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Ryne Stanek Emerges in Cardinals Bullpen, Earns Save on Opening Day
St. Louis Cardinals right-handed reliever Ryne Stanek emerged with the team's first save chance in the 9-7 Opening Day win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday and delivered. The 34-year-old veteran made it interesting, though, walking three and striking out one in the one-inning outing for his first save of 2026. Manager Oliver Marmol did not name a primary closer going into the regular season and expects the situation to "solve itself." In addition to Stanek, Riley O'Brien, JoJo Romero, and Matt Svanson could all be involved in a closer committee early in the season. O'Brien pitched the eighth inning and picked up the win for St. Louis, allowing a hit and striking out two in 1 1/3 innings. O'Brien will probably end up getting most of the save chances for the Red Birds over the course of the season, as Stanek has always been more suited for a setup role, and he has only 15 career saves as he heads into his 10th major-league season.
Source: MLB.com
Source: MLB.com
