There will need to be a lot more of the same before they threaten the records set by Vince Coleman and the “Running Redbirds” of the mid-80’s, but the 2015 edition of the St. Louis Cardinals opened the season with an aggressive approach on the basepaths in their 3-0 victory over the Chicago Cubs.
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Taking advantage of Jon Lester not throwing over to hold runners on, the Cardinals attempted steals on five of the eight times they reached first base.
Peter Bourjos, Matt Holliday, Jason Heyward, and Kolten Wong all stole bases–and Matt Carpenter was thrown out in the other attempt.
Last season, Bourjos didn’t steal his first base until his tenth game of the year and Wong swiped his first seven games in.
The aggressiveness on the bases is a continuation from Spring Training where the Cardinals stole the second most bases of all teams (27) and led all teams with 42 stolen base attempts.
Other notes from the game:
–Adam Wainwright allowed five hits and struck out six batters in six innings pitched to record the win (1-0). He threw 101 pitches/60 strikes.
Carlos Martinez, Jordan Walden, and Trevor Rosenthal combined to finish the shutout, with Rosenthal striking out all three batters he faced in the 9th inning.
Lester, who pitched 4.1 innings, was charged will all three earned runs and allowed eight hits, two walks, and struck out six.
–Besides the stolen base, Holliday drove in a pair of runs and Carpenter had the other RBI.
–Heyward was 3-5 in his Cardinals debut and scored a run.
photo credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports
