Arenado stars in all facets in Cards win

The Nolan Arenado Show will return to its old home on Thursday when the Cardinals play visitor for four games against the Rockies. And there’s a decent chance it will return to Denver once again in mid-July, with the Cardinals’ third baseman the top vote-getter at third base for All-Star voting as of Tuesday afternoon.

Until then, the opening act continues to go off unhitched in St. Louis.

The 28,740 in attendance at Busch Stadium on Tuesday night were provided the full range of the Arenado experience in a matter of mere minutes. A two-run homer in the fifth inning proved nearly all the offense needed for a 3-2 win over the D-backs, and a classic Arenado play racing in on a swinging bunt, barehanding a ball and throwing across his body was the viral moment of the night -- one of several from him both this season, especially in this recent stretch.

“I thought the play he made down the left-field line [against Greogory Polanco Saturday] was, as [Mike Maddux] would say, it's 'bar worthy.' You're sitting there and talking, ‘I was there,’” said manager Mike Shildt. “The play he made tonight was obviously different, but now he comes in and the ball, catches it and basically throws it in midair -- accurately.”

"That's why he's one of the best,” added D-backs manger Torey Lovullo, a close watcher of Arenado for years when he was a Rockie. “He's a catalyst on both sides of the ball. The thing that's impressive about him is I see him practicing those plays and working on those things. We talk about those little things, I think it's not by accident that he's having that type of production on the defensive side of the ball. I'm just glad he's out of the NL West."

Ask Arenado, and he’ll say he prefers home runs -- tonight's, a scorcher 106.1 mph off the bat and the left-field foul pole -- more than dazzling plays. But he admits he’ll still rewatch the replay of it later.

Such plays were more than enough help for Carlos Martínez, who, with his back against the wall as far as his rotation status was concerned, provided a quality start. Owner of 30 earned runs across his past five starts, he had a “more pointed” discussion with Shildt and Maddux this week, with Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina also part of the talks with the struggling two-time All-Star.

“They made me wake up,” Martínez said.

Is it safe to say he was pitching for his rotation spot on Tuesday?

“I think that's a reasonable statement,” Shildt said.

So, Martínez responded with six one-run innings, allowing just six baserunners and retiring nine consecutive from the second inning into the fifth against a team he threw six no-hit innings against on May 27 -- the last start before his disastrous run through most of June.

Martínez, pitching with an improved pace and renewed purpose, became the first Cardinals starter other than Wainwright to collect a win since May 26.

“When I got the uniform, I needed to respect the team, respect the Cardinals. I’m with the Cardinal family,” Martínez said. “I need to keep going like this. I have a lot of frustration, but right now I feel comfortable. Today was my best focus of the season.”

But Arenado and Martínez’s efforts were nearly for naught. Alex Reyes, tasked with his first six-out save of the season, ran into trouble in the eighth inning, balking the potential tying run to second and facing runners on the corners with no outs. A strikeout and nifty 1-6-3 double play instead helped secure a complete team win: timely hitting, mostly dynamite pitching and heavy hitters stepping up.

And now Reyes could very well join Arenado in Denver on July 13, with a perfect 19-for-19 on saves chances and ERA at 0.98. His placement will be determined by players and the Commissioner's Office.

Arenado’s fate now lies with the fans. Nights like Tuesday just serve as a reminder not only that he is still one of the game’s best third baseman, but also how much his energy can ignite the Cardinals on both sides of the ball.

And it’s a ballclub that sorely needs the jolt, now winners of only its second series in June and three out of its last four against last-place teams.

“We’ve got to play better baseball, and I think the last few games you've seen that,” Arenado said. “We’re getting runs late, we're having quality at-bats. … What this organization is known for: good stuff, good starting pitching and then some quality at-bats.”