Cardinals Show Hyped Cubs They're Still Class of NL Central on Opening Night

If divisions were won on offseason hype, the Chicago Cubs would have been crowned on Opening Day. But the real proof comes between the lines, and on Sunday night at Wrigley Field, the St. Louis Cardinals reminded everyone why they're still the team to beat in the National League Central.

Before the first pitch was thrown, the top story was the Cubs debut of Jon Lester, Chicago's big offseason prize. Yet it was Lester's counterpart, longtime Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, who made the loudest statement.

Lester lasted just 4.1 innings, yielding three runs on eight hits. Even worse, the southpaw surrendered six hits in 11 at-bats plus a walk to the Cardinals' left-handed hitters. It's worth wondering if the "dead arm" that dogged him in spring training is still an issue. 

Wainwright, meanwhile, blanked the Cubs for six frames, striking out six and walking none. He did allow the leadoff man to reach four times, but wriggled out of every jam.

Three Cardinals relievers—Carlos Martinez, Jordan Walden and Trevor Rosenthal—put up zeroes of their own to nail down the shutout.

While the Cubs' bats went quiet, the Cardinals got a boost from right fielder Jason Heyward.

Making his Cardinals debut after coming over in a trade from the Atlanta Braves, Heyward went 3-for-5 with a pair of doubles and a run scored. That set up left fielder Matt Holliday, who hit behind Heyward and collected a pair of RBI.

Add a two-out, run-scoring single by Matt Carpenter and you've got a clean 3-0 win for the defending division champs.

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

It's one game out of 162, mind you. These old rivals will meet again on Tuesday and 18 more times before it's all said and done.

Cubs president Theo Epstein made the case for why Opening Day is important, but often over-scrutinized, per MLB.com's Jenifer Langosch and Carrie Muskat:

"

It's tradition, it's a holiday, it's a celebration, it's special for everyone in baseball whether you're a casual fan, a diehard fan, you work in the game, but it does have this sort of exaggerated effect. People extrapolate these conclusions from one game. I really enjoy Game 2. You can get into a good rhythm. To me, one of the best parts about baseball is the rhythm of the game, the daily routine, knowing there's a game tomorrow, the next day and the next day.

"

Fair enough. On Easter Sunday, though, the Cards found all the eggs.

They got the timely hits, while the Cubs went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Their pitching was sterling, while the Cubs' arms faltered. They played clean defense, while the Cubs committed two errors.

Maybe a letdown was inevitable for Chicago, which has been under the microscope since the 2014 campaign concluded.

Nam Y. Huh/Associated Press

First, there were the splashy offseason moves—luring manager Joe Maddon away from the Tampa Bay Rays, the Lester signing, the trade for veteran catcher Miguel Montero—that signaled Epstein was pushing in his chips.

Then came the spring training saga of super-prospect Kris Bryant, who bashed nine home runs in the Cactus League but was sent to Triple-A to work on his defense or to delay his service-time clock, depending on whose opinion you trust.

Gar Ryness, better known as Batting Stance Guy, had a bit of fun with the Bryant debate in the midst of Chicago's defeat:

Bottom line: The Cubs generated a lot of headlines during the offseason. All the while, the Cardinals sat in the shadows, content to reflect on their impressive run of four consecutive National League Championship Series appearances and to bide their time.

They're not the only contenders in a crowded NL Central; the Pittsburgh Pirates have made the playoffs each of the last two seasons, and the Milwaukee Brewers could sneak into the picture. This could be one of the best, most wide-open races in either league.

Until further notice, however, St. Louis is the class of the division. The Cubs have the hype, the Cards have the track record. And now, they have the first win to boot.