WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.聽鈥 The Cardinals leave Florida having gone 11-12-5 in spring training games one year after they won the Grapefruit League championship.
Of course, that spring training title run led into one of the worst regular seasons in recent history. So an under .500 spring training record might prove a better omen for the season.
Cardinals veteran pitcher Lance Lynn allowed six runs on seven hits and two walks in 4 1/3 innings against the Houston Astros in a 9-4 loss at CACTI Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.聽
Lynn struck out five, and he threw 86 pitches (53 strikes). Three of the runs against Lynn came in a four-run fourth inning, after the Astros had already built a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Lynn gave up a leadoff double to Shay Whitcomb, uncorked a wild pitch, gave up an RBI single to Mauricio Dubon and a single to Victor Caratini. Lynn exited the game in favor of relief pitcher Chris Roycroft, who walked Joey Loperfido to loaded the bases.
People are also reading…
The next batter, Corey Julks, grounded out to third base and drove in the lead runner from third base. Jon Singleton whacked a two-run single to round out the scoring in the inning. Only the final run of the inning went on Roycroft鈥檚 tab.
Lynn re-entered the game and retired the side in the fifth on a pop-up to second base and back-to-back strikeouts swinging.
The Cardinals trailed by nine runs after six innings, but their offense temporarily jump started in the seventh inning when they scored four runs in an inning that started with consecutive walks by Pedro Pages, Nathan Church and Michael Siani.
Jacob Buchberger drove in a run with a single, and R.J. Yeager added to that total with a two-run double. The fourth run came courtesy of Jose Fermin鈥檚 sacrifice fly.
Yeager went 2 for 3 with two RBIs. He had the only multi-hit game for the Cardinals. Most of the Cardinals starting position players exited the game after two at-bats and four to five innings. Nolan Gorman went 1 for 2 with a double, and Ivan Herrera also went 1 for 2.
From earlier 鈥
Cardinals set to wrap-up Florida portion of camp, latest on Brandon Crawford, Sonny Gray
Cardinals veteran right-hander Lance Lynn will pitch his final spring training tune-up before the regular season begins in the club鈥檚 final exhibition game of the Florida portion of their camp on Sunday.
Lynn, who will also start the Cardinals鈥 regular season home opener at Busch Stadium on April 4, starts against the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. The Cardinals will travel to Arizona after the game, where they鈥檒l play a pair of exhibition games against the Chicago Cubs on Monday and Tuesday. Left-hander Steven Matz (Monday) and right-hander Kyle Gibson (Tuesday) are scheduled to start the final two exhibition games.
The Cardinals begin the regular season on Thursday against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles.
鈥淲e really like where we鈥檙e at as a club,鈥 Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said prior to Sunday鈥檚 game. 鈥淲e set out to do several things in this camp, and I feel like we were able to accomplish all of them. The team. The overall feel. The confidence in the group. The comradery in that clubhouse is where we need it to be. The attention to detail all camp has been really, really good.鈥
Cardinals left-handed reliever John King remains unavailable due to a stomach bug, and he will not travel with the team after the game. King, acquired last summer from the Texas Rangers in the deal that sent pitchers Jordan Montgomery and Chris Stratton to Rangers, entered the weekend among the relievers competing for the final bullpen roster spots.
Marmol said that shortstop Brandon Crawford, who hasn鈥檛 played since getting hit on the hand/wrist by a 95.5-mph pitch on March 17, took swings on Saturday and was going to hit on the field on Sunday.
Crawford got a late start to spring training because he didn鈥檛 sign a contract until Feb. 27, and he joined the Cardinals with camp already underway. Crawford has been day-to-day since he was hit by the pitch, but Marmol said on Saturday that Crawford is expected to be with the club when they open the regular season.
Outfielder Lar Nootbaar took swings (off of a tee and front toss) on Saturday, the first time he has swung a bat since suffering fractured ribs. Nootbaar will remain in Florida as the team travels to Arizona and on to the West Coast. Center fielder Tommy Edman (wrist), relief pitcher Keynan Middleton (forearm) and starting pitcher Sonny Gray (recovery from hamstring strain) will all also remain in Florida.
Gray threw three innings in a live batting practice session on Saturday after a minor-league game got rained out for a second consecutive day. He's scheduled to pitch in a minor-league game in Florida on Thursday, March 28.
Here鈥檚 today鈥檚 lineup against the Astros
1. Brendan Donovan, 3B
2. Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
3. Nolan Gorman, 2B
4. Nolan Arenado, DH
5. Alec Burleson, LF
6. Ivan Herrera, C
7. Jordan Walker, RF
8. Michael Siani, CF
9. Masyn Winn, SS
Pitcher: Lance Lynn (RHP). Also listed as available in relief: RHP Ryan Helsley, RHP Andre Pallante, RHP Giovanny Gallegos, RHP Ryan Fernandez, RHP Dionys Rodriguez, RHP Matt Svanson, RHP Chris Roycroft, RHP Edwin Nunez, RHP Andrew Marrero, RHP Brandon Komar, HRP Wilfredo Pereira, RHP Luis Gastelum.
The Cardinals put an end to the center field battle between Dylan Carlson and Victor Scott II on Saturday.聽
鈥淢aybe,鈥 the Cardinals veteran said Saturday, 鈥渋t was one of those things where baseball knew I was going to come back eventually."
Right-hander, who signed a three-year, $75-million deal this winter, said it was 'far-fetched' to leap from Saturday's minor-league game into majors, so an alternate plan was plotted.
Similarities are starting to surface (rotation injuries, outfield questions), and Cardinals must change to avoid last year's problems