Nootbaar walks it off as Cards open twin bill with thriller
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ST. LOUIS -- Limited to just two hits through the first six innings, the Cardinals used back-to-back home runs by rookie Nolan Gorman and slugger Paul Goldschmidt for three runs in a three-run seventh inning and a game-winning single by Lars Nootbaar in the ninth for a 4-3 win over the rival Cubs in Game 1 of a steamy doubleheader at Busch Stadium on Thursday.
It is the fourth walk-off win of the season for the Cardinals and the second walk-off RBI of Nootbaar’s career. Nootbaar singled to right field to plate close friend Nolan Arenado, who walked and moved to second on another walk to Paul DeJong.
When Arenado beat Seiya Suzuki’s throw from right field, he immediately sprinted toward Nootbaar to celebrate the victory. Arenado and Nootbaar are fellow Southern California natives, and they work out together over the offseason.
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Marcus Stroman limited the Cardinals to two hits -- two nearly identical singles by rookie Brendan Donovan back up the middle -- through six innings. However, the first five balls hit off the Cubs’ pitcher to open the seventh inning all had an exit velocity of at least 100 mph -- including 107.1 mph on Gorman’s 12th home run and 107.7 mph on Goldschmidt’s 26th long ball of the season.