The St. Louis Cardinals fell 3-1 to the Washington Nationals at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches on Wednesday in spring training play. Despite Nolan Gorman's 1-for-3 with an RBI effort at the plate, the Cardinals could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Dustin May turned in a solid outing, working 3.2 innings of 1-run ball with three strikeouts. The Nationals out-hit the Cardinals 8-5 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
Nolan Gorman was the top performer at the plate, going 1-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.
Jordan Walker provided support, going 1-for-3, Andy Yerzy also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a double, and Nathan Church chipped in, going 1-for-2. Despite the individual efforts, the offense could not generate enough sustained production.
On the other side of the diamond, Daylen Lile led the Nationals offense with a 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI day. Abimelec Ortiz also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI. Trey Lipscomb added a 1-for-1 with an RBI effort as well. The Nationals offense proved to be too much for the Cardinals pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Dustin May got the start, grinding through his innings, working 3.2 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 61 pitches in the outing. His outing provided the coaching staff with another data point as rotation and bullpen decisions loom.
The bullpen combined for 4.1 innings of work, allowing 2 earned runs while striking out four. 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. Orlando Ribalta recorded the save to close out the game.
How It Happened
Nationals got on the board first with a run in the first inning. The Cardinals countered with a run in the sixth. Nationals struck back with two runs in the eighth. Nationals out-hit the Cardinals 8-5, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 2,749 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.
