Cardinals Weekly Watch: Nolan Arenado’s reunion with the Colorado Rockies

The St. Louis Cardinals continue their first road trip of the 2023 season with a homecoming for Nolan Arenado in Denver against the Colorado Rockies.

This will be the third time that Arenado has returned to Denver as a member of the Cardinals after the bombshell February 2021 trade that sent him from the Rockies to St. Louis in exchange for four players, including current Rockies starting pitcher Austin Gomber and third baseman Elehuris Montero. The lopsided deal and all of the emotions that surrounded it is still a sore point for many Colorado fans, who have welcomed back Arenado with standing ovations in his previous two visits to Coors Field.

While Arenado returns to the city he called home for eight seasons, the Cardinals have more storylines than just the homecoming as they head to Denver for a three-game series to finish off a six-game road trip that began in Milwaukee. Will the altitude provide more opportunities for the St. Louis offense to find its collective swing? Will Cardinals pitching which has struggled early in the season be able to find any kind of rhythm at a mile high?

Following the visit to Denver, St. Louis returns home for four division games against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Here’s what St. Louis Cardinals fans should be watching for this week:

April 10 at Colorado Rockies

Projected Pitching Matchup: Germán Márquez vs. Steven Matz

In his first start of the season, Matz gave up 10 hits and four runs in 5.1 innings in a home loss to the Atlanta Braves. Atlanta hit .417 against the 31-year-old southpaw, who will now look to rebound as he opens the three-game series in Denver. Matz, however, has not fared well in his three previous Coors Field starts where he has posted a 9.20 ERA/1.773 WHIP in 14.2 innings. Also, during that time, Matz has given up four homers. That’s something to watch as Matz surrendered a pair of long balls in his first 2023 outing.

April 11 at Colorado Rockies

Projected Pitching Matchup: Kyle Freeland vs. Miles Mikolas

The Opening Day starter for the Cardinals, Mikolas has struggled in his two outings, giving up 19 hits and 10 runs in 9.1 innings. Opponents are hitting .413 against the 34-year-old right-hander who just signed a two-year contract extension before the season began.

April 12 at Colorado Rockies

Projected Pitching Matchup: Jose Ureña vs. Jack Flaherty

The good news for the Cardinals? After facing Marquez and Freeland in the first two games, St. Louis will get a reprieve from Colorado’s strongest pitchers by squaring off against Ureña, who has yet to go longer than 2.2 innings in either of his first two starts of the campaign, giving up a combined 12 hits and 10 runs in 5.0 innings.

Tommy Edman homered the only time he has faced Ureña, so that’s a matchup for Cardinals fans to watch on Wednesday.

April 13 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Pitching Matchup: Vince Velasquez vs. Jordan Montgomery

The Cardinals return to Busch Stadium and hand the ball to Montgomery, who was tagged for six hits and three runs in 5.0 innings by Toronto in his first home start of the season. For Montgomery and the Cardinals to succeed in the series opener, look for how the left-hander fares against Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen. The veteran outfielder is 4-for-11 in his career against Montgomery, including a home run.

April 14 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Pitching Matchup: Johan Oviedo vs. Jake Woodford

Oviedo pitched for the Cardinals from 2020 until the MLB trade deadline in 2022 when he was sent to Pittsburgh as part of a deal that brought José Quintana and Chris Stratton to St. Louis. Oviedo has faced Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras 14 times, with Contreras going 3-for-11 with three walks and four RBI in that span.

April 15 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Pitching Matchup: Roansy Contreras vs. Steven Matz

Much like Montgomery, how Matz pitches against McCutchen is a matchup to watch. In 19 plate appearances, McCutchen has posted a .313/.421/.313 slash line. However, Matz has struck out McCutchen seven times in their previous encounters as well.

April 16 vs. Pittsburgh Pirates

Projected Pitching Matchup: Mitch Keller vs. Miles Mikolas

Keller has pitched well in his four previous starts in Busch Stadium, logging a 3.26 ERA/1.448 WHIP in 19.1 innings. Cardinals batters are slashing .280/.342/.360 against him during those four starts, and Keller has allowed just one home run to the 82 batters he has faced.