RYAN HELSLEY

Nolan Arenado sparked a record barrage of four straight home runs by St. Louis in the first inning, then hit a tiebreaking drive in the ninth that sent the Cardinals over the Philadelphia Phillies 7-6.

Dakota Hudson and a quartet of relievers combined to help the St. Louis Cardinals stop San Francisco’s six-game winning streak, blanking the Giants 4-0.

Nolan Arenado hit three doubles and a single, Paul DeJong homered and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2.

Adam Wainwright pitched six scoreless innings, Tyler O’Neill hit a three-run homer and drove in five, and the St. Louis Cardinals celebrated Albert Pujols’ return with a 9-0 season-opening win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Native American groups have disapproved of the cheer since it began in 1991, with some calling it degrading and dehumanizing.

Chris Taylor drove in three runs with a tiebreaking double that capped a 14-pitch at-bat in the sixth inning, rallying the Los Angeles Dodgers past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-4 to snap a three-game skid.

Kyle Schwarber doubled in a run in his delayed Nationals debut, Andrew Stevenson had a pinch-hit homer and Washington beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2.

Nolan Arenado hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth inning of his home debut with the Cardinals, lifting St. Louis over the Milwaukee Brewers 3-1 as fans returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since 2019.

(AP Photo/John Bazemore)ATLANTA – As his adopted hometown mourned Hank Aaron's death, some fans called on the Atlanta Braves to change their name to the Hammers in his honor. The NFL's Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer's Atlanta United and Georgia Tech's football team all announced they would retire Aaron's trademark No. The Hammer spent nearly all of his 23-year career with the Braves, whose nickname has drawn some criticism as being offensive to Native Americans. The Braves have steadfastly resisted calls to change their name, saying they view it as a tribute to Native Americans rather than a slur. There has been no indication that Aaron's death would change the team's stance on its Braves nickname.

Georgia Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have issued a strong statement in support of the Atlanta Braves name. "We adamantly oppose any effort to rename the Atlanta Braves, one of our state's most storied and successful sports franchises," they said Monday. "Not only are the Braves a Georgia institution – with a history spanning 54 years in Atlanta – they're an American institution." The GOP senators, who are both facing state runoff races next month, said the Braves' name "honors our Native American heritage" and it should "not be erased." The Braves told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday and in July that it was standing by its name.

Georgia Republican Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue have issued a strong statement in support of the Atlanta Braves name. "We adamantly oppose any effort to rename the Atlanta Braves, one of our state's most storied and successful sports franchises," they said Monday. "Not only are the Braves a Georgia institution – with a history spanning 54 years in Atlanta – they're an American institution." The GOP senators, who are both facing state runoff races next month, said the Braves' name "honors our Native American heritage" and it should "not be erased." The Braves told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday and in July that it was standing by its name.

(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)SAN DIEGO – Given a chance to catch their breath after a crazy month and a half, the St. Louis Cardinals settled into the playoffs with yet another win against the San Diego Padres. San Diego native Tommy Edman singled and Goldschmidt homered to left. Dylan Carlson doubled, 38-year-old Yadier Molina hit an RBI single and Paul DeJong doubled before Matt Carpenter hit a sacrifice fly. Kim allowed Eric Hosmer’s sac fly in the first, Aaron Nola’s sac fly in the second and Tommy Pham’s RBI single in the third. Dexter Fowler hit an RBI single in the ninth off Trevor Rosenthal, who started his big league career with the Cardinals.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright delivers during the first inning of a baseball game Cleveland Indians, Sunday, Aug. 30, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Scott Kane)ST. LOUIS Adam Wainwright turned back the clock with a complete game on his 39th birthday as the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Cleveland Indians 7-2 Sunday. St. Louis had mustered just three runs in the past 28 innings before the outburst. He was very sharp.PITCHING CYCLEWith the start against the Indians, Wainwright has made at least one versus every team except the Cardinals. Cardinals: RHP Dakota Hudson (0-2, 3.32 ERA) begins a three-game series in Cincinnati when he faces RHP Anthony DeSclafani (1-1, 5.71) on Monday night.

ATLANTA The Atlanta Braves have removed a Chop On sign that sat near an entrance to Truist Park and are still considering their stance on the fans' tomahawk chop chant. The removal of the wooden sign came as the team changed its slogan from Chop On to For The A for the 2020 season. A new slogan is customary marketing strategy, but the team's stance on the chant has been watched closely since last year's NL Division Series. Braves fans began chopping and chanting in the early 1990s. The Braves said in the letter they are seeking input from the Native American community, fans, players and former players as they examine the fan experience, including the chant.

St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jordan Hicks throws off the mound during baseball practice at Busch Stadium Friday, July 3, 2020, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)ST. LOUIS Hard-throwing St. Louis Cardinals reliever Jordan Hicks has opted out of playing this season, citing pre-existing health concerns. Hicks had been taking part in workouts at Busch Stadium, leading up to the Cardinals' opener on July 24 at home against Pittsburgh. We respect and understand Jordans decision to opt out this season, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak said. Carlos Martinez led St. Louis with 24 saves last season, posting his first save on June 1.

Atlanta Braves pitcher Cole Hamels appears to have Truist Park to himself while working from the mound during baseball practice, Friday July 3, 2020 in Atlanta. (Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP)ATLANTA With teams in two sports taking a second look at names deemed offensive to Native Americans, the Atlanta Braves on Saturday gave no indication they are willing to consider a similar change. The Braves released a statement saying the team honors, supports, and values the Native American community. The Atlanta Braves have a meaningful commitment to honor the Native American community and we are excited about working together to ensure this happens," it said. The foam cutouts are used when Braves fans do the chop chant at games.

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(CNN) - Chiefs of tribal nations that once inhabited Georgia say that the Atlanta Braves' tomahawk chop is insensitive and inappropriate. "It reduces Native Americans to a caricature and minimizes the contributions of Native peoples as equal citizens and human beings." The tomahawk chop involves fans moving their forearms forward and backward with an open palm in a chopping motion and is usually accompanied by chants. The tomahawk chop has long raised objections about the way it depicts Native Americans. Our organization has sought to embrace all people and highlight the many cultures in Braves Country," the Braves statement said.

Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images(CNN) - There were some changes during the Atlanta Braves game Wednesday after the team announced it is taking steps to "reduce" the Tomahawk Chop, an arm movement done by fans to cheer on the team. The Tomahawk Chop is widely used during Braves games as fans move their forearms forward and backward with an open palm in a chopping motion. The Braves often leave a foam tomahawk on the seats for fans during home games. "Out of respect for the concerns expressed by Mr. Helsley, we will take several efforts to reduce the Tomahawk Chop during our in-ballpark presentation today," a spokesperson for the Atlanta Braves told CNN. Earlier this year, Maine's governor signed a bill making the state the first to prohibit public schools, colleges and universities from using Native American symbols as mascots.