OPENING DAY 1990
Monday, April 9, 1990, 7:35, Busch Stadium II
Umpires: HP – John McSherry, 1B – Ed Montague, 2B – Bob Davidson, 3B – Charlie Williams.
Time of Game: 3:52.
Attendance: 48,752.
Field Condition: Dry.
Start Time Weather: 64° F, Wind 9mph from Right to Left, Night, Drizzle.
Opening Day starters Cardinals
Tom Brunansky
Vince Coleman
Pedro Guerrero
Joe Magrane
Willie McGee
José Oquendo
Terry Pendleton
Ozzie Smith
Todd Zeile
The Cardinals, managed by Whitey Herzog, are facing the Montreal Expos led by manager Buck Rodgers. They send the following players to the field as their starters:
Delino DeShields
Marquis Grisson
Tim Raines
Tim Wallach
Andres Galarraga
Larry Walker
Nelson Santovenia
Spike Owen
Dennis Martinez
Game On
Neither teams scores until the bottom of the 2nd inning when Pendleton singles, Brunansky doubles, Smith walks and Jose Oquendo drives in the first run of the game and the season for the Cardinals. St. Louis 1-0 after 2 innings.
The Birds pickup two more runs in the 3rd with a triple by Todd Zeile a walk to Guerrero and a single driving in two by Pendleton. In the top half of the 6th inning, DeShields doubles, Grissom grounds out to advance him to third and Raines grounds out to score the first run for Montreal.
In the 7th inning the Cardinals bring in Ken Hill and Frank DePino and they allow the Expos 4 runs on three hits and they now lead the game. It goes to the bottom of the 9th with and Tim Burke on the mound for the Expos and he gets the first batter of the inning but Milt Thompson walks and Coleman and McGee have back-to-back doubles to tie the game and it goes to extra innings with the score knotted at four.
Howard Hilton and Ken Dayley due their job in relief for the Cardinal in the 10th and 11th innings by not allowing any runs for Montreal. In the bottom half the Cardinals face Mark Gardner and he walks the lead-off hitter Milt Thompson. The Cardinals bunt him to second from the bat of Vince Coleman and Willie McGee singles him home for the winner.
The Cardinals win Opening Day 6-5 in 11 innings. Dayley is the winning pitcher and Gardner suffers the loss.
Expos Stats
2B: D DeShields (1, off J Magrane); M Grissom (1, off F DiPino).
SF: S Owen (1, off F DiPino).
IBB: T Raines (1, by C Carpenter).
TB: D DeShields 5; M Grissom 2; T Raines; N Santovenia; A Galarraga.
RBI: M Grissom (1); D DeShields (1); T Raines (1); S Owen (1).
2-out RBI: M Grissom; D DeShields.
Team LOB: 9.
With RISP: 3 for 11.
Fielding
DP: 3. S Owen-D DeShields-A Galarraga; T Wallach-D DeShields-A Galarraga; D DeShields-A Galarraga.
E: T Raines (1).
Baserunning
SB: O Nixon (1, 2nd base off F DiPino/T Zeile); D DeShields (1, 2nd base off F DiPino/T Zeile).
Cardinals Stats
2B: T Brunansky (1, off D Martinez); V Coleman (1, off T Burke); W McGee (1, off T Burke).
3B: T Zeile (1, off D Martinez).
SF: O Smith (1, off D Martinez).
SH: V Coleman (1, off M Gardner).
IBB: P Guerrero (1, by T Burke).
TB: T Pendleton 3; T Zeile 3; W McGee 3; P Guerrero 2; V Coleman 2; T Brunansky 2; J Oquendo; D Walling.
GIDP: T Brunansky (1); V Coleman (1); O Smith (1).
RBI: W McGee 3 (3); J Oquendo (1); T Pendleton (1); O Smith (1).
Team LOB: 10.
With RISP: 4 for 11.
Fielding
E: M Thompson (1); T Jones (1)
After Opening Day
Notable transactions
April 23, 1990: John Costello was traded by the Cardinals to the Montreal Expos for Rex Hudler.
May 4, 1990: Tom Brunansky was traded by the Cardinals to the Boston Red Sox for Lee Smith.
May 5, 1990: Terry Francona was signed as a free agent by the Cardinals.
July 2, 1990: Ernie Camacho was signed as a free agent by the Cardinals.
August 29, 1990: Willie McGee was traded by the Cardinals to the Oakland Athletics for Félix José, Stan Royer, and Daryl Green (minors). However, McGee would win the NL batting title (he had enough plate appearances to qualify for it despite this trade).
Awards and honors
- Willie McGee, outfielder: Batting title (.335)
- Ozzie Smith, shortstop, National League Gold Glove
All-Stars
- Ozzie Smith, starter, shortstop