however, the Cardinals took advantage.

After Brewers reliever Eric Yardley retired the first two batters he faced, Yadier Molina slapped a single to right field and Dylan Carlson followed with a double into the right-field corner. With runners on second and third, Yardley walked Justin Williams to face Tyler O’Neill, who had struck out five times in his last six at-bats.

This time, O’Neill made contact, sending a ground ball up the middle that Brewers second baseman Daniel Robertson fielded. Robertson, however, was unable to beat Williams to second, and the speedy O’Neill was safe at first to tie the score, 1-1.

The game remained tied until the bottom of the eighth. Austin Dean, pinch-hitting for Cardinals reliever Giovanny Gallegos, drew a one-out walk to bring Arenado to the plate. On the first pitch he saw, Arenado sent a 97-mph fastball 374 feet for what proved to be the game-winning homer over the left-field wall.

“It was amazing to see the flight of the ball take off,” said Paul DeJong, who had a perfect vantage point from the on-deck circle. “I just put my hand in the air because I knew it was gone. Nolan is cemented in Cardinals fans’ minds with that moment.”[7]

At the urging of the raucous Busch Stadium crowd, Arenado re-emerged from the Cardinals dugout for the first curtain call of his career.

“To get one of those was just an unbelievable feeling,” he said. “I’ve never had that. So pumped up. Hard to put into words how special it was.”[8]

Alex Reyes pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his third save of the young season. Gallegos earned his second win of the season after throwing a scoreless eighth inning.

Arenado went on to hit 34 home runs on the season while batting .255 with 105 RBIs. He was selected to his sixth All-Star Game and won his ninth career Gold Glove Award. With the addition of Arenado to their lineup, the Cardinals went 90-72 to finish second to the Brewers in the National League Central and qualify for the league wild-card game.

“I don’t know if our fans know this or not, but he is so focused on being a world champion St. Louis Cardinals player that you can’t even believe it,” Wainwright said. “The guy eats, sleeps, drinks, breathes baseball, and he wants to win as bad as anybody I’ve been around. And he wants to win here.”[9]

Arenado built upon his 2021 campaign with a .293 average, 30 homers, and 103 RBIs in 2022. His 7.9 wins above replacement led the league as he won a Gold Glove, Silver Slugger, and finished third in the NL MVP race (teammate Paul Goldschmidt won the award).

Unfortunately, that proved to be the peak of Arenado’s Cardinals career. He earned All-Star honors again in 2023, batting .266 with 26 homers and 93 RBIs, but hit numbers fell to 16 homers and 71 RBIs in 2024. In 2025, he hit just .237 with 12 homers and 52 RBIs.

On January 13, 2026, the Cardinals traded Arenado and cash to the Arizona Diamondbacks for minor league pitcher Jack Martinez.

Get the perfect gift for any Cardinals fan! The Trades That Made The St. Louis Cardinals spotlights 10 trades across 10 decades of Cardinals history.

[1] Derrick Goold, “O’Neill leaves game with injury,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 11, 2021.

[2] Benjamin Hochman, “Deal could lift Redbirds from ‘good to great,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[3] Steve Overbey (Associated Press), “New guy steals the show,” Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2021.

[4] Steve Overbey (Associated Press), “New guy steals the show,” Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2021.

[5] Steve Overbey (Associated Press), “New guy steals the show,” Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2021.

[6] Steve Overbey (Associated Press), “New guy steals the show,” Wisconsin State Journal, April 9, 2021.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Arenado’s HR caps victory in home opener,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 9, 2021.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Arenado’s HR caps victory in home opener,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 9, 2021.

[9] Ben Frederickson, “Newest Cards star rises to the occasion,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 9, 2021.

The post Nolan Arenado hits game-winning homer in home Cardinals debut first appeared on STLRedbirds.com.

“Just watch the way these guys play the game, and you’re going to learn something,” Arenado recalled Tulowitzki’s suggestion. “He was quite right about that. They did the little things to win ballgames. That’s something I’ve always admired about this organization.”[1]

That admiration was mutual. After more than a year of interest,[2] the Cardinals officially acquired Arenado from the Rockies on February 1, 2021, in a trade that sent left-handed pitcher Austin Gomber and four minor league prospects – third baseman Elehuris Montero, infielder Mateo Gil, and pitchers Tony Locey and Jake Sommers – to Colorado.

“With the addition of Nolan, we think we went from a good to a great team,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said.[3]

Had it been a simple exchange of players, the trade probably could have been completed weeks earlier. However, Arenado had signed an eight-year, $240 million contract extension with the Rockies in 2019 that included a no-trade clause. It was the largest contract the Cardinals have ever inherited by $80 million.[4]

To offset the cost of Arenado’s contract, the Rockies agreed to pay $15 million of Arenado’s $35 million salary for 2021, and the remaining $20 million would be deferred for the Cardinals to pay later. Arenado’s option to void the contract following the 2021 season remained, and to compensate him for the deferred payments, an additional opt-out was added following the 2022 season, giving him two options to cut his contract short if he so chose.[5]

“I expect to be here a long time. I’m not worried about that,” Arenado said. “They’ve had 13 winning seasons. That’s enticing enough to me, and I know they care about winning. I believe they’ll do everything we can to win.”[6]

In addition to the additional option, an extra year was also added to his contract at a $15 million price tag. Before the deal could be completed, both the commissioner’s office and the players’ association had to sign off.[7]

“How does a deal like this happen?” Mozeliak asked. “I feel like you need a lot of patience. You need a level of persistence. There were multiple levels of complications and hurdles we hit, but we continued. The feeling we have of making this happen is some level of relief, some level of exhaustion, but it’s worth it.”[8]

Arenado’s unique talent made it worthwhile. A former second-round draft pick out of El Toro High School in Lake Forest, California, Arenado had placed among the top eight in the National League MVP voting for five consecutive years. In each of those five seasons, Arenado hit at least 37 homers and drove in 110 runs.

If anything, Arenado’s defense was even better, earning him the Gold Glove at third base in each of his eight major league seasons. That tied him with former Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen for the third-most among all third basemen. He also won four Rawlings Platinum Glove awards, given to the best defensive player in the league, regardless of position. In the 10 years the award had been presented, Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina and Arenado each won the Platinum Glove four times.[9]

“Nolan is about as serious about baseball as anybody I’ve ever been around,” said former Rockies and Cardinals outfielder Matt Holliday, who had developed a friendship with Arenado. “He’s hitting a lot. He takes a lot of ground balls. He’s not one of those guys who takes a month off. He jumps right back into it. He loves it.”[10]

Despite Arenado’s personal success on the field, he was never able to translate that dedication into team success with the Rockies. During his eight years in Colorado, the Rockies enjoyed just two winning seasons and never won the NL West title.[11] As the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted in reporting the trade, Arenado had nearly as many extra-base hits in his career (524) as Cardinals infielder Tommy Edman had at-bats (530), yet Edman had appeared in 12 playoff games compared to Arenado’s five.[12]

“I’m excited to join this group because this team has more playoff experience than I’ve ever had,” Arenado said. “I’m just a piece to the puzzle here, and I’m excited to be a part of this group. I know they’re going to help me and guide me along, just like I can help them in this game also. It’s going to be a lot of fun.”[13]

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Benjamin Hochman, formerly of the Denver Post, described what it was like to watch Arenado emerge as one of the league’s best players early in his career:

Watching Arenado in his first few years was thrilling, but it was also hard to watch because you knew how much he wanted to win. You knew how much he cared. It ate at him.

