When: 1:05 pm Saturday.
Where: Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida.
TV: None.
Radio: None (other radio affiliates).
⋅ BOX SCORE
Probable starting pitchers: Tigers LHP Matthew Boyd