Nolan Arenado Got His Standing O, But the D-backs' 8-15 Slide Has Them Back to 39-39, and It's Getting Worse

Alright, so everyone's buzzing about Nolan Arenado's return to St. Louis, and yeah, he got the standing ovation he deserved after five years with the Cardinals. You love to see it, right? But while Arenado's soaking in the good vibes, his new squad, the Arizona Diamondbacks, are absolutely tanking. They just dropped a 3-2 opener to St. Louis, adding to a brutal 8-15 slide over their last 23 games that's dragged them all the way back to a perfectly mediocre 39-39 record. Yikes.

Homecoming Hero, Struggling Squad

Man, Arenado's story is something else. He was a three-time All-Star and won two Gold Gloves for the Cardinals from 2021-25. He even told reporters before Monday's game that when he opted-in in 2022 to come back, he "genuinely thought I was going to finish my career here." But hey, "baseball happens," right? The Cardinals made a move in January, shipping him to the D-backs for right-hander Jack Fernandez, after missing the postseason for three straight years. Arenado, ever the class act, said he doesn't harbor any ill will, stating, "St. Louis is always first class," and "They know how much I care about them and how much I loved my time here." And the fans showed it, giving him a huge standing ovation before his first at-bat on Monday. That's pure class from the St. Louis faithful, no doubt.

But the warm fuzzies for Arenado pretty much end there for Arizona. Dropping three straight games and that 8-15 record? That's not a slump, that's a full-blown crisis. They're back at .500, staring up at the rest of the league, and needing to turn things around ASAP. Tonight, they're throwing left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez on the mound, hoping he can stop the bleeding. The dude's been a beast for them all season, with a 6-2 record and a nasty 2.45 ERA. He's allowed one or no runs in eight of his 15 starts, including a gem last Wednesday where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 win against the Angels. Can he really bail out the whole team?

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Pitching Showdown and a Surprise Cardinal

Rodriguez, who's 33, doesn't have a ton of history against the Cardinals, with only two career starts against them, sitting at a 1-0 record with a 5.56 ERA. Not exactly dominant there, so we'll see. He's up against St. Louis right-hander Kyle Leahy, 29, who's looking to rebound himself. Leahy (5-4, 4.63 ERA) took the loss in his last outing against San Diego, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings in a 6-1 setback last Wednesday, even though he struck out seven. This will be his first career start against Arizona, though he's had three relief appearances against them, racking up an 8.10 ERA over just 3 1/3 innings without a decision.

Meanwhile, watch out for Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church. This kid's been a spark plug, stepping in for Opening Day starter Victor Scott II. On Monday, he was a total catalyst, ripping two hits, driving in an RBI, and swiping a bag out of the bottom of the order. He's batting .299 over his last 30 games! Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol can't stop raving, saying, "This kid's hungry, he wants to be really good," and talking about his improved plate discipline and speed. "He has the ability to take a bag, he's got the speed to do it, and he's a really, really good defender, so the combination of all those things is something to get excited about."

So, the D-backs need Rodriguez to be an absolute stopper tonight if they want to pull out of this nosedive. Can they do it, or will the Arenado feel-good story just be a footnote in another ugly loss? They gotta show up. Meanwhile, our boys in the Emerald City just took care of business: Mariners 3, Red Sox 1. That's what I like to see! Go M's!

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.