ST. LOUIS (AP) - Michael Wacha outpitched Tony Cingrani in a rematch of young power arms and the St. Louis Cardinals got a three-run double from Yadier Molina in the first inning, beating the Cincinnati Reds 5-3 in their home opener Monday.
A standing-room crowd of 47,492, the largest at 9-year-old Busch Stadium, braved daylong rain and temperatures in the 40s to greet the National League champions and take a look at the new Ballpark Village. Hundreds milled about the attached complex, which features five sports bars and rooftop seating.
The Cardinals bunched three hits and a walk over the first five hitters to take the early lead against Cingrani (0-1), who allowed two hits in seven scoreless innings six days earlier against St. Louis at home.
Matt Holliday and Allen Craig added RBIs in the seventh.
The 22-year-old Wacha (1-0) hadn't allowed a run in 21 career innings against the Reds before back-to-back doubles by Brayan Pena and pinch-hitter Roger Bernadina in the fifth. The NL championship series MVP benefited from two double-play balls in six stingy innings and has permitted one run in 13 2-3 innings his first two starts.
INTERLEAGUE
ROCKIES 8, WHITE SOX 1
DENVER (AP) - Jordan Lyles used his arm and bat to lead Colorado over the Chicago White Sox in his Coors Field debut for the Rockies.
Lyles pitched 6 2-3 effective innings. He also had a career-best three hits and drove in two runs. Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki homered for the Rockies.
Lyles (2-0) scattered five hits and walked two. He joined the Rockies from Houston in a trade for Dexter Fowler last winter.
The last Colorado pitcher to go 3 for 3 was lefty Brian Bohanon against the Dodgers on July 20, 2001.
Chicago right-hander Felipe Paulino (0-1) allowed six earned runs on nine hits and four walks in 4 1-3 innings in his return to Coors Field, where he pitched for the Rockies in 2011 before being plagued by arm troubles the last two years.