Postcard from Cardinals camp for Wednesday, March 20, 2024
Result: Cardinals 13, Nationals 4
Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
By Rob Rains
JUPITER, Fla. – The three prime contenders for two starting spots in the Cardinals’ opening day outfield all found themselves in the lineup together for Wednesday night’s game against the Nationals.
With Tommy Edman and Lars Nootbaar likely both heading to the injured list to start the season, the Cardinals will need to pick a center fielder and left fielder to join Jordan Walker, who will get the start in right, for the March 28 opener in Los Angeles.
On Wednesday night, Carlson got the start in right field while Victor Scott II started in center and Alec Burleson started in left.
Carlson had the biggest hit of the trio, launching a grand slam in a seven-run fourth inning that sent the Cardinals to the victory in the game in West Palm Beach.
In his last three games Carlson, who also singled on Wednesday night, has two homers and two doubles and is 5-of-11 with nine RBIs.
Scott’s highlight came on defense, where he went over the wall to rob C.J. Abrams of a home run in the fifth inning.
Scott was hitless in four at-bats, but did draw a walk before Carlson’s grand slam. Burleson had two hits, a single and a double in his three at-bats, raising his spring average to .375.
Scott’s spring average fell to .316 while Carlson, with his hot streak, has raised his average to .273.
Here is how Wednesday night’s game broke down:
High: This was the second day in a row the Cardinals scored seven runs in an inning, having also done so in the second inning of Tuesday’s day game.
Low: While Matz lowered his spring ERA to 9.00, the combined ERA of three of the team’s starters – Matz, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn – is now 8.59, having allowed 28 runs in 29 1/3 innings.
At the plate: Carlson now leads the team with three home runs this spring … Jose Fermin also homered, his second of the spring, and was 2-of-3 with two RBIs … Matt Carpenter had a double and a single, driving in a run, as he raised his spring average to .409 … Cesar Prieto had three hits and drove in three runs, continuing his big spring, raising his average to .429 … Alfonso Rivas also drove in two runs with a double in the Cardinals’ 15-hit attack.
On the mound: Steven Matz allowed three runs on six hits in his four innings of work, including a two-run homer. He hit a batter, didn’t walk anybody and struck out three … Ryan Helsley and Giovanny Gallegos each worked a scoreless inning.
Worth noting: Instead of throwing live batting practice on Thursday, Sonny Gray will pitch in a minor-league game on the back fields of the Cardinals’ complex on Friday. “In talking to Sonny he just knows his body, he knows what he needs, he’s been here before,” said manager Oli Marmol. “We’re going to make sure we are all on the same page.” How Gray comes out of that outing will determine the next steps in his recovery from a hamstring strain, but the Cardinals are still hoping to avoid having to place him on the injured list … Marmol said the Cardinals intend to have their 26-man roster for opening day set before they break camp on Sunday night and head to Arizona for two final pre-season games against the Cubs. They will still take extra players for those games, Marmol said … The Triple A season will open for Memphis on Friday, a day after the Cardinals’ opener.
Up next: Zack Thompson will get the start on Thursday when the Cardinals host the Astros in Jupiter.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
