The St. Louis Cardinals fell 10-3 to the Houston Astros at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Monday in spring training play. Despite Nelson Velázquez's 2-for-3 with an RBI effort at the plate, the Cardinals could not overcome a sizable deficit. Richard Fitts worked 2.2 innings on the mound, allowing 4 earned runs on 6 hits. The Astros out-hit the Cardinals 14-5 on the day. The Cardinals will look to regroup as spring training rolls on. There is still time to work through the rough patches before the regular season arrives, and the coaching staff will use today's performance as a learning opportunity.
Key Performers
Nelson Velázquez was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-3 with an RBI. He put together quality at-bats throughout the game. It was the kind of day at the plate that suggests good things ahead for the Cardinals offense.
Nathan Church added to the attack, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, Luis Pino provided support, going 1-for-2, and Jordan Walker also contributed, going 1-for-4. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Joey Loperfido led the Astros offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run and three RBI day. Taylor Trammell also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a triple and two RBI. James Nelson added a 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Astros offense proved to be too much for the Cardinals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Richard Fitts took the loss after having a rough go of it, working 2.2 innings while allowing 4 earned runs on 6 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 63 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 3.7 innings of work, allowing 6 earned runs while striking out six. The relief corps kept the game within reach after the starter departed. Managing the bullpen workload is a key priority during the spring, and every outing helps the coaching staff gauge who is ready for high-leverage situations.
Among the relievers, Max Rajcic stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. The outing gave the coaching staff confidence in his ability to contribute this season.
How It Happened
The Cardinals struck first, plating two runs in the second inning. Astros responded with a run in the third. Astros pushed across four runs in the fourth. The Cardinals struck back with a run in the seventh. Astros answered with a run in the seventh. Astros tacked on four runs in the eighth. The Astros were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Astros out-hit the Cardinals 14-5, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 2,413 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals will regroup and get back to work in their next outing. While the final score was not in their favor, the exhibition season is about building toward the regular season, and this game provided useful reps for a roster still taking shape. The coaching staff will review the performance and make adjustments before the next time out.
