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MLB

Nootbaar rehabs, Cards move to 4-0 Tuesday

Springfield scores five unanswered to down Wind Surge 6-2 in Home Opener
Lars Nootbaar singled and scored twice in his first game at Hammons Field since 2019. (PJ Magi)
By Alex Jensen
April 10, 2024

SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Cardinals scored five unanswered runs and got four shutout innings from their bullpen as Springfield won its fourth straight game to start the 2024 season with a 6-2 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge in the Cards’ home opener on Tuesday night at Hammons Field. The

SPRINGFIELD, MO – The Cardinals scored five unanswered runs and got four shutout innings from their bullpen as Springfield won its fourth straight game to start the 2024 season with a 6-2 victory over the Wichita Wind Surge in the Cards’ home opener on Tuesday night at Hammons Field.

The Cards’ 4-0 start is the best in franchise history through four games.

For the fourth straight game, the Cardinals opened the scoring. Rehabbing outfielder Lars Nootbaar drew a four-pitch walk to lead off the bottom of the first and advanced to third on a single to left field by Bryan Torres. RJ Yeager then wasted no time, lifting the first pitch he saw to center field for a sacrifice fly to score Nootbaar making it 1-0 Springfield.

The Wind Surge (1-3) answered back in the top of the third. Jake Rucker reached on an error by Springfield shortstop Jeremy Rivas then scored when the next hitter, Emmanuel Rodriguez, hit a 1-0 pitch from Cardinals’ starter Max Rajcic over the wall in left center for a two-run homer to give Wichita a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the fourth, the Cardinals tied the game at two on an RBI groundout by Jimmy Crooks. Springfield took the lead in the fifth when Matt Lloyd followed back-to-back base hits by Torres and Yeager with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.

The Cardinals then struck for three runs with two outs in the sixth inning. With runners on the corners, Nootbaar laced a single to right field that glanced off the glove of Carson McCusker and rolled to the wall allowing Noah Mendlinger and Rivas to score extending the Cards’ lead to 5-2. Torres followed with a single to left field to drive in Nootbaar from third base to tack on another run and give Springfield a 6-2 lead.

Springfield’s bullpen did the rest. Nick Raquet fired two innings of shutout ball in relief of Rajcic and Brandon Komar finished the game allowing just two hits with four strikeouts over two scoreless innings.

Rajcic (1-0) got the win in his Springfield debut allowing two runs (one earned) on just two hits with three strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Wichita starter Jaylen Nowlin (0-1) took the loss allowing three runs on six hits over 5.0 innings.

The Cardinals continue their first homestand of 2024 on Wednesday with game two of their six-game series against the Wind Surge for the first Purina Woof Wednesday of the season. All dogs are welcome every Wednesday night game throughout the season, presented by Purina. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 pm.