First pitch: 3 things I heard around MLB clubhouses last week

MLB rumors: Nolan Arenado dishes praise on Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt

Flash back to Tuesday in Denver where Arenado’s three-run double in the sixth inning lifted the Cardinals into a 6-6 tie with the Rockies. St. Louis would eventually win the game 9-6, giving the visitors a much-needed victory.

Arenado’s double raised the win probability for St. Louis by 34.2 percent and was a moment the Gold Glove-winning third baseman could celebrate after going 1-for-8 in his previous two games, including 0-for-4 in the first game of the series against his former squad.

While the three-run double grabbed the headlines, after the game, Arenado quickly shuffled the praise to reigning NL Most Valuable Player Paul Goldschmidt, who drew a two-out walk that extended the inning and allowed Arenado to get the at-bat.

“Watching Goldy have that great at-bat right before me, I just wanted to keep it going,” Arenado said of Goldschmidt’s five-pitch walk where he laid off close pitches to earn the free pass. “He got me fired up with his at-bat and I was like, ‘It’s my turn to do something.’ I was just trying to follow his lead really.”

Arenado praised Goldschmidt’s approach at the plate for being a steadying force for St. Louis early in the season.

“His approach, and the way he doesn’t take his previous at-bat to the next one,” Arenado explained about what he has seen from Goldschmidt since coming over to St. Louis before the 2021 season. “He slows the game down very well. I know Goldy and I know he doesn’t feel quite like he wants to, and that’s how good he is. He still has quality at-bats.”