The bat of Nolan Arenado carried with it questions this offseason. He was hurt last year. He was leaving the hitter-friendly Coors Field. He was coming off some career lows in several major categories.

There were questions. But none from within the confines of the Cardinals’ clubhouse.

“To be honest -- and he even says it -- I don't think he's even gotten really going to the point that we all know he can, as far as getting on a real hot streak,” longtime friend and now teammate Matt Carpenter said on Sunday. “I think that's coming.”

It appears Carpenter was prophetic. Arenado has hit two homers since then, including another amid Tuesday’s 5-2 series-opening win over the Pirates at Busch Stadium, keeping his torrid month of May chugging along with a long ball in his fourth consecutive game. In doing so, Arenado became the first St. Louis third baseman to homer in four straight games since Scott Rolen did so in 2002.

It’s Arenado’s longest streak since June 2018, and he leads the NL in homers and several other offensive categories for the month of May.

Buy tickets to see the Cardinals these days, good chance you'll see Arenado homer -- or, at the very least, rake.

“I think that should be a new policy,” laughed manager Mike Shildt.

“I thank God that it’s working out right now and the ball is going out of the ballpark,” Arenado said on the field after the win. “I’m putting good swings on balls and staying inside the ball really well right now. I’m not shaking and I’m not dipping; when they make a mistake, I’m taking advantage.”

Arenado's latest homer -- a two-run shot in the first inning -- provided support for right-hander John Gant, who turned in one of his most positive outings of the season -- and a much-needed steadying one. Owning the highest walk rate (minimum 30 innings) in the Majors entering Tuesday at 17.4%, Gant handed out just one free pass against Pittsburgh, fresh off a series in which Cardinals pitchers walked 26 batters in 24 innings against San Diego.

Truth be told, Gant might have had some tosses left in the tank, but he was pulled after a comebacker hit him in the left (non-throwing) wrist before he regrouped to throw out the lead runner at third. Gant expressed a clean bill of health, but Shildt cited concerns over letting Gant handle going through the lineup a third time in electing to turn to a rested bullpen.

It wasn’t enough to take away from one of Gant’s most encouraging outings of the year.

“It's clearly important for him, it's important for us,” Shildt said. “The best word I could use for Johnny and the other guys is probably just control. It’s control what they were doing, not trying to do too much, just letting their pitches work, looking to execute pitch focus, and it was an outstanding, quality result.”

But Gant -- like most Cardinals pitchers in May -- operated under the safety of a lead, thanks to Arenado.

It’s been no secret what Arenado has changed about the Cardinals’ makeup. On defense, he’s allowed Paul DeJong -- or on Tuesday night, Edmundo Sosa, who had his first career RBI -- to play with more comfort and leeway at shortstop. In the clubhouse, Arenado’s “moved our needle,” Shildt has said -- and reiterated again on Tuesday -- in terms of mindset and competitive mentality.

But now St. Louis is getting a full look at Arenado's bat in full form -- and as a Cardinal.

“I mention the word residual benefit,” Shildt added. “You know, the value of him is exponential beyond what just he does. He makes other people around him better, creates more opportunities for guys, and clearly, he's talented.”

Arenado has long preached the wonky left shoulder from 2020 ailed him more in the batter’s box than in the field. But that was only one piece of the concern entering this campaign.

The “Coors Effect,” though, has been disproven. Arenado is hitting better away from home than he ever has in years past. In fact, he has identical splits in homers (five at home, five away) and RBIs (15 at each) so far this year.

“Just the kind of player he is, the approach he has, his skillset, the way he competes -- I mean, it’s going to play everywhere,” Carpenter said. “I've looked at his splits; really, he's always hit well on the road. And he's going to continue that.”