Result: Marlins 7, Cardinals 6
Weather: 73 degrees, partly cloudy
By Rob Rains
JUPITER, Fla. – It was a tough way to begin the spring training schedule on Saturday for the Cardinals.
They built a 6-0 lead but then blew it as the Marlins scored five runs in the seventh inning and two in the eighth to defeat the Cardinals, who managed only three hits on offense.
The Cardinals had their own five-run inning in the sixth, which included two bases-loaded walks, to take the 6-0 lead before the rally by the Marlins.
Here is how Saturday’s game broke down:
High: Matthew Liberatore retired all six hitters he faced and Riley O’Brien struck out three after allowing a walk in his one inning of work.
Low: Bailey Horn retired only one of five hitters that he faced, allowing a hit and three walks, and all four runs scored in the Marlins’ seventh inning rally.
At the plate: The three hits for the Cardinals were a two-run single by non-roster infielder Jose Barrero that capped the five-run sixth, an RBI single by Matt Koperniak in that inning and a bloop single by Nolan Arenado in the fourth … Non-roster outfielders Bryan Torres and Nathan Church each drew a bases-loaded walk and the other RBI came on a sacrifice fly from Ivan Herrera.
On the mound: Erick Fedde got the start and allowed two infield singles in his only inning of work, the only hits the Cardinals pitching staff allowed until the seventh … In addition to the shutout innings from Liberatore and O’Brien, Ryan Fernandez and Chris Roycroft also worked a scoreless inning … Three of the runs charged to Horn scored on a bases-loaded double off Rob Kaminsky, brought up from the minor-league camp for the game … The final two runs for the Marlins in the eighth came against Matt Svanson, who pitched at Springfield last year.
Worth noting: As part of the renovations at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, the outfield walls have been moved in from 387 feet to 362 feet in left center; from 382 feet to 366 feet in right center and from 330 feet to 325 down the left field line. The bullpens also have been moved from down the foul lines to behind the outfield walls … This was the first game for the automatic ball-strike challenge system which is being tested in some parks this spring. Lars Nootbaar won the Cardinals’ first challenge when a strike call was overturned, leading to a walk. “It was my second at-bat of the spring so I was not very sure, but I thought it was a ball,” Nootbaar said. “It’s pretty cool to get rewarded for that.” The Cardinals also won a challenge from Fernandez when a pitch called a ball was changed to a strike … The first injury-related note of the spring concerns pitcher Drew Rom, who has paused his throwing program because of pain in his shoulder. He missed all of last season following surgery on his shoulder … Quinn Mathews and Michael McGreevy will be the starters on the road trip to the west coast of Florida on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Blue Jays and Yankees.
Up next: The Cardinals will play their first home game of the spring on Sunday, hosting the Astros. Miles Mikolas will get the start. The game will be televised by the Fan Duel Sports Network.
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