ST. LOUIS -- The new Busch Stadium was both a hitter's and pitcher's park in its opening game -- at least for Mark Mulder.
The Cardinals' left-hander worked into the ninth inning and hit his first career home run to help St. Louis beat the Milwaukee Brewers 6-4 Monday in the first major league game at the $365 million ballpark.
"It was just his day," the Brewers' Bill Hall said. "And there's nothing we could do about it."
Mulder batted only .145 in his first NL season last year. But the exploits of Jason Marquis, who batted .310 with a homer and 10 RBI, and the rest of a staff that keeps close track of its hitting gave him incentive to improve his offense.
"He's happy for me, but I think way deep down inside he's mad," Mulder said of Marquis. "He just won't admit it. They already said I'm icing my back because I was swinging too hard."
Scott Rolen's two-run double in the fourth off Tomo Ohka (0-1) gave the Cardinals the lead for good and Albert Pujols hit his fourth homer, a drive to the left-center power alley estimated at 445 feet.
The Cardinals' first full day at the new ballpark began on a festive note, with Pujols and Chris Carpenter, the NL MVP and Cy Young Award winners, throwing out dual ceremonial first pitches to retired Cardinals greats Willie McGee and Bob Gibson. It stayed festive most of the day for a sellout crowd of 41,936 anxious for something positive after the Cardinals were swept at Chicago.
"It's nice to be home," Jim Edmonds said. "It's been a long six weeks in spring training and then start off on the road. It's a beautiful place and I'm glad we could pull out a win for everybody."
Before Monday, the Cardinals only had a brief walkthrough and tour of the stadium. Sidney Ponson was the only major leaguer to participate in a game involving the franchise's top farm clubs last Tuesday, with the rest of the Cardinals in Philadelphia for their season-opening series.
"There's a lot of pieces that remind you of the old Busch, especially in a 3 o'clock game when it's about 5 and you can't hardly see," manager Tony La Russa said. "It think it's a beautiful ballpark."
Hall's two-run homer in the second was the only damage off Mulder (1-0). Hall was 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles for Milwaukee, which has lost two in a row after a 5-0 start that put the Brewers in the NL Central lead.
But they put a scare into the Cardinals with two runs in the ninth and the go-ahead run at the plate.
"We've got a bunch of young kids that have a lot of heart," manager Ned Yost said. "Anytime you're down four runs and get the winning run to the plate in the ninth you've done something."
Mulder allowed seven hits in eight-plus innings, struck out five and walked one. He also was 2-for-3 with a double on a hop off the center-field wall and a walk -- coming in he had a .116 career average with four RBI in 86 at-bats.
"Mulder's always tough," the Brewers' Geoff Jenkins said after going 2-for-3 against him with a pair of singles. "He makes great pitches and always hits his spots."
Mulder's two-run shot off Jose Capellan in the seventh put the Cardinals ahead 6-2. The double was his first career extra-base hit.
"Going around second, I really didn't feel anything," Mulder said. "I was just trying not to smile or laugh running around the bases, because I wanted to. It was a cool experience, but I'm sure there's probably not a good chance of that happening anymore this year."
Mulder also started the final home opener at the old Busch Stadium last year in addition to pitching the final game at the 40-year-old park last fall in a Game 6 NL Championship Series loss to the Houston Astros.
After Jenkins led off with a bloop single in the ninth, Braden Looper came in and induced Carlos Lee to ground into a double play. Hall then doubled and scored on a single by Rickie Weeks.
St. Louis brought in Jason Isringhausen, who allowed Michael Barrett's go-ahead grand slam in an 8-4 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field on Sunday night. Isringhausen gave up Prince Fielder's RBI single and walked pinch-hitter Corey Koskie before retiring Gabe Gross, another pinch hitter, on a groundout for his third save.
"It was fun to get out there again," Isringhausen said. "When things are going bad, it seems like it snowballs, but things will be fine."
Ohka gave up four runs, six hits and four walks in four innings.
"Tomo just kind of struggled all day with command," Yost said.
After the Cardinals left the bases loaded in the first and stranded two in the second, Pujols homered leading off the third and Yadier Molina hit a sacrifice fly later in the inning. Rolen's go-ahead homer gave him nine RBI to tie for the team lead with Pujols -- Rolen had a career-low 28 last year, when a shoulder injury limited him to 56 games.
Notes
Lee singled in the second, the 14th time he reached base in 26 plate appearances. But he was hitless the rest of the way, finishing 1-for-4 with a pair of double-play balls.
