On Monday night, the St. Louis Cardinals delivered a performance at Busch Stadium that hadn’t been seen in nearly five years, hammering four two-run home runs to secure a victory over the division-leading Chicago Cubs in the opener of their four-game series. The last time the Cardinals achieved this feat was on September 10, 2020, against the Detroit Tigers (Yadier Molina, Tyler O’Neill, Lane Thomas, and Rangel Ravelo).
The Cardinals’ offensive explosion came in a 12-plate-appearance span between the fourth and sixth innings, with three of the four homers coming with two outs. Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Alec Burleson each delivered clutch two-out homers, while Nolan Gorman capped the onslaught with a two-run shot in the sixth. This marked only the second time since Busch Stadium opened in 2006 that the Cardinals hit four home runs in a game against the Cubs, the other being on September 26, 2017.
The home run barrage began in the fourth inning when Willson Contreras doubled with two outs, setting the stage for Nootbaar’s blast. In the fifth, Pedro Pages drew a walk before Donovan launched his two-out homer, followed by Masyn Winn’s walk and Burleson’s homer. The sixth inning saw Nolan Arenado single to lead off, paving the way for Gorman’s homer to complete the scoring spree. Contreras led the team at the plate, collecting three of the Cardinals’ 11 hits, including a pair of doubles.
This was the Cardinals’ first four-homer game at home in 2025 and only their second of the season, with the other occurring on April 30 in Cincinnati.
The offensive outburst provided ample support for starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore, who turned in a strong seven-inning performance, allowing just two runs on six hits while striking out five and walking one. His biggest moment came in the fifth inning when, with the Cubs having narrowed the score to 2-1 and the bases loaded, Liberatore induced an inning-ending double play from Ian Happ to preserve the lead. Relievers Riley O’Brien and Roddery Munoz handled the eighth and ninth innings, respectively, to seal the win.
The Cardinals’ two-out hitting was a standout, going 8-for-14 in those situations compared to the Cubs’ 2-for-9. St. Louis improved to an impressive 25-15 at home this season, showcasing their strength at Busch Stadium.
Roddy Munoz was recalled from Memphis to provide a fresh arm in the bullpen, replacing Gordon Graceffo, but his stay is expected to be short, as the Cardinals plan to recall Michael McGreevy from Memphis to start Tuesday’s game, giving their rotation an extra day of rest.
