Result: Blue Jays 3, Cardinals 2
Weather: 65 degrees, partly cloudy
By Rob Rains
JUPITER, Fla. – Quinn Mathews gave the Cardinals a glimpse of the future on Tuesday, and it might not be that far away.
One of the top pitching prospects in the organization, Mathews made his first start of the spring as the Cardinals traveled to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays and turned in a very impressive outing.
Mathews worked a perfect first inning, including striking out Vladimir Guerrero Jr., then retired the first two batters in the second before allowing back-to-back singles and a walk that loaded the bases.
He got out of the jam and stranded the runners with his third strikeout. Mathews threw 33 pitches, 24 of them for strikes.
Mathews, named the minor-league pitcher of the year for 2024 by Baseball America, is expected to begin this season in the Triple A rotation at Memphis, but an opening in the Cardinals’ rotation could change those plans.
Here is how Tuesday’s game broke down:
High: Victor Scott II led off the game with a triple off Max Scherzer, then later hit his first home run of the spring.
Low: Scott’s two hits were the only ones in the game for the Cardinals as the rest of the lineup combined to go 0-of-24.
At the plate: Following his triple, Scott scored on a sacrifice fly by Alec Burleson … The only other baserunners for the Cardinals came on three walks, including one to top prospect J.J. Wetherholt, who drew the walk on a 3-2 pitch after starting the count 0-2. He then stole second but was left on base … The Cardinals had only one at-bat with a runner in scoring position.
On the mound: Following Mathews to the mound was Cooper Hjerpe, who gave up three hits and a walk and the first Toronto run … The Blue Jays also tied the game with a run off Max Rajcic and took the lead against Ian Bedell, who walked two before giving up the hit that put Toronto ahead in the sixth.’
Worth noting: With the Cardinals still evaluating how they going to line up their outfield defensively in left and right, Scott started the game in left field and Lars Nootbaar played center. The Cardinals intend to give Nootbaar reps in center during the spring in case he becomes the starter there during the regular season … This was the Cardinals’ first game in Dunedin since March 1, 1997, the last spring they trained in St. Petersburg.
Up next: The Cardinals will stay on Florida’s west coast to play the Yankees on Wednesday in Tampa. Michael McGreevy is the scheduled starter and Tink Hence, another of the team’s top prospects, will follow in relief in his first appearance of the spring.
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