The St. Louis Cardinals earned a 3-2 victory over the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Monday in spring training action. Yohel Pozo paced the offense, going 1-for-2 with an RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Andre Pallante turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 1-run ball with two strikeouts. The Marlins out-hit the Cardinals 6-5 on the day. The Cardinals will take confidence from a well-rounded effort on both sides of the ball. Spring training is about building toward the regular season, and this was a step in the right direction.
Key Performers
Yohel Pozo was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. His consistent contact set the tone for the lineup. The Cardinals will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Colton Ledbetter added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, Ramon Mendoza provided support, going 1-for-2 with a double, and Nelson Velázquez also contributed, going 1-for-3. Multiple contributors at the plate made life difficult for the opposing pitching staff.
On the other side of the diamond, Kemp Alderman led the Marlins offense with a 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI day. Jesús Bastidas also contributed, going 1-for-3 with an RBI. Brendan Jones added a 1-for-1 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Cardinals pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Andre Pallante got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 3 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 38 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 6.0 innings of work, allowing 1 earned run while striking out three. The Cardinals continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Bruce Zimmermann stood out with 2.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out one. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Marlins got on the board first with a run in the second inning. Marlins tacked on a run in the fourth. The Cardinals countered with two runs in the seventh. The Cardinals plated a run in the ninth. Marlins out-hit the Cardinals 6-5, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 3,899 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
The Cardinals will look to build on this positive performance as spring training winds down. With the regular season rapidly approaching, outings like this one provide confidence and continuity for a roster that is rounding into form. Every remaining exhibition game is another chance to sharpen the details before the games start counting for real.
