Wacha, offense cruise in rout

Hazelbaker goes 4 for 4

Jeremy Hazelbaker was starting to wonder whether he ever would get a shot in the major leagues.

Suddenly, the 28-yearold rookie is the St. Louis Cardinals’ hottest hitter and a fixture in Mike Matheny’s lineup. Batting .526 has that kind of an effect.

“I like watching him,” the manager said Monday after Hazelbaker went 4 for 4 with a triple, double and sacrifice fly in the Cardinals’ home opener, a 10-1 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers. “So there’s a good chance you’re going to see him in there.”

Hazelbaker made his first opening-day roster after shortstop Ruben Tejada injured a quadriceps in late March. Like fellow rookie Almedys Diaz, who was recalled after Tommy Pham injured his left oblique in the opener and has impressed at shortstop and at the plate, the outfielder has been a difference-maker.

“It was definitely a good day, a good one for my parents to see,” said Hazelbaker, who signed as a minor league free agent last season after being released by the Dodgers. “I knew I could do it; it was just about getting a chance.”

Diaz is batting .533 after becoming the first Cardinals rookie with a two-double performance among his first five games.

Backed by a lineup that had 10 extra-base hits, Michael Wacha (1-0) had a nine-run cushion in the third and allowed four hits in six scoreless innings.

Yadier Molina had three hits, two RBIs and an uncontested steal off starter Taylor Jungmann (0-1) in second. Randal Grichuk drove in his first run of the season with a double.

“They hit fastballs, they hit breaking balls, they hit inside fastballs, they hit

outside fastballs,” Jungmann said. “It wasn’t just one pitch they were going after.”

Hall of Famer Lou Brock threw a strike to former teammate Ted Simmons on the ceremonial first pitch from halfway between the mound and the plate. The former base-stealing champ’s left leg was amputated below the knee in October, and he wears a prosthesis, but walked without a noticeable limp.

Matt Carpenter added two hits and two RBIs for the Cardinals, who have scored 10 or more runs in three straight games for the first time since 1980 and have won four in a row overall. They set a franchise record with 19 hits in the opener, one more than against the Pirates on April 5, 1974.

Chris Carter hit his third homer and Ryan Braun had two hits for Milwaukee.