ST. LOUIS — — Adam Wainwrightpitched six scoreless innings, Tyler O’Neillhit a three-run homer and drove in five, and the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated Albert Pujols‘ return with a 9-0 season-opening win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday.
Yadier Molina threw out a runner trying to steal second in the first game of his final big league season, and Nolan Arenado and Tommy Edman also homered for the Cardinals, who won the managerial debut of 35-year-old Oliver Marmol. Paul Goldschmidt drew four staight walks, the first player to do that on opening day since Manny Ramírez in 2002.
The Pirates had just six hits and lost budding star Ke’Bryan Hayes to left forearm spasms in the first inning — just hours after news began to spread that Hayes had agreed to a $70 million, eight-year deal.
Wainwright (1-0) allowed five hits in his sixth opening day start and first since 2016. The 40-year-old struck out six and did not walk a batter. He and the 39-year-old Molina made their 305th start as a battery, fourth most in major league history. Molina made his franchise-record 18th successive opening day start.
O’Neill had an RBI single in the first, then broke the game open with a line-drive homer to left in the second inning against starter JT Brubaker (0-1) for a 4-0 lead.
Albert Pujols, who signed a one-year deal with St. Louis last month, was 0 for 5.
Pittsburgh RHP Mitch Keller (5-11, 6.17 last season) will face RHP Miles Mikolas (2-3, 4.23) in the second game of a four-game series Saturday, 12:20 with the pregame and the first pitch at 1:15 on KIRX.