最新杏吧原创

Hearing over the years from Cardinals players, Cardinals fans, Cardinals beat writers and, notably, Cardinals opponents, it was as if there was an unavoidable inevitability听鈥� Vince Coleman was going to create havoc.

I was only 5 in 1985, so I didn鈥檛 experience it. But 最新杏吧原创 sure did. In Vince Coleman鈥檚 first game that season, the rookie stole two bases. In his second game, he got four hits, including a triple. In his fourth game, he stole three bases. The heat was on.

The Cardinals rallied with eight runs in the sixth inning to win on opening day Thursday vs. the Rays.

Between the big rally and JJ Wetherholt's homer in his first MLB game, it was an eventful day.

Cardinals manager Oli Marmol鈥檚 lineup decisions were an expression of trust more than they were about analytics, matchups or signaling a new era for the franchise.

Particularly in the cases of Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn, Marmol trusted they鈥檇 know the difference between stepping into the batter鈥檚 box looking to be a hitter and stepping in looking to be a hero.

Heading into his first big league game and a start at second base on opening day at Busch Stadium, Cardinals top prospect JJ Wetherholt thought back to what he did in his first game at the college level.

A freshman starting at third base for West Virginia as it faced Central Michigan to begin the 2022 season, Wetherholt homered to left field in the first inning of his first at-bat of Division I baseball.

When the Cardinals described the offense they need to have this season as 鈥渆xhausting鈥� to play against, the sixth inning of Thursday鈥檚 opener is even more than what they had in mind.

Down by six runs and teetering on what could have been a season-opening thud, the first seven batters of the sixth inning reached base. And they didn鈥檛 just play the hits. They played a medley of them. Cardinals reached base with a classic double, a ground-ball single, an automatic double, a line drive the other way, a bunt single, and ultimately a home run to clear the bases and seize a lead the bullpen would not relinquish.

JJ Wetherholt brought the first early听excitement with a home run in his first big league game. Then, a huge sixth-inning rally thrilled the crowd as the Cardinals opened their 2026 season Thursday with a 9-7 win vs. the Rays at Busch Stadium.听

Here are 10 numbers of note from Thursday's game:

While the Cardinals acknowledged the symbolism of their "new chapter" beginning at the plate with top prospect JJ Wetherholt leading off Thursday's opening day game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the idea was more production than poetry.

With one swing, he gave them both.