It was an Opening Day that surely won’t be forgotten in St. Louis anytime soon.

With 16 living Hall of Famers, including Whitey Herzog and the newly inducted Ted Simmons in attendance, the Cardinals kicked off the baseball season like only St. Louis could: a ceremony full of emotion, nostalgia, and excitement. Tony LaRussa would’ve been there… if he wasn’t managing the Chicago White Sox.

And then, Adam Wainwright, Albert Pujols, and Yadier Molina. one by one, walked onto the field. And suddenly, over 45,000 fans in attendance shed tears, and gave standing ovations. For Pujols and Molina, it was their 22nd and 18th consecutive Opening Day. And with both retiring after the season, it’s their last.

As for Wainwright, his future is still up in the air.

And once the game got underway, the young guns on the team took over. Tyler O’Neill notched 5 RBI’s, including a three-run home run early on in the game, while Tommy Edman and Nolan Arenado hit solo home runs of their own to give the Cardinals a 9-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Wainwright, the 40-year old ace who went 17-7 last season, had the following as his final line of the first start: 6 IP, 5 H, 0 ER, 0 BB 6 K’s. He kept the Pirates in check all afternoon, as the dynamic battery of Wainwright and Molina continued to thrive.

The Cardinals have once again kicked off their season in top fashion. One game down. 161 to go.