The St. Louis Cardinals earned a 4-1 victory over the Houston Astros at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Wednesday in spring training action. Ramon Mendoza paced the offense, going 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Kyle Leahy turned in a solid outing, working 5.0 innings of scoreless ball with six strikeouts. The Cardinals finished with 6 hits on the day while holding the Astros to 5. The victory gives the Cardinals positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Ramon Mendoza was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Cardinals confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Tai Peete added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, Brody Moore provided support, going 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Thomas Saggese also contributed, going 1-for-3. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Jose Altuve led the Astros offense with a 1-for-3 day. Isaac Paredes also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a double. Tommy Sacco Jr. added a 1-for-2 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Cardinals pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Kyle Leahy got the start, delivering a strong performance, working 5.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 3 hits with six strikeouts. He threw 75 pitches in the outing. It was exactly the kind of outing the Cardinals need from their pitching staff heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.0 innings of work, allowing 1 earned run while striking out three. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, JoJo Romero stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Cardinals struck first, plating a run in the third inning. Astros responded with a run in the sixth. The Cardinals countered with three runs in the eighth. The Cardinals out-hit Astros 6-5 on the day, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,893 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Cardinals can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
