MESA, Ariz. 鈥 The results he got in his final start of spring training explain why veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson spent the past few weeks chasing a sharper shape and peppier spin for his slider.
It left hitters chasing, too 鈥 all afternoon.
Gibson struck out nine Cubs in five innings Tuesday at Sloan Park, and eight of those strikeouts came on the slider. Less than a week after he struggled with the timing of his delivery and what it was doing to slow and dip his slider, Gibson was able to sync both his mechanics and the breaking ball. The result was more velocity on the pitch, less downward break and more of the sweeper he adopted with such success last year. He slashed three runs off his spring ERA and ended the exhibition schedule as the Cardinals leader with 16 strikeouts in 15 innings.
鈥淭o think there are going to be games when I can go out there and get seven to nine strikeouts on my slider 鈥 I don鈥檛 know,鈥 Gibson said. 鈥淎t some point, I鈥檓 going to have to use something else to get a strikeout. Hitters are smart. That third time through, they鈥檙e just not going to let you do it.鈥
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On their two-day stopover in the Cactus League on the way to their opener at Dodger Stadium, the Cardinals swept the rival Cubs. Gibson鈥檚 five innings meshed with a home run from Ivan Herrera, two hits from Alec Burleson and a steady drumbeat of offense in a 7-2 victory. Closer Ryan Helsley threw a scoreless ninth, and Masyn Winn had an on-the-run throw from shortstop for the final out of spring. The win brought the Cardinals鈥 record to 13-12-5.
Gibson will start the Cardinals鈥 fifth game of the season 鈥 the beginning of a three-game series in San Diego 鈥 and that put him on turn for the spring finale.
In Florida, Gibson allowed four home runs and 17 hits in 10 innings. He walked only one batter all spring to limit what could have been but throughout those starts felt like the slider misbehaved. He worked through the starts methodically to get it back.
鈥淓arly on in his outings, first couple of times out, (it鈥檚) 鈥業鈥檓 just working this side of the plate, not worried about results,鈥欌 manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淛ust really wanted to own this part of the plate. And the next outing: 鈥業 want to own this pitch on this side of the plate.鈥 And then putting it all together. It鈥檚 good for him to go out the way he did and feel good.鈥
The combination of his sinker and slider had Cubs reaching for the latter pitch throughout the game. He was able to get a strikeout with runners at the corners and one out that gave him an escape hatch to an inning. He noted how it helped the Cubs who knew him best only saw him once during the game. Most of the batters facing him were doing so for the first time, and that makes the sweeping slider 鈥 at its best 鈥 that much better and more difficult for a hitter.
In the past three years, Gibson has started throwing the sharper, tighter slider more often and playing it off the downward bite on his sinker. This past season, Gibson鈥檚 fastball averaged 92 mph, and the cutter/slider averaged 89.9 mph, up several ticks from his more dramatic, slower slider at 81.7 mph. It gives him a mix of pitches for strikeouts when he gets in position to like he did Tuesday 鈥 with two strikes before he gets the out.
鈥淔or me, chasing strikeouts can just add pitches,鈥 Gibson said. 鈥淣ot that I don鈥檛 have the stuff to get strikeouts. I do. How you get to two strikes really does matter for a pitcher like me. ... That is how I want to feel moving down the mound; that is how I want to feel with my slider coming out of my hand. The results 鈥 I feel like if those two things are there, the results are going to be what they鈥檙e going to be.鈥
Fernandez finalizes bullpen
Before leaving for the airport Tuesday afternoon, the Cardinals made the final call on the last spot open for their active roster. Ryan Fernandez, the Rule 5 pick who a few months ago was unsure where he fit with Boston, had earned a spot in the opening day bullpen and will be one of the right-handed options.
Fernandez, 25, allowed nine hits in 9鈪 innings this spring and struck out six. His slider is one of the sharpest in the clubhouse for a reliever, and the Cardinals believe if he can command his fastball as he did this spring, the breaking ball becomes a strikeout pitch.
As a Rule 5 pick, Fernandez must be kept on the Cardinals鈥 active roster or major league injured list or passed back through waivers and then ultimately returned to the Red Sox. The Cardinals signaled their selection by optioning lefty John King to Class AAA Memphis. King, who had been dealing with an illness, pitched on the back fields of the Cardinals spring training complex Sunday to show his health before the Cardinals made the call.
The Cardinals also optioned catcher Pedro Pages and infielder Thomas Saggese to Triple-A Memphis. In his first spring with the Cardinals, Saggese, who came with King from Texas in a trade-deadline deal, impressed with his knack for hitting and eye for the strike zone. The reigning Texas League MVP batted .300 with a .364 on-base percentage this spring.
Cardinals make final cuts, IL moves
The Cardinals placed six players on the injured list Tuesday, all of them backdated the maximum possible of three days. The six players were all previously advertised as bound to start the year on the IL, though lefty Drew Rom (biceps tendinitis) had made strides in the past week toward possibly being ready to open the season with Class AAA Memphis. Rom joined pitchers Sonny Gray (hamstring strain) and Keynan Middleton (flexor strain) on the 15-day IL. Outfielders Lars Nootbaar (fractured rib), Tommy Edman (wrist surgery) and Dylan Carlson (shoulder sprain) were placed on the 10-day IL, which is available to position players.
Gray is set to throw in a minor league game in Jupiter, Florida, on Thursday, and based on how that goes and how he recovers, his next outing could be at Triple-A Memphis.
Extra bases
Brandon Crawford (bruised hand) started Tuesday鈥檚 spring finale and got the ground balls he wanted and the check-swing test of his hand that he needed. Crawford felt good on both sides of the ball after going 0 for 3. Signed during camp, the veteran Gold Glove Award-winning shortstop was limited in playing time but felt he got the work needed Tuesday to be ready for opening day. ... After spending most of spring in the cleanup spot, Nolan Arenado hit No. 3 on Tuesday. Marmol wanted to see what the lineup looked like with Paul Goldschmidt and Arenado back to back against a lefty like the Cubs鈥 Shota Imanaga. ... Goldschmidt doubled in his first and only at-bat Tuesday. He was scheduled to get one or two at-bats and play three innings at most. The double was Goldschmidt鈥檚 fourth extra-base hit of spring, but overall, he went 6 for 47 (.128) with 20 strikeouts. ... Burleson鈥檚 two hits Tuesday put his spring batting average at a team-high .375. The challenger to Burleson for early-season at-bats at DH, Matt Carpenter, hit .346 with a 1.073 OPS and a .654 slugging percentage in his return spring to Cardinals.