The second series of the season brought in the St. Louis Cardinals to loanDepot Park to face the Marlins. I was definitely excited for the Cardinals vs Marlins matchup as it gave me an opportunity to see Nolan Arenado with his new team as well as photography Yadier Molina for the first time. I think the biggest gift the Cardinals vs Marlins series gave me and others was that the roof was finally open for all three games at loanDepot Park.
Why was the roof being open such a big to me? Well its because since I want to say May of 2019 it has been closed for every game. I feel like when the roof is open loanDepot Park has a different feel and dynamic. It’s not so dull and drab like when the roof is closed. You get the breeze and the night sky as well as some more ambient lighting from the nearby buildings etc.
Like the opening series against the Tampa Bay Rays, I was still shooting in the stands for the Cardinals vs Marlins matchup. We were able to move closer during batting practice down to the first row, but once the game started we had to head back to the first level concourse. As I mentioned in a prior post, shooting through the net is frustrating, but it is what it is.
I’m a fan of Nolan Arenado because his defense at third base is almost wizard like and I’m not talking about Ozzie Smith or Harry Potter. He’s very disciplined and he has a routine during warmups and bp. Just look at all his Gold Gloves and highlights of him making spectacular play after spectacular play.
When the Cardinals were in Miami last in 2019, Yadier Molina was injured so he never played. The only shot I have of him was from last Spring Training when players reported to camp. Luckily for me this series was different. I had plenty of opportunities to photograph him. For his age, he still has pop in his bat and he still has that defensive prowess behind the plate.
In the two series I’ve photographed so far this season I’ve noticed that the Marlins have two really talented pitchers in Sandy Alcantara and Pablo Lopez. They rarely give up runs and they have a superb strikeout to walk ration. The problem I’ve noticed is that the days they pitch the Marlins’ bats go silent or the bullpen blows the lead and win for them. I love when those two get to pitch on the days I’m there.
Here are some of my favorite photos from the Cardinals vs Marlins series. There might be some Yadier Molina fanboying going on; so you’ve been warned. Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram for more photos from this series as well as the rest of the 2021 season.
