MILWAUKEE — About the same time an American Family Field employee sifted through the fans in left field to retrieve a baseball Nolan Arenado will give to his parents, the Cardinals’ third baseman sat in the dugout with a smile the size of his achievement and his relief.
Teammate Lars Nootbaar stood nearby and reached toward Arenado’s shoulders. He announced, to anyone who was listening, what they all could do.
“Grab that monkey off his back,” Nootbaar instructed.
Sitting on 299 career home runs for six months and seven games, Arenado unloaded on a changeup Saturday night for his first homer of the season and the 300th of his career.