What could be the last Busch Stadium appearance in the same game for two players acquired to lead the Cardinals back to October relevance allowed them both to do what they had so well.

Nolan Arenado, the cornerstone player acquired ahead of the 2021 season to create a dynamic duo with Paul Goldschmidt, had the runaway hit for the Cardinals when he cleared the bases with a double. Arenado’s three-run liner broke open the decisive fifth inning and launched the Cardinals toward a 7-1 victory against division-leading Milwaukee on Friday night.

Not that Sonny Gray needed that much run support.

The right-hander, signed ahead of the 2024 season to lead the rotation, limited the Brewers in his final regular season start at home and struck out seven. Both Gray and Arenado have no-trade clauses,

See Full Page