RetroSimba

(Updated Jan. 22, 2022)

Opening Day games between the Cardinals and Reds have brought out the best in several St. Louis standouts. Stan Musial, Chick Hafey, Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina have slugged Cardinals home runs against the Reds in season openers. Dizzy Dean, Grover Cleveland Alexander, Mort Cooper and Adam Wainwright have pitched gems.

Starting with the most recent, a look at the Opening Day games between the Cardinals and Reds since 1914:

April 1, 2021

_ Cardinals 11, Reds 6: Dylan Carlson’s three-run home run capped a six-run first inning for the Cardinals against Luis Castillo. Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty allowed six runs, but five relievers combined to pitch 4.2 scoreless innings. Boxscore

March 31, 2014

_ Cardinals 1, Reds 0: Molina hit a home run off Johnny Cueto and Wainwright struck out nine in seven scoreless innings. Boxscore.

April 5, 2010

_ Cardinals 11, Reds 6: Pujols hit a pair of home runs (one off starter Aaron Harang and the other against Mike Lincoln) and Molina hit his first big-league grand slam (off Nick Masset).

Columnist Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote, “It was one of those days that opponents hate to see. Pujols locked in. Pujols with some extra glare to his stare. Pujols at his boldest best. The Pujols that treats a huge day as a routine day.” Boxscore

April 3, 1994

_ Cardinals 6, Reds 4: On Easter Sunday night, Ray Lankford, the first batter of the season, lined a home run off Jose Rijo.

“I was just anxious to get going,” Lankford said. “… I started thinking about being the first batter of ’94. I wanted to do something. I couldn’t have asked for anything better than that to open the season.” Boxscore

April 4, 1988

_ Reds 5, Cardinals 4, 12 innings: Joe Magrane, the Cardinals’ starting pitcher, hit a three-run home run off Mario Soto, but Kal Daniels knocked in the winning run with a two-out looping single that barely eluded center fielder Willie McGee.

“I gave it all I had,” McGee told the Post-Dispatch. “Maybe if I had dived, I might have caught it.” Boxscore

April 16, 1957

_ Cardinals 13, Reds 4: Del Ennis and Wally Moon each drove in three runs and Herm Wehmeier, a Cincinnati native and former Red, pitched a complete game. Boxscore

April 17, 1956

_ Cardinals 4, Reds 2: With two outs in the ninth and the score tied at 2-2, Red Schoendienst got a scratch single and Musial followed with a home run off Joe Nuxhall. Boxscore

April 19, 1949

_ Reds 3, Cardinals 1: Ken Raffensberger pitched a five-hitter in an opener completed in 1:49. Boxscore

April 20, 1948

_ Cardinals 4, Reds 0: Murry Dickson scattered 10 hits in pitching the shutout. (Note: This was the Cardinals’ season opener and was played at St. Louis. The Reds opened their season the day before at Cincinnati versus the Pirates.) Boxscore

April 15, 1947

_ Reds 3, Cardinals 1: Ewell Blackwell pitched a three-hitter. Musial, Schoendienst and Enos Slaughter were a combined 0-for-10. Boxscore

April 21, 1943

_ Reds 1, Cardinals 0, 11 innings: Starting pitchers Johnny Vander Meer of the Reds and Mort Cooper of the Cardinals both pitched complete games. Cooper pitched 10 shutout innings. Vander Meer did him one better. The Cardinals managed two hits _ singles by Frank Demaree and Whitey Kurowski. Boxscore

April 15, 1941

_ Cardinals 7, Reds 3: Lon Warneke pitched a complete game and three Cardinals (Slaughter, Johnny Mize and Ernie Koy) slammed home runs. Boxscore

April 20, 1937

_ Cardinals 2, Reds 0, 10 innings: Dizzy Dean pitched a shutout despite yielding 13 hits and two walks. The Reds stranded 14. Boxscore

April 14, 1931

_ Cardinals 7, Reds 3: Jimmie Wilson, the Cardinals’ catcher and No. 8 batter, had three hits and a RBI. Boxscore

April 16, 1929

_ Cardinals 5, Reds 2: Two future Hall of Famers, Chick Hafey and Grover Cleveland Alexander, carried the Cardinals. Hafey had four RBI and a home run. Alexander, 42, pitched a five-hitter. Boxscore

April 14, 1925

_ Reds 4, Cardinals 0: Pete Donohue pitched the shutout, limiting the Cardinals to six singles. Boxscore

April 17, 1923

_ Reds 3, Cardinals 2, 11 innings: Donohue yielded 13 hits but earned the complete-game win. Rogers Hornsby was 0-for-5 for the Cardinals. Boxscore

April 23, 1919

_ Reds 6, Cardinals 2: Morrie Rath, the Reds’ leadoff batter and second baseman, had two hits, two walks and scored a run. Boxscore

April 11, 1917

_ Reds 3, Cardinals 1: Pete Schneider pitched a four-hitter. Hornsby, playing shortstop, had a hit and a walk. Boxscore