Nolan Arenado's Hero's Welcome Can't Hide the Diamondbacks' 39-39 Nightmare

Holy smokes, you guys. If you caught any of the Diamondbacks-Cardinals game Monday night, you saw some seriously raw emotion, but it was a bittersweet moment. Nolan Arenado, the D-backs' third baseman, made his big return to St. Louis, the place he called home for five seasons. The Cardinals' faithful, always first class, gave him a standing ovation before his first at-bat, and it was genuinely cool to see. He told reporters before the game, "When I opted-in in 2022 to come back, I genuinely thought I was going to finish my career here. But I also knew in the back of my mind, ‘Baseball happens and things happen.'" Yeah, baseball definitely happens, and right now, things aren't looking so hot for his new squad.

A Standing O and a Tough Goodbye

Arenado's history in St. Louis is legit. From 2021 to 2025, he wasn't just there, he was *the guy*, snagging three All-Star nods and two Gold Gloves. But after the Cards missed the postseason for three straight years, they blew up the core. That's when Arenado got traded to Arizona back in January for right-handed pitcher Jack Fernandez. Even with the move, Nolan doesn't hold grudges, saying, "St. Louis is always first class. They know how much I care about them and how much I loved my time here." You gotta respect that. The fans clearly felt it too, showering him with applause. It's a rare, awesome thing in sports when a player leaves and still gets that kind of love.

Diamondbacks Drowning as New Faces Shine

But here's the kicker: those good vibes for Arenado totally didn't extend to the rest of the Diamondbacks. They dropped Monday's opener 3-2, making it three straight losses. They're no

Trade on Every Game with Kalshi

Click Here to sign up to Kalshi — Free $10 when you sign up using our link or use code: ONTAPSEA. The only federally regulated prediction market in the US. Trade on real sports outcomes. Available in all 50 states.

w a brutal 8-15 in their last 23 games, plummeting back to .500 with a 39-39 record overall. This team is struggling, big time! Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who's been a beast all season with a 6-2 record and a 2.45 ERA, is gonna try to stop the bleeding tonight. He's been lights out, allowing one or zero runs in eight of his 15 starts, even throwing seven innings of one-run ball in an 8-1 win against the Angels last Wednesday. He's only faced the Cardinals twice in his career, going 1-0 with a 5.56 ERA against them, so tonight's a fresh start. He'll be up against Cardinals righty Kyle Leahy (5-4, 4.63 ERA), who's looking to rebound after taking a loss against San Diego his last time out, giving up three runs and seven hits in six innings. This will be Leahy's first career start against the D-backs, so it's a real unknown. Meanwhile, St. Louis is getting a huge lift from center fielder Nathan Church, who racked up two hits, an RBI, and a stolen base from the bottom of the order on Monday. He’s replaced Opening Day starter Victor Scott II and is hitting .299 over the last 30 games. Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol is all in on the 25-year-old, saying, "This kid's hungry, he wants to be really good. 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, as the D-backs try to turn things around tonight, with Rodriguez on the mound, they're not just fighting for a win, they're fighting to regain any semblance of momentum. Can they bounce back from 39-39, or will Arenado's homecoming continue to be the only bright spot in an increasingly grim season for Arizona? You know we'll be watching to see how this unfolds.

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