ST. LOUIS – The Cardinals were able to manufacture three early runs off of Astros starter Collin McHugh to earn a 1-run victory on Monday at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches.
Three straight hits in the top half of the first inning provided the Cardinals with the early 1-run advantage before the Astros responded with two runs in the bottom of the first on RBIs from Carlos Beltran and Brian McCann.
Kolten Wong, amidst recent attention regarding questions on playing time for St. Louis in 2017, helped his cause in the second inning. Wong’s RBI triple tied the game at two before Carlos Martinez helped out his own cause with an RBI single, the third and deciding run in the ballgame.
Martinez, who has already been scheduled as the starting pitcher on Opening Day of the 2017 regular season against the Chicago Cubs, made his final adjustments to the tune of five innings and three hits allowed.
Following a phenomenal showing in his final spring stint, and on the heels of a brilliant showing in the 2017 World Baseball Classic for the Dominican Republic, the right-hander feels he’s locked in.
“I went through all the preparations I needed to in preparation for Opening Day. I’m going to be ready,” Martinez assured Brian McTaggart of MLB.com.
Up Next:
St. Louis will travel to First Data Field in Port St. Lucie, FL on Tuesday afternoon to take on the New York Mets for the final time this spring (12:10 pm CT). Adam Wainwright is the scheduled starter.
