Nolan Arenado Said "Baseball Happens" and the Diamondbacks Are Proving Him Right, Hard.

Okay, Mariners fans, even when our boys aren't on the field, you gotta watch what's cooking around the league, and this D-backs situation in St. Louis? It's wild. Nolan Arenado, the guy who played five seasons for the Cardinals, just made his emotional return to Busch Stadium, getting a standing ovation on Monday. But that warm fuzzy feeling is about all the Diamondbacks have going for them, because after dropping the series opener 3-2, they're looking to stop a three-game skid tonight, sitting at a perfectly mediocre 39-39 record after an absolutely brutal 8-15 stretch in their last 23 games. Yikes.

Nolan Arenado's Bittersweet Homecoming

Listen, this guy Arenado had a history in St. Louis. He was a three-time All-Star and snagged two Gold Gloves for the Cardinals from 2021-25. He even told reporters before Monday's game that he genuinely thought he'd finish his career there after opting in back in 2022. "But I also knew in the back of my mind, ‘Baseball happens and things happen,'" he said. And boy, did things happen. The Cardinals, after missing the postseason for three straight years, shook things up and traded Arenado to the D-backs in January for right-handed pitcher Jack Fernandez. Despite the move, Arenado has no ill will, saying "St. Louis is always first class," and that they "know how much I care about them and how much I loved my time here." The Cardinals faithful clearly felt the same, giving him that standing ovation before his first at-bat. A classy move for a player who gave them a lot.

Can Eduardo Rodriguez Stop the Bleeding?

Whil

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e Arenado's personal story is a tear-jerker, his team is frankly in trouble. They've just fallen back to .500, which, let's be real, is not where you want to be in April. Tonight, left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who's been a beast for them, gets the ball to try and right the ship. The 33-year-old is 6-2 with a stellar 2.45 ERA this season, allowing one or no runs in eight of his 15 starts. His last outing was a gem: seven innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 win against the Angels. However, his record against the Cardinals is a bit of a mixed bag, 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA in just two career starts. Across the diamond, the Cardinals are throwing 29-year-old right-hander Kyle Leahy, who's 5-4 with a 4.63 ERA. Leahy took the loss in his last game against San Diego, giving up three runs on seven hits over six innings in a 6-1 setback. This will be his first career start against the Diamondbacks, though he's logged three relief appearances against them, totaling 3 1/3 innings with an 8.10 ERA. Keep an eye on Cardinals center fielder Nathan Church, 25, who's been a sparkplug. He had two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base Monday, and he's batting .299 over his last 30 games after taking over for Victor Scott II. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol summed it up: "This kid's hungry, he wants to be really good." He's seeing more pitches, walking more, and "he has the ability to take a bag, he's got the speed to do it, and he's a really, really good defender." The D-backs need to flip the script tonight in St. Louis. Can Rodriguez be the stopper? Or will Arenado's old team rub more salt in the wound and send the D-backs further below .500? Get ready for some Tuesday night baseball drama!

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