Minnesota rookie starter Fernando Romero, channeling his best Nick Kingham, the Pittsburgh rookie who was the last pitcher to beat the Cardinals, had much to do with this. While Kingham blanked the Cardinals on one hit for seven innings, striking out nine, on April 29, Romero, making his second big-league start, held the Cardinals scoreless over six innings, allowing three hits and also fanning nine.
Signed as a 16-year-old from the Dominican Republic in 2011, Romero didn’t accomplish much until he had elbow surgery that cost him the 2015 season. Since then, he was 9-3 with a sub 2.