Cardinals Win in Extra Innings, Cubs Lose Home Opener

ST. LOUIS -- By the time Matt Carpenter earned an ice water shower to end what he called "a cold, wet night" at Busch Stadium, the Cardinals first baseman forgot all about how he tried to bunt.

The attempt came seconds before, just two pitches prior. Facing another overshift and sporting just a handful of hits on the season, Carpenter squared away to begin his 11th-inning at-bat against J.J. Hoover.

Carpenter fouled off the first pitch, then muscled up. The curveball he hooked cleared the right-field wall, a walk-off, two-run home run that gave the Cardinals a 5-3 extra-inning win over the Brewers. Carpenter's second home run of the season salvaged a night in which the Cardinals went scoreless through the first five innings and stranded 13 baserunners, but fought back to survive with rallies in the ninth and 10th.

And after late lead changes, shaky control and spotty relief pitching defined the first 21 innings of this intradivisional set at Busch Stadium, Carpenter ensured St. Louis emerged from at least one with a win.

Molina Suspended

Major League Baseball has suspended Arizona Diamondbacks' manager Torey Lovullo and St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina one game each for their benches-clearing beef over the weekend. Lovullo served his suspension last night, while Molina has appealed.

Pirates 8, Cubs 5

Javier Baez did his best to give the crowd of 40,144 at the home opener something to celebrate on Tuesday, but the Cubs came up short.

Baez smacked two home runs, both solo shots, in the Cubs' 8-5 loss to the Pirates at chilly Wrigley Field. Francisco Cervelli hit a three-run homer and Starling Marte added a solo shot to power the Pirates, now 8-2 for the season, their best start since 1992.

Baez was 0-for-7 in his career against Pittsburgh starter Ivan Nova, but launched the first pitch he saw with two outs in the second for his first home run of the year.

With one out in the seventh, Baez connected again, hitting a 2-0 pitch again into the left-field bleachers. It was his second career multihomer game and first since Aug. 7, 2014, at Colorado, which was Baez's third career game. Baez did have a multihomer game in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Dodgers last October.

 Anthony Rizzo's back wasn't loosening up, so the Cubs placed the first baseman on the 10-day disabled list Tuesday, retroactive to Friday.

Rizzo, who had never been on the DL before, has missed the Cubs' past three games and was not in the lineup for Monday's scheduled home opener because of tightness in his lower back. If all goes well, Rizzo would be eligible to play Monday against the Cardinals.

Dodgers to Host All-Star Game in 2020

The Los Angeles Dodgers will reportedly host the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in 2020. An official announcement is due today and it would be the first All-Star game at Dodger Stadium since 1980.

Tuesday, April 10 Scoreboard

Pittsburgh 8, Chicago  Cubs 5

St. Louis 5, Milwaukee 3 (F/11)

Tampa Bay 6, Chicago White Sox 5

Cleveland 2, Detroit 1

Boston 14, New York Yankees 1

Toronto 2,  Baltimore 1

Washington 4, Atlanta 1

Philadelphia 6, Cincinnati 1

New York Mets 8, Miami 6

Los  Angeles Angels 11, Texas 1

Minnesota 4, Houston 1

Seattle 8, Kansas City 3

San Diego 5, Colorado 2

Los Angeles Dodgers 4, Oakland 0

San Francisco 5, Arizona 4

Wednesday, April 11 Schedule (All Times Central)

Atlanta at Washington, 12:05 p.m.

Houston at Minnesota, 12:10 p.m.

Milwaukee at St. Louis, 12:15 p.m.

Tampa Bay at Chicago White Sox, 1:10 p.m.

Seattle at Kansas City, 1:15 p.m.

San Diego at Colorado, 2:10 p.m.

Arizona at  San Francisco, 2:45 p.m.

Detroit at Cleveland, 5:10 p.m.

Toronto at Baltimore, 6:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Philadelphia, 6:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Boston, 6:10 p.m.

New York Mets at Miami, 6:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Texas, 7:05 p.m.

Pittsburgh at Chicago Cubs, 7:05 p.m.

Oakland at Los Angeles Dodgers, 9:10 p.m.