ST. LOUIS (AP) — Adam Wainwright has always wanted to make a grand entrance. The veteran St. Louis right-hander got his chance on Sunday.

Wainwright led the Cardinals onto the field with his fist in the air, shaking and cheering to pump up his team as the crowd went wild.

The theatrics worked perfectly as Wainwright was in vintage form, pitching six sharp innings as the Cardinals avoided a three-game sweep by beating the San Diego Padres 4-1.

“I’ve always dreamt about coming out on the field, and cuing music and getting the guys to run out in front of me,” Wainwright said. “I texted the team this morning and said, `I’ve always wanted to do this. You might think it’s corny.’ But they were like, `Let’s do it.”

“It fired me up, that’s what the goal was,” he said.

The actions by the normally businesslike Wainwright set the tone for the rest of the day.

“He brought us out and kicked our fans into gear,” St. Louis manager Mike Shildt said.

Cardinals shortstop Paul DeJong, who drove in two runs, enjoyed the show.

“He’s a leader and a legend in this uniform,” DeJong said. “For us to be out there competing (with him) is a true honor. We were all engaged looking at him.”

The Padres hadn’t swept a series in St. Louis since 1980, and Wainwright (1-0) prevented it from happening this time at Busch Stadium.

The 37-year-old gave up one run and five hits. He struck out nine and didn’t issue a walk while throwing 100 pitches.

The longtime star of the St. Louis rotation was injured for most of last season, going just 2-4 in eight starts. He struggled in his first outing this year, giving up four runs on four hits and four walks in four innings at Pittsburgh.

“I knew coming into today I needed to be in a better place mentally,” Wainwright said. “When I’m good mentally, I’m usually pretty good physically.”

Wainwright struck out two in four of his six innings.

“The stuff was definitely there,” San Diego first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “He looked good. You can tell he’s feeling pretty healthy.”

Hosmer had an RBI single in the third for the Padres, who had won three in a row. San Diego’s other four hits off Wainwright were doubles.

Jordan Hicks recorded four outs for his first save in two chances. He struck out Manny Machado with a runner on to end the eighth.

“He’s got unbelievable talent,” Hicks said of Machado. “But I know I’m good as well.”

DeJong drove in a pair of runs with a fourth-inning double off Matt Strahm (0-2). Matt Carpenter walked and Paul Goldschmidt reached when left fielder Hunter Renfroe lost the ball in the sun. Renfroe was given an error on the play.

Carpenter added a run-scoring sacrifice fly in the seventh. Kolten Wong and Jose Martinez began the inning with back-to-back singles.

Wong pushed the lead to 4-1 with an infield single in the eighth. It brought in Yadier Molina, who led off the inning with a single, his third hit of the game.

St. Louis center fielder Harrison Bader made a pair of running catches and also threw out Renfroe at third on a fly ball to end the third.

San Diego won six of its first nine games entering the contest, its best start since the 2009 team also went 6-3.

“It’s good for a club’s confidence,” Padres manager Andy Green said. “Any time you have a chance to win three against a very good club, it’s great, but we didn’t seal the deal on that today.”

YADI ON THE RISE

Molina moved into seventh place on the Cardinals all-time hit list with 1,857. He passed Ken Boyer, who had 1,855.

“It’s a great honor,” Molina said. “I’m seeing the ball pretty well.”

MOVES

St. Louis RHP Alex Reyes and INF Yairo Munoz were sent to Triple-A Memphis prior to the game. LHP Tyler Webb and RHP Giovanny Gallegos were recalled and in uniform.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: OF Franchy Cordero was held out of the lineup due to a sore right elbow. He left Saturday’s game in the fifth inning.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Eric Lauer (1-1, 3.27) will face LHP Madison Bumgarner (0-2, 1.38) in the first of a three game series in San Francisco on Monday. Lauer tossed six shutout innings on opening day in a 2-0 win over the Giants.

Cardinals: RHP Miles Mikolas (0-1, 7.20) will face LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu (2-0, 2.08) in the first of a four-game set in St. Louis on Monday.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Austin Hedges loves the depth of San Diego’s lineup.

Hedges and Manny Machado each hit a two-run homer off Andrew Miller in the eighth inning, helping the Padres beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4 on Saturday for their third consecutive win.

“Our one through three hitters the last couple years are hitting six through eight,” Hedges said. “It gives us a lot of confidence that no matter who’s coming up, it might be someone else’s day that day.”

Fernando Tatis Jr. opened the eighth with a walk and Hedges, the eighth-place hitter, followed with a go-ahead drive over the wall on in left.

“I just got a fastball out over which is what I was trying to do,” Hedges said. “He’s got such a nasty slider that’s going to get to the back foot. I chased one early but I made an adjustment and stuck to my approach and got my mistake.”

