Cardinals overcome six-run deficit to beat Rays 9-7 in high-scoring 2026 Opening Day

A six-run swing and an eight-run answer decided the opener

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals opened the 2026 season Thursday, March 26, with a 9-7 win over the Tampa Bay Rays at Busch Stadium after falling behind by six runs in the middle innings. The game drew 45,037 fans and ended with the Cardinals 1-0 in the National League Central and the Rays 0-1 in the American League East.

The decisive stretch came in the sixth inning, when both teams batted around in a sequence that rapidly changed the game’s shape. Tampa Bay built a 7-1 lead in the top of the sixth, then St. Louis responded with eight runs in the bottom half to move in front 9-7. The final three innings were scoreless.

How the lead changed hands

The Rays’ six-run surge in the sixth turned a close game into a seemingly comfortable advantage, leaving St. Louis needing multiple baserunners and extra-base hits to recover. The Cardinals produced that comeback immediately, stringing together traffic on the bases and converting it into a decisive rally that flipped the margin from down six to up two within the same inning.

• Score entering the sixth inning: Cardinals trailing 1-0.
• Top of the sixth: Rays add six runs to extend the lead to 7-1.
• Bottom of the sixth: Cardinals score eight runs to take a 9-7 lead.
• Seventh through ninth innings: no runs scored.

Late innings held by St. Louis bullpen

After the teams combined for 16 runs, the game tightened into a bullpen contest. St. Louis protected the two-run lead through the final three innings, with right-hander Ryne Stanek credited with the save. Tampa Bay’s Garrett Cleavinger took the loss, and St. Louis’ Riley O’Brien earned the win.

The official pitching decisions: O’Brien (1-0) earned the win, Cleavinger (0-1) took the loss, and Stanek recorded save No. 1.

What it means for the series

The result gave the Cardinals an immediate win in the first game of a three-game Opening Day set at Busch Stadium. For Tampa Bay, the opener underscored how quickly a game can swing when high-leverage outs are not secured during extended innings. The clubs are scheduled to continue the series in St. Louis over the weekend.