The St. Louis Cardinals (2-0) secured a series win over the Minnesota Twins (0-2) with a 5-1 victory at Busch Stadium on Saturday afternoon. The Birds claimed the victory behind a set of dominant pitching and clutch hitting down the stretch.
Early Action
Cardinals starter Erick Fedde set the tone early, retiring the Twins in order in the first inning. St. Louis quickly struck in the bottom half when Lars Nootbaar singled off Twins starter Joe Ryan, followed by a Nolan Arenado RBI single to center, putting the Cardinals ahead 1-0.
Minnesota answered in the second after a leadoff single and stolen base put Trevor Larnach in scoring position. Willi Castro doubled to right, bringing Larnach home to tie the game at 1-1. However, Lars Nootbaar made a highlight-reel diving catch in left field to limit the damage and end the inning.
A sliding catch from Lars Nootbaar saves a run! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/zVc5u7Df7S
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 29, 2025
Duel on the Mound
Ryan struck out three in the bottom of the second, though some controversial calls from umpire Brian O’Nora raised eyebrows. Fedde responded with another strong inning, overcoming a misplayed throw to first that led to a collision involving Willson Contreras. Fortunately, Contreras was unharmed, and Fedde ended the frame by inducing a double play.
Nootbaar was hit by a pitch to start the third, but the Cardinals couldn’t capitalize. Fedde remained dominant, retiring the side in order in the fourth. In the bottom half, Jordan Walker singled but was caught stealing, while Victor Scott II notched his first hit of the season.
Fedde continued to shine, recording another 1-2-3 inning in the fifth. By the end of the sixth, he had allowed just two hits, while Ryan had given up five, keeping the game locked at 1-1 heading into the seventh.
Break Through Seventh
The Twins removed Joe Ryan in favor of Jorge Alcala and the Cardinals immediately took advantage. Nolan Arenado doubled on a deflected ball. Just after, Alcala walked Alec Burleson, putting two on before Iván Herrera delivered an RBI single, giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Lars Nootbaar followed with a two-run single, extending the lead to 4-1.
Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Mar 29, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) reacts after hitting a single against the Minnesota Twins during the first inning at Busch Stadium.
Bullpen Seals the Win
Fedde exited after six strong innings, turning the game over to the bullpen. Ryan Fernandez, JoJo Romero, and Phil Maton combined to shut down the Twins, with Brendan Donovan adding a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it 5-1.
Maton closed the door on the Twins in the ninth. Defensive plays from Masyn Winn, Michael Siani and a game-ending strike out sealed the deal. With dominant pitching and timely hitting, the Cardinals cruised to victory and improved to 2-0 on the season.
Key Cardinal Stats
Nootbaar went 2-3 with a walk and two RBIs
Fedde - 6.0 IP, 2 H, 1 ER, 2 K, 0 BB
Burleson and Winn both went 0-3 with a walk. Contreras was 0-5 with 3 K.
Burleson 1-8, Contreras 0-9 on the year, given only two games.
Betting Recap
Cardinals ML (-105) hit while the total score went UNDER 8 (-115). It's early in the season, but the Cards have cashed so far.
Next Up
The Cardinals play the third game of their series against the Twins on Sunday, first pitch set for 1:15 p.m. CST, airing on FanDuel Sports Network.