San Diego also caught a break when St. Louis first baseman Paul Goldschmidt dropped Ian Kinsler’s foul popup for an error. Kinsler then walked.

After Eric Hosmer flied out, Machado made it 6-3 with his second homer of the season.

It was the first time that Miller (0-1) allowed multiple homers in a game since Sept. 22, 2015, for the New York Yankees at Toronto.

“The free passes are killing me,” Miller said. “I felt like I made an adjustment coming into to do something today and didn’t see the results I wanted, so keep working at it.”

Matt Wisler (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win in his first outing with the Padres. Kirby Yates worked the ninth for his fifth save in five chances.

“Everyone wants to come in and help the team win,” Wisler said. “To be able to do that in the first game is obviously a great first step.”

Marcell Ozuna hit a long two-run homer for St. Louis, and Kolten Wong also drove in a run. Michael Wacha allowed one run and three hits in 5 2/3 innings, but issued a career-high eight walks and threw 119 pitches, matching his career high from his lone complete game at the New York Mets on July 18, 2017.

“You’re talking about a warrior today,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said about Wacha. “Just getting after it and making a lot of quality pitches and making quality pitches when he needed to. Rode him a little bit longer than maybe would’ve like to have but he’s that kind of guy you can do it with.”

San Diego rookie Chris Paddack lasted just 3 2/3 innings in his second career start. He allowed one run and one hit, struck out four and walked four.

The game was tied at 1 before Ozuna connected against Robert Stock in the fifth, sending a massive drive into the third deck in left field for his first homer of the season.

Hosmer led off the San Diego seventh with his first homer of the season, trimming the Cardinals’ lead to 3-2.

HOME AWAY FROM HOME

The Padres have won four consecutive games in St. Louis for the first time since Busch Stadium III opened in 1996. San Diego had not won four straight in St. Louis since taking five in a row from 1991-1992.

MOVING ON UP

St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina singled in the ninth for his 1,854th career hit, moving him past Curt Flood for ninth on the franchise list.

MEMPHIS BOUND

Following Saturday’s loss, Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak confirmed the club planned to option right-hander Alex Reyes to Triple-A Memphis. Reyes is 0-1 with a 15.00 ERA and six walks in four appearances.

TRAINER’S TABLE

Padres: CF Franchy Cordero left in the fifth inning after aggravating his sore right elbow on a swing in the third inning. Manager Andy Green said he removed Cordero mostly as a precaution and did not have any more information on his status.

Cardinals: RHP Luke Gregerson remains on a rehabilitation assignment with Single-A Palm Beach. He is coming back from a right shoulder impingement.

UP NEXT

Padres: LHP Matt Strahm (0-1, 16.88 ERA) will make his first road start of the season on Sunday. He has not allowed an earned run in two career appearances against the Cardinals.

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright (0-0, 9.00) is 6-4 in 11 career starts against the Padres.

— Associated Press —

ST. LOUIS (AP) — San Diego rookie Fernando Tatis Jr. knew all about the passionate St. Louis fan base — he was given a heads-up by his father, Fernando Sr., who played three seasons for the Cardinals.

Even with that scouting report, the 20-year-old Tatis couldn’t believe his ears on Friday when he received a loud ovation from the crowd in his first at-bat, as a visitor.

“I got goosebumps and everything,” Tatis said. “It was very special.”

Tatis went on to have a special day.

Tatis and pinch-hitter Hunter Renfroe homered as the Padres overcame another home run by Paul Goldschmidt to beat St. Louis 5-3 Friday in the Cardinals’ home opener.

Tatis Jr. was born in St. Louis and watched intently as highlights of his father’s exploits were played on the scoreboard prior to the Cardinals 128th home opener. Tatis Sr. hit 60 home runs as a member of the Cardinals including two grand slams in the same inning in a 12-5 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on April 23, 1999.

“He told me that St. Louis fans are great and that they’d remember (him),” Tatis said. “He had a fun time, a great time over here.”

Tatis hit a two-run drive in the seventh off Alex Reyes (0-1). His second homer of the year helped the Padres score three times in the inning for a 5-2 lead.

“With him being a rookie and hitting a home run, I think that’s very special for him,” Renfroe said. “I think it’s very special for his dad as well.”

San Diego manager Andy Green says Tatis will never forget the moment.

“His dad knew how special this place was,” Green said. “He had a ton of respect for the fans and they’re passing that on.”

Padres starter Nick Margevicius allowed one hit over five innings, striking out one and walking one. In his major league debut, he gave up three hits and one run over five innings last weekend against San Francisco.

“I felt like I did a pretty good job executing my game plan,” Margevicius said. “I noticed pretty early getting quick outs was kind of a theme.”

Goldschmidt drew a standing ovation in his first at-bat at Busch Stadium since being traded to St. Louis. He hit his fifth home run in seven games this season, connecting in the eighth inning off Trey Wingenter.

“Any time you hit a home run, it’s nice,” Goldschmidt said. “We were trying to make a comeback there. We weren’t able to do it tonight, but hopefully tomorrow will be better.”

St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty tossed five shutout innings. He gave up six hits, but stranded eight runners. The Padres had a runner reach third base in four of the first five innings.

Reliever Robert Stock (1-0) picked up the win despite giving up the tying run on an RBI single by Marcell Ozuna in the sixth. Kirby Yates closed for his fourth save.

Paul DeJong also homered for St. Louis. The Cardinals have lost their road opener and home opener each of the last two seasons.

“You’ve got to remember, it’s still early April,” DeJong said. “And we’re playing these games tough.”

Franchy Cordero put the Padres ahead to stay 3-2 with a sacrifice fly in the seventh. Reyes started the inning by walking the first two hitters, who moved into scoring position on a wild pitch.

Renfroe hit a two-run homer off reliever Dominic Leone in the sixth to erase a 1-0 deficit. It was Renfroe’s third homer in the last three games.

ROAD TRIPPERS

San Diego began a 10-game road trip, which will be the Padres’ longest this season. After three in St. Louis, they will play three in San Francisco and four in Arizona before returning home to face Colorado on April 15.

GYORKO RETURNS

St. Louis INF Jedd Gyorko was activated from the disabled list after missing the first six games of the season due to a right calf strain. He grounded out in the sixth inning as a pinch-hitter. INF/OF Drew Robinson was sent down to Triple-A Memphis.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Ozuna was in the starting lineup after missing Wednesday’s game in Pittsburgh with tightness in his side. An MRI showed no structural damage. … RHP Carlos Martinez will throw a side session on April 13. He has been out with a right shoulder cuff strain.

UP NEXT

Padres: San Diego RHP Chris Paddack (0-0, 1.80) allowed two hits and one run in five innings of his major league debut against San Francisco on Sunday.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 3-0 with a 2.32 ERA in five career starts against the Padres.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tyler O’Neill capped another St. Louis rally by driving in Kolten Wong for the go-ahead run in the 10th inning as the Cardinals surged past the Pirates 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Two days after coming back from four runs down to beat the Pirates in Pittsburgh’s home opener, St. Louis again took advantage of another wobbly performance by the Pirates’ bullpen.

Harrison Bader hit a two-run homer off Keone Kela in the eighth to tie the game at 3. Wong led off the 10th with a triple against Nick Burdi (0-1) and scored when O’Neill followed two batters later with a sharp single to right. Bader pushed the lead two when he scored on a wild pitch by Francisco Liriano.

John Gant (2-0) worked a scoreless ninth to pick up the win. Dakota Hudson collected his first major league save when he stranded the tying run at third in the 10th. Paul DeJong added a solo home run for St. Louis, which finished 3-3 on a season-opening six-game road trip.

Adam Frazier had three hits and drove in a run for the Pirates. Jung Ho Kang hit his first home run in 2 1/2 years for Pittsburgh. The Pirates went 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base.

Jameson Taillon dominated the Cardinals for seven innings, allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts.

Taillon spent 87 pitches keeping the Cardinals off balance. St. Louis needed to see just six pitches from Kela to tie it.

Kela, who walked in the tying run on Monday, inherited a 3-1 lead in the top of the eighth. He threw four straight balls to Wong, then saw his second offering to Bader end up in the St. Louis bullpen beyond the wall in center field.

St. Louis starter Miles Mikolas slogged through five innings. He retired the Pirates in order just once and spent most his night working in and out of trouble. The allowed three runs on seven hits with two walks and two strikeouts.

Taillon, expected to be the anchor of a starting staff the Pirates will rely on heavily in an attempt to be a factor in the wide-open NL Central, certainly looked the part. He retired 11 straight at one point before his lone mistake, a fastball over the middle that DeJong sent into the seats in left-center for his second home run of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Marcell Ozuna was scratched shortly before the game with tightness in his right side. Jose Martinez filled in. … RF Dexter Fowler started and went 0 for 3 two days after taking a foul ball off his left foot that required x-rays afterward.

Pirates: LF Corey Dickerson did not start due to soreness in his right (throwing) shoulder. He grounded out as a pinch hitter in the eighth. … C Elias Diaz (illness) will begin a rehab assignment with Class A Bradenton on Thursday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Head home for the first time this season and welcome San Diego for a three-game series at Busch Stadium starting Friday. The game was originally scheduled for Thursday before being pushed back due to weather concerns. Jack Flaherty (0-0, 8.31 ERA) starts for the Cardinals against Nick Margevicius (0-1, 1.80).

Pirates: Begin a four-game home set with Cincinnati on Thursday. Jordan Lyles makes his first start for the Pirates against Tyler Mahle. The teams split a two-game series in Cincinnati last weekend.

— Associated Press —

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Down four on the road late against a team feeding off the adrenaline of its home opener, the St. Louis Cardinals waited patiently for the buzz to wear off.

When it did, they pounced.

Kolten Wong hit a two-run homer to provide St. Louis with a much-needed spark, and the Cardinals took advantage of a bumpy outing by Pittsburgh’s bullpen to slip past the Pirates 6-5 in 11 innings on Monday.

The Cardinals rallied to tie it in the eighth and again in the ninth then took their first and only lead in the 11th. Paul DeJong singled off Steven Brault (0-1) with two outs, moved to third after a hit batter and a walk and sprinted home from third when Pirates reliever Nick Kingham and catcher Francisco Cervelli got crossed up. Kingham’s pitch squirted past Cervelli and went all the way to the backstop, allowing DeJong to score easily.

“You knew you had to just keep your head down and keep going,” said Wong, who has three home runs through five games after hitting nine in 127 games in 2018. “This was either going to be a game where they kept going or we were going to get them back. We were confident in ourselves. We knew they weren’t too far ahead.”

Jordan Hicks (1-1) worked two scoreless innings for St. Louis. John Gant picked up the save despite issuing a one-out walk to finish a sloppy 4-hour, 53-minute marathon that featured 16 pitchers, 16 walks, four hit batters, three errors and two home plate umpires. Crew chief Jerry Layne left in the seventh after taking a ball off the mask and was replaced by Vic Carapazza.

“That’s the definition of gutty right there, across the board,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “Literally, contributions from everyone. The bullpen was outstanding. … The offense scratched and clawed. What can you say about that kind of game? It was crazy.”

So crazy that St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina made his first career appearance at third base in his 1,875th game in the majors. Molina made the cameo at third in the 11th when Matt Wieters — the last position player available for the Cardinals — came in to pinch hit in the 11th and stayed on to catch in the bottom of the inning. Molina did not have a defensive chance.

“Yadi had this big smile on his face,” Shildt said. “He was happy about it. He loves catching, but he wanted to play some third, I guess.”

PITTSBURGH FIZZLES

Colin Moran went 2 for 3 with three RBI, including a solo home run in the bottom of the eighth that put the Pirates up 5-4. Josh Bell drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, and Chris Archer struck out eight and allowed just two hits in five shutout innings in his 2019 debut.

Archer exited with a 4-0 lead only to watch the bullpen give it away as the Pirates dropped their home opener for the first time since 2014. Six of Pittsburgh’s seven relievers allowed at least one baserunner. Richard Rodriguez allowed his second home run in as many appearances when Wong took him deep in the seventh. Closer Felipe Vazquez stranded the go-ahead run at second base to end the eighth but then gave up Jose Martinez’s game-tying double with one out in the eighth.

A pair of late errors — one by Moran at third base in the seventh, another by shortstop Erik Gonzalez in the ninth- gave St. Louis life.

“Unfortunately with the free (bases) we gave them, too many opportunities late to extend innings, that’s what cost us the game,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.

WOBBLY WAINO

St. Louis starter Adam Wainwright, hoping to bounce back after an injury-plagued 2018, struggled with his command. The 37-year-old walked four — three in the first inning alone — and gave up four runs on four hits in four innings while throwing just 37 of his 73 pitches for strikes.

“I didn’t have command of anything, really,” Wainwright said. “My fastball command was terrible. My cutter was sloppy. My curveball was loopy and the split, I only threw a few of them. You can’t walk guys in the big leagues. No excuses coming from my end. I’ve got to be better.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: RF Dexter Fowler left in the bottom of the seventh shortly after getting hit in the left foot with a pitch. Schidt said X-rays on the foot were negative and Fowler is day-to-day. … IF Jedd Gyorko should be ready to return from a strained right calf in time for Thursday’s home opener against San Diego.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Miles Mikolas (0-1, 9.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season when the teams meet on Wednesday. The 30-year-old allowed five runs in five innings in a loss to Milwaukee on opening day.

Pirates: Jameson Taillon (0-1, 6.00) is 3-1 with a 3.42 ERA in eight career starts against St. Louis.

— Associated Press —

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich led the way for the Milwaukee Brewers, from his first swing to the very last one for the game.

So it was a pretty typical day for the reigning NL MVP.

Yelich hit his fourth homer in the first inning and a two-run double in the ninth, lifting the Brewers to a dramatic 5-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday.

“What we’re witnessing is greatness,” Milwaukee slugger Ryan Braun said. “It’s absolutely incredible.”

Ben Gamel led off the ninth with a pinch-hit double and advanced on Lorenzo Cain’s infield single off reliever Jordan Hicks’ glove. Yelich then hit a liner into the gap in left-center, driving in Gamel and Cain.

“We were just trying to find a way to push one across and tie the game,” Yelich said. “(Hicks) has great stuff. One snuck in the line, and Lo’s deflected off his glove and we were able to pull it off.”

Yelich tipped his cap to Gamel.

“It’s really hard to pinch-hit against a guy who throws that hard and has that good of stuff,” Yelich said. “(Gamel) was able to battle and sneak one in there. He got the whole thing started for us.”

Yelich tossed his helmet in the air in celebration as Cain slid face first across the plate, giving Milwaukee three wins its opening four-game set against rival St. Louis. Yelich’s teammates rushed the field and doused the reigning NL MVP with Gatorade in a raucous celebration at second.

The 27-year-old Yelich hit .326 with 36 homers and 110 RBI last year, leading the Brewers to the NL Central title. He is 6 for 12 with six walks and eight RBI so far this season.

“I’ve never seen anyone this good at baseball for this long,” Braun said. “I mean, maybe (Barry) Bonds in his prime. As great as (Mike) Trout is. I’ve seen (Albert) Pujols. I’ve never seen anyone this good for this long.”

Yelich began his day with a long drive into the second deck in right against Michael Wacha, tying the major league record for homers in consecutive games to start a season. He also became the first player to win the MVP award and then homer in his first four games of the next season.

“Candidly, I can’t recall a series like that,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “I’ve had some guys that are smoking hot against us, but I’ve never seen that kind of damage over four days.”

Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter and Paul DeJong homered for St. Louis, but Hicks (0-1) blew his first save opportunity of the season. Wacha struck out seven while pitching six innings of one-run ball.

The Cardinals got a scare in the ninth when Kolten Wong dove to steal second and got hit right below the left ear by Yasmani Grandal’s throw. Second baseman Mike Moustakas quickly signaled to the Cardinals’ dugout for help. Wong eventually got up and remained in the game.

Milwaukee right-hander Corbin Burnes struck out 12 in five innings in his first major league start. But Burnes was hurt by the long ball.

DeJong connected for a two-run drive in the fourth, and Carpenter and Goldschmidt added consecutive homers in the fifth. Goldschmidt also went deep three times Friday night.

The Brewers got two back in the seventh. With two out and a runner on first, left-hander Andrew Miller came in to face Yelich and walked him. Ryan Braun and Travis Shaw then hit RBI singles before Miller struck out Jesus Aguilar swinging to end the threat.

Jacob Barnes (1-0) worked the ninth for the win.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: RHP Jeremy Jeffress (right shoulder weakness) pitched an inning in Arizona on Saturday and is scheduled to go again on Tuesday. If the rehab goes as planned, he’ll pitch at Triple-A San Antonio on Friday. “We’re ready to get him into games,” manager Craig Counsell said.

QUOTABLE

“He’s a good hitter,” Miller said of Yelich, who homered off him Friday night. “You can’t go to one spot. There’s no hole you can sit there and just go after and try to execute in one spot. You got to mix and match. It’s a game of chess and he got me.”

GOLDSCHMIDT SETS CARDS RECORD

Goldschmidt’s four homers are the most ever by a Cardinal in a series against the Brewers. Pujols (three times), Scott Rolen and Fernando Tatis hit three homers in a single series against Milwaukee.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Adam Wainwright makes his first start of the season at Pittsburgh on Monday. His 13 career wins over the Pirates trails only Johnny Cueto of the San Francisco Giants (20).

Brewers: RHP Zach Davies makes his first start in Cincinnati on Monday. He’s looking to bounce back after he was hampered by injuries last season.

— Associated Press —

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Christian Yelich and Josh Hader, breakout stars during Milwaukee’s surprising run to the NL Championship Series last year, are managing to look even better in 2019.

Yelich became the first MVP to homer in the first three games of the following season, Hader closed things out with an immaculate inning and the Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 4-2 on Saturday night.

After a making a sliding catch in right field for the first out of the game, Yelich got Milwaukee on the board in his first at-bat, sending a hanging slider from Dakota Hudson (0-1) to left for a 1-0 lead.

“He’s swinging the bat really good,” Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. “Two opposite-field homers in the last two days.”

Travis Shaw and Mike Moustakas went deep in the third for Milwaukee, spoiling Hudson’s first career major league start after 26 relief appearances as a rookie last season.

“Those guys are really strong,” Hudson said. “A lot of veteran hitters over there. They knew what they could do and they took the ball the backside. It wasn’t like they were hitting a ton of mistakes. They knew what they wanted and executed and put a good swing on it.”

The right-hander was charged with four runs — three earned — seven hits and two walks while striking out six over 4 1/3 innings.

“He competed really well, he went after it,” Cardinals manager Mike Shildt said. “I really appreciate the way he dealt with adversity. He went right back at it. So, it’s a really good trait. Dakota’s going to be more than fine.”

Milwaukee right-hander Brandon Woodruff (1-0) held St. Louis to two runs and struck out five over five innings. The Brewers’ bullpen took over from there with four scoreless innings, capped by Hader’s perfect ninth — nine pitches, all fastballs, for three strikeouts.

Center fielder Tyler O’Neill was the only player to make contact. He fouled off Hader’s first offering before coming up empty on the next two pitches. Hader drew three straight swings and misses from Dexter Fowler and two more after pinch-hitter Yario Munoz looked at strike one.

“It’s as good an inning as you can have,” Counsell said. “You can’t have a better inning than that. He’s had a great start to the season.”

Including his two-inning, four-strikeout performance on opening day, Hader has thrown 30 pitches, all of them fastballs.

“The way we look at it is, why change something or why try to fix something that’s not broken?” Hader said. “We were just trying to attack the zone and continue to read the swings and what we see. That was one of the big things, continuing to attack with our strengths.”

YELICH CHASING HISTORY

Yelich is the 35th MLB player and first Brewer to homer in three straight games to start a season.

The major league record for a home run streak to start a year is four games. Five players have accomplished that feat: Willie Mays (1971), Mark McGwire (1998), Nelson Cruz (2011), Chris Davis (2013) and Trevor Story (2016).

WONG STAYS HOT

Cardinals second baseman Kolten Wong recorded his second multihit game Saturday, going 2 for 3 with a double. Through three games, Wong is 6 for 10 with a walk, two home runs and four RBI.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: OF Harrison Bader got a day off after going 2 for 8 with a home run through the first two games of the season. With Bader out, Tyler O’Neill made his first start of the season.

Brewers: OF Ryan Braun was left out of the starting lineup but appeared as a pinch-hitter, flying out to left in the sixth.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha is 5-0 with a 4.19 ERA in 11 appearances (10 starts) against Milwaukee, including a 2-0 mark and 3.80 ERA in five appearances (four starts) at Miller Park.

Brewers: RHP Corbin Burnes makes his first major league start Sunday in the series finale. Burns opened eyes as a rookie last season, going 7-0 with a 2.61 ERA in 30 relief appearances then allowing just a pair of runs over nine postseason innings.

— Associated Press —

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Milwaukee center fielder Lorenzo Cain soared above the wall to rob Jose Martinez of a tying home run for the final out, lifting Christian Yelich and the Brewers over the St. Louis Cardinals 5-4 in an opener Thursday.

With at least one Cardinals player in the bullpen already raising his arms to celebrate, Cain pulled back the pinch-hit drive by Martinez in right-center. A fired-up Cain flung the ball high into the air as the Brewers poured onto the field to celebrate.

Yelich got right back to work after winning the National League MVP award last season, putting Milwaukee ahead to stay with a three-run homer off Miles Mikolas in the third. The Miller Park crowd of 45,304 roared as Yelich glided around the bases.

Mike Moustakas and pitcher Jhoulys Chacin also connected for the Brewers in a performance that looked a lot like their run to the NL Championship Series last October. Josh Hader retired the first two batters before Cain’s play finished off the save.

Kolten Wong homered twice for St. Louis and Harrison Bader also connected. The Cardinals blew a 3-0 lead in their fifth consecutive loss against the Brewers, including a three-game sweep last September that helped propel Milwaukee to the NL Central title.

Paul Goldschmidt went 0-for-3 with three strikeouts and a walk in his first regular-season game for St. Louis since he was acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona. The All-Star slugger had a short conversation with plate umpire Gary Cederstrom after he looked at a called third strike in each of his first two at-bats.

Chacin (1-0) struck out seven in 5⅓ innings in his third Opening Day start. He also helped himself with two hits, singling and scoring on Yelich’s drive before hitting a 2-2 pitch from Mikolas into Milwaukee’s bullpen in left-center for his second career homer in the fifth.

Mikolas (0-1), a surprise star last season when he went 18-4 in his first year with the Cardinals, allowed five runs and five hits in five innings.

Wong’s second homer made it 5-4 in the seventh, but Milwaukee’s depleted bullpen held on. Hader struck out four in two perfect innings, fanning Goldschmidt, Paul DeJong and Marcell Ozuna in the eighth.

Hader was a key figure for the Brewers last year, and he became even more important when key relievers Jeremy Jeffress and Corey Knebel opened this season on the injured list. Jeffress is coming back from a sore right shoulder, but Knebel could be headed for season-ending elbow surgery.

The Cardinals got off to a fast start, scoring the first three runs on consecutive first-pitch homers by Wong and Bader in the second. Wong connected after Dexter Fowler reached on a two-out walk, and Bader hit a deep drive to left.

The Brewers got one back when Moustakas went deep with two out in the bottom half of the inning. Moustakas also did just fine in his first game at second base after beginning his career as a third baseman.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: 3B Matt Carpenter showed no sign of any trouble after he was bothered by back tightness at the end of spring training. He went 0-for-4 with a strikeout. … LHP Brett Cecil (carpal tunnel syndrome) was moved to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot for RHP Merandy Gonzalez, who was claimed off waivers from San Francisco and optioned to Double-A Springfield.

Brewers: Knebel said he will make a decision Friday on his next course of action. He could have Tommy John surgery and then return at some point next year, or try to rehab the injury.

UP NEXT

Young right-handers Jack Flaherty and Freddy Peralta get the ball when the series resumes Friday night. St. Louis is counting on the 23-year-old Flaherty to help anchor the rotation after he went 8-9 with a 3.34 ERA in 28 starts last year. Peralta, who turns 23 in June, won a spot in Milwaukee’s rotation during spring training. He went 6-4 with a 4.25 ERA in 16 appearances last season during his first year in the majors, including 14 starts.

— Associated Press —

PHOENIX (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals struck gold in their search for a big hitter, acquiring slugging first baseman Paul Goldschmidt in a blockbuster trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday.

Eager to push for the playoffs after a three-year absence, St. Louis sent pitcher Luke Weaver, catcher Carson Kelly, minor league infielder Andy Young and a 2019 draft pick to Arizona.

A six-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove winner at 31, Goldschmidt was among the top players available in the trade market. He hit .290 with 33 home runs and 83 RBIs last season.

“We’ve been busy this offseason working to upgrade our lineup, and today we are excited to announce the acquisition of one of the game’s premier players,” Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said in a statement.

Goldschmidt has a $14.5 million salary next year, receives a $1 million assignment bonus for the trade and will be eligible for free agency after next season. The Cardinals have a history of acquiring top hitters and then signing them to long-term deals, including Mark McGwire and Matt Holliday.

St. Louis went 88-74 last season and felt it needed a boost in the middle of a lineup that includes Matt Carpenter, Marcell Ozuna and Yadier Molina to compete with the likes of Milwaukee and the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central. The Cardinals’ postseason drought is their longest since 1997-99.

Free-agent slugger Bryce Harper has supposedly been on the Cards’ wish list, too, with the winter meetings coming up this weekend. Last offseason, the Cardinals had worked out a deal with Miami for NL MVP Giancarlo Stanton, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause.

Arizona went 82-80 in the NL West and finished behind the Los Angeles Dodgers and Colorado, which both made the playoffs.

The Diamondbacks parted ways with a homegrown player who grew to be the face of the franchise but is nearing the end of an extremely team-friendly contract. The quiet slugger was selected by Arizona in the eighth round of the 2009 draft and made his major league debut in 2011.

In 2013, Goldschmidt hit 36 home runs and drove in 125. In 2017, he matched that home-run high with 36 and drove in 120. He is a .297 career hitter with 209 home runs, and was runner-up in the NL MVP voting in 2013 and 2015.

“Certainly this is a bittersweet decision on our part,” Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen said on a conference call. “I don’t think I could overestimate the impact that Paul had on our team.”

Hazen said the key to the deal was what the Cardinals offered in return. If there was no trade, the Diamondbacks faced the prospect of Goldschmidt leaving as a free agent after next season.

“There are decisions you want to do and there are decisions you know you have to do,” Hazen said.

He said he understood fans’ disappointment.

“Paul is possibly the best player in the National League,” Hazen said. “We understand that. We’ve understood that for a long time.”

Despite an awful start to last season, he bounced back to once again become a powerful force. Goldschmidt was the Diamondbacks’ franchise leader in slugging percentage and on-base percentage.

“This was an extremely difficult decision given how much Paul has meant to our team both on and off the field. He represents everything it means to be a D-back, and we are very thankful to him for all that he has done for our franchise and our fans,” Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said.

Weaver, a 25-year-old right-hander, was 7-11 with a 4.95 ERA last season. He was long rated among the top St. Louis prospects and Hazen expects him to immediately join the rotation.

The 24-year-old Kelly has played for the Cardinals in parts of the past three seasons, batting .154. He is highly regarded for his defensive ability.

Young, 24, hit a combined .289 in Double-A and high-A ball.

The draft choice that Arizona got will come after the second round, likely a pick somewhere in the high 70s or low 80s.

Free agency had already cost the Diamondbacks, who made the playoffs and beat Colorado in the NL Wild Card game a year ago before being swept by the Dodgers. They were priced out of any chance of re-signing left-hander Patrick Corbin.

Corbin signed a $140 million, six-year contract with the Washington Nationals. Center fielder A.J. Pollock remains on the free-agent market but it seems unlikely the Diamondbacks would re-sign him.

Hazen said it’s premature to say Arizona is in a full-scale rebuilding mode, noting the team still has plenty of talented players.

But another Arizona question is whether it can trade ace right-hander Zack Greinke, a move that probably would require the Diamondbacks to eat a chunk of his formidable salary.

Hazen wouldn’t offer a guess on whether Greinke would be on the team next season but said “We’re exploring everything possible to make this organization stronger.”

— Associated Press —

CHICAGO (AP) — The crowd of 39,275 roared when Jason Heyward caught Francisco Pena’s flyball for the final out on a wet, cool afternoon at Wrigley Field.

Now, everything gets real crazy.

Anthony Rizzo had four hits and scored three times, and the Chicago Cubs set up a tiebreaker game for the NL Central title by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 on Sunday.

“We know what’s at stake. Obviously we needed to win today, by all means,” Rizzo said, “and tomorrow is the same thing.”

Shortly after Milwaukee completed an 11-0 victory over Detroit, Jorge De La Rosa worked a hitless ninth inning to move the Cubs back into a tie with the Brewers at 95-67. Yairo Munoz walked with two out, but Pena’s harmless fly to right closed it out.

Next up, game No. 163.

Chicago hosts Milwaukee on Monday afternoon and the Colorado Rockies visit the Los Angeles Dodgers as baseball holds a pair of tiebreaker games on the same day for the first time. At stake is the postseason road for each club.

The winner at Wrigley gets a spot in the division series and home-field advantage throughout the NL playoffs. The loser plays again Tuesday night, hosting the runner-up in the NL West in the wild-card game.

“It’s interesting that baseball is such a perfect game in some ways that it takes 162 to not decide anything,” Cubs manager Joe Maddon said.

St. Louis (88-74) was in contention heading into the final week of the season, but it was swept by Milwaukee before dropping two of three against Chicago. Catcher Yadier Molina, outfielder Marcell Ozuna and infielders Kolten Wong and Jedd Gyorko were held out of the finale due to nagging injuries.

St. Louis missed out on the playoffs for a third straight year for the first time since it went 75-86 in 1999. It finished with a 41-28 record under Mike Shildt, who took over as manager after Mike Matheny was fired on July 14.

“Three straight years of coming up short,” said first baseman Matt Carpenter, who finished with a career-high 36 homers. “We as an organization, as a total group, top to bottom, everybody in this clubhouse, all the staff, we have to find a way to get better, to compete if we want to play in October.”

The only other time Chicago began the final day of the regular season tied for the lead in its division or league was in 1908, when it beat Christy Mathewson and the New York Giants 4-2 at the Polo Grounds for the NL pennant. The Cubs then won their second straight World Series title before enduring a championship drought that cruised past a century before they won it all again in 2016.

Rizzo and company are looking for another October run, but they have been plagued by an inconsistent offense. It looked like more of the same when Jack Flaherty (8-9) cruised into the third inning with a 2-0 lead and then retired the first two batters.

Then everything changed.

The next six batters reached for Chicago, producing four runs. Rizzo hit a tiebreaking double to give him 100 RBI on the year, waving his arms in the air as he coasted into second. Jason Heyward added an RBI single.

“Just the overall approach today, two outs, a lot of two-out rallies … just kept things going and kept the line moving,” Rizzo said, “and we usually have good success when we do that.”

The Cubs broke it open with four more in the fifth. Kris Bryant roped a two-run double into the left-field corner. Two batters later, Willson Contreras hit a drive to left for his first homer since Aug. 1.

“We just couldn’t stop them,” Shildt said.

Allen Webster (1-0), the first of eight Chicago relievers after Mike Montgomery was pulled in the third, got two outs for the win.

Jose Martinez, Paul DeJong and Patrick Wisdom each had two hits for St. Louis, which left 12 runners on base. Munoz finished with three RBI.

CENTURY CLUB

Rizzo became the first lefty batter in franchise history with four seasons with at least 100 RBI.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: Wisdom was visited by a trainer and Shildt after he was hit by a pitch in the third. The trainer examined Wisdom’s left wrist for a short time, but he stayed in the game. … Wong (left knee) is expected to undergo an MRI in the near future, general manager Michael Girsch said.

UP NEXT

Brewers right-hander Jhoulys Chacin (15-8, 3.56 ERA) will face Cubs left-hander Jose Quintana (13-11, 4.09 ERA) in the tiebreaker. Quintana is 6-2 with a 1.60 ERA in 10 career starts against Milwaukee. Chacin pitched five innings of one-hit ball in a 2-1 victory at St. Louis on Wednesday night.

— Associated Press —