He’s one of those rare baseball players who is obsessed with baseball. Yeah, most guys love baseball. But Arenado is possessed by it. His DNA strands are stitched together by red lace.[14]

That obsession – particularly with winning – played a key role in Arenado’s frustrations with Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich, whom Arenado said “disrespected” him.[15]

“In 2019, we signed Nolan to what I could call a career contract – something that we were committed to,” Rockies owner Dick Monfort said. “Nine months later, Nolan asked us to look for a trade. Nolan’s desire to move on never wavered.”[16]

Monfort, whose official Rockies Twitter account announced the trade with the caption “The deal is done” and a crying emoji, said he understood the decision would not be popular with Colorado fans.

“Waiting until the end of the year and letting him opt out – that probably would have been the popular decision, or at least I could cleanse my hands of that,” Monfort said, “but … we wanted to find a way to get the greatest return possible. There were many teams that we talked to, and there were many deals that made no sense.

“To be quite honest, there were 10 times over the last two weeks when we didn’t think the St. Louis deal made any sense. Jeff did an incredible job of pushing the talent. I know none of us know these guys really well, especially because there was no minor-league season last year, but our amateur scouts had seen some of these guys. There are talented guys.”[17]

Gomber, the only player the Rockies obtained with major league experience, was a former fourth-round pick from Florida Atlantic University. The 6-foot-5 left-hander had split time between starting and relief in St. Louis, going 7-3 with a 3.72 ERA in two seasons. After making 11 starts for the Cardinals in 2018, he suffered an arm injury that limited him to just under 50 innings in 2019. In the COVID-shortened 2020 season, he made four starts in 14 appearances.

Of the prospects, Montero had the highest upside. A 6-foot-3, 235-pound corner infielder, Montero had signed with the Cardinals as a 16-year-old international free agent in 2014. After two seasons in the Dominican Summer League and one in the Gulf Coast League, Montero played with the Cardinals’ Class A Peoria Chiefs and earned Midwest League All-Star honors, batting .321/.381/.529 with 15 homers and 69 RBIs in 102 games before he was promoted to high Class A.

In 2019, Montero was promoted to Double-A Springfield, but injuries limited him to 59 games, and he hit just .188. After the season, he played 15 games in the Arizona Fall League. No minor-league games were played in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Gil, the son of former major league shortstop Benji Gil, was a 2018 third-round draft choice out of Timber Creek High School in Fort Worth, Texas. In 2019, he hit .270/.324/.431 in 51 games for Rookie League Johnson City, totaling seven home runs and 30 RBIs.

Locey, a 6-foot-3, 239-pound right-hander drafted in the third round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Georgia, had appeared in 12 games between Rookie League and Class A ball in 2019. A reliever, he had posted a 5.29 ERA over 17 innings.

Sommers, another right-handed pitcher who was selected in the 10^th round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, posted a 4.70 ERA in 51 2/3 innings that season with Rookie League Johnson City.

“We feel relatively comfortable that four or five of those players would have been the type of guy that we might have gotten with that one pick,” Monfort said in explaining why the Rockies chose to trade Arenado rather than allow him to opt out of his contract after the 2021 season and receive a compensation pick after he signed with another team.[18]

Despite Monfort’s reasoning, the Rockies drew criticism for their return.

“Now, I’ve only covered sports in our fair city since 1983, so it’s impossible for me to conclusively say that paying the St. Louis Cardinals $50 million to steal Arenado is the dumbest trade in Denver sports history. But it’s got to be a contender,” wrote Denver Post columnist Mark Kiszla.[19]

Rockies fans felt similarly, and the hashtag #FireBridich began to trend on Twitter.

