Scott, Pages each hit 3-run homers to propel Cardinals over Twins 9-2

ST. LOUIS — Victor Scott II and Pedro Pages each launched three-run homers, leading the St. Louis Cardinals to a 9-2 victory over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday.

Nolan Gorman also added a homer for the Cardinals, who completed a series sweep and started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2006. This marks the 17th time in the franchise’s 134-year history that the team has begun a season with a 3-0 record.

Willi Castro homered for the Twins, who suffered their first 0-3 start since 2016.

The game was briefly interrupted by rain for 58 minutes during the fifth inning.

Pages finished with three hits, and Alec Burleson contributed a two-run double. On the mound, Andre Pallante allowed two runs on four hits across five innings of work.

Scott put the Cardinals on the board with a third-inning homer off Bailey Ober, who gave up eight earned runs in 2 2/3 innings. Burleson’s double ignited a five-run rally in the third, putting St. Louis ahead 5-1. Pages followed with his first home run of the season just a few batters later.

Steven Matz closed out the game with four scoreless innings of relief, earning his first career save.

The Cardinals’ longest winning streak to open a season is seven games, which came in 1962 when they defeated the New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia.

Pallante, holding a 3-1 lead, escaped a third-inning jam with two runners on by retiring Byron Buxton and Trevor Larnach.

**Up Next:**

*Twins:* RHP Chris Paddack will face Chicago White Sox LHP Martin Perez in the first game of a three-game series in Chicago on Monday. Paddack went 1-0 in five spring training appearances, striking out 21 over 17 innings.

*Cardinals:* RHP Miles Mikolas will take the mound against Los Angeles Angels LHP Tyler Anderson in the first game of a three-game series in St. Louis on Monday.