Twins' rally comes up short in Opening Day loss to Cardinals

The Minnesota Twins experienced their first rain delay of the season, but their first win will have to wait at least a couple more days as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3, on Opening Day Thursday afternoon at Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The Twins (0-1) ultimately couldn't overcome an early deficit as the Cardinals (1-0) got to Pablo Lopez early. Lopez gave up a single to the first batter he faced, Lars Nootbaar, who took second after Lopez balked and was brought home shortly after on an infield single from Brendan Donovan. Lopez gave up a two-run homer to Nootbaar the next time he faced him in the second inning, and Ivan Herrera's RBI single in the third inning made it a 4-0 St. Louis lead. But then Lopez settled in.

Lopez pitched 1-2-3 fourth and fifth innings before his Opening Day start came to an end. Overall, Lopez gave up eight hits and four runs — two earned — while fanning three with no walks across five innings. But he had the balk and an error.

The strong fourth and fifth innings from Lopez gave the Twins an opportunity to cut into their deficit. In his first game in a twins uniform and playing against his former team, Harrison Bader made his name heard with a 394-foot, two-run homer in the fifth inning that cut the St. Louis lead in half. The Twins got back within one on Willi Castro's RBI single in the fifth.

HARRISON BADER‼️ pic.twitter.com/66XkU3NsZK
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 27, 2025

Where there's a Willi, there's an RBI

That's how the saying goes right? pic.twitter.com/6J1InRAuFG
— Minnesota Twins (@Twins) March 27, 2025

But Nolan Arenado halted the Twins' momentum with his 376-foot solo homer off Griffin Jax in the eighth inning.

With a final chance in the top of the ninth inning, Castro and Jose Miranda both struck out before Bader doubled the next at-bat. With two outs and Bader at second, Matt Wallner was struck out by Ryan Helsley to close out the Cardinals victory.

The Twins left seven on base and went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

Former Twins starter Sonny Gray got the Opening Day start for the Cardinals and was dominant early on from the mound, only needing six pitches to get through the first inning. Really, his only blemish was giving up the two-run shot to Bader in the fifth inning. Gray allowed just four hits and the two runs while fanning six and walking a pair across five innings of work.

Louie Varland gave up a double to Herrera but pitched a shutout sixth inning. Cole Sands pitched a 1-2-3 seventh. Jax got the first two outs of the eighth but gave up the homer and a walk before Justin Topa got the final out of the frame.

The Twins meet the Cardinals for the second of their three-game series at 1:15 p.m. on Saturday in St. Louis.

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