“I understand how they feel and, to be quite honest, I would feel the same way,” Monfort said. “And maybe I do even feel the same way. When we signed Nolan, it was an attempt to keep Nolan here the rest of his career.”[20]

In St. Louis, the mood was quite different. Due to COVID-19, the Cardinals gave season ticket holders the option to opt out of the 2021 season without losing their seat locations. Following the Arenado trade, several fans who had taken advantage of that option called the Cardinals to ask if they could reverse their decision. Two days after the trade was completed, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that there was already a waiting list for Arenado jerseys.[21]

“What could go down as one of the most brilliant trades in the history of STL sports finally is official,” wrote St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Ben Frederickson. “Nolan Arenado is officially a St. Louis Cardinal, and the St. Louis Cardinals are once again a legitimate heavyweight contender.”[22]

In his first season in St. Louis, Arenado hit .255/.312/.494 with 34 homers and 105 RBIs. With Arenado leading the way, the Cardinals won 90 games to claim the second National League wild card.

Arenado was even better in 2022, batting .293/.358/.533 with 30 homers and 103 RBIs, placing third in the National League MVP voting behind teammate Paul Goldschmidt and the Padres’ Manny Machado. Arenado also won his 10^th consecutive Gold Glove, his fifth career Silver Slugger, and appeared in his seventh career All-Star Game.

In 2023, Arenado’s numbers slipped as he battled back tightness. Though he still hit 26 homers and drove in 93 runs, his OPS dropped to .774, the third lowest of his career, and the Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes won the Gold Glove, ending Arenado’s decade-long streak.

Arenado’s offense continued to decline in 2024, as he hit 16 homers and drove in 71 RBIs, his lowest totals since he played 111 games as a 23-year-old in 2014, and during the offseason, Arenado turned down a trade that would have sent him to the Astros.

In 2025, his numbers declined again, as he totaled just 12 homers and 52 RBIs in 107 games. That offseason, he approved a trade to the Diamondbacks for pitching prospect Jack Martinez and cash.

In five seasons with the Cardinals, Arenado totaled 118 homers, 424 RBIs, and a .266/.322/.456 batting line. In three postseason games with the Cardinals (a wild-card game against the Dodgers in 2021 and two wild-card games against the Phillies in 2022), Arenado went just 1-for-12.

Meanwhile, Gomber went 28-44 with a 5.31 ERA in five seasons for Colorado. In January 2026, he signed a free-agent deal with the Rangers.

Montero made his big-league debut in 2022 and played three seasons with the Rockies. Over that span, he never posted an OPS+ above 85. He spent the 2025 season in Japan.

Neither Gil, Locey, nor Sommers are still with the Rockies organization, and none of the three have reached the majors as of January 2026.

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[1] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[2] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals, Rockies awaiting approval to finalize trade,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 30, 2021.

[3] Benjamin Hochman, “Deal could lift Redbirds from ‘good to great,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[4] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals finalize trade to bring star third baseman Arenado to St. Louis,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2, 2021.

[5] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals finalize trade to bring star third baseman Arenado to St. Louis,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2, 2021.

[6] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[7] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[8] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[9] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[10] Derrick Goold, “A Ringing Endorsement,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, January 31, 2021.

[11] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals finalize trade to bring star third baseman Arenado to St. Louis,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2, 2021.

[12] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[13] Benjamin Hochman, “Deal could lift Redbirds from ‘good to great,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[14] Benjamin Hochman, “Arenado is a ‘rich man’s Scott Rolen,’” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 1, 2021.

[15] Rick Hummel, “Rockies’ boss understands fans’ anger,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[16] Rick Hummel, “Rockies’ boss understands fans’ anger,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[17] Rick Hummel, “Rockies’ boss understands fans’ anger,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[18] David Waldstein, “A Tale of Two Zooms: Arenado Trade Draws Mixed Emotions,” February 2, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/02/sports/baseball/nolan-arenado-cardinals.html.

[19] Mark Kiszla, “By giving away Nolan Arenado, the Rockies make dumbest trade in Colorado sports history,” Denver Post, January 30, 2021.

[20] Rick Hummel, “Rockies’ boss understands fans’ anger,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[21] Derrick Goold, “Cardinals’ tradition, competitiveness made them appealing to Arenado,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 3, 2021.

[22] Ben Frederickson, “Deal is one of the best in STL sports history,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, February 2, 2021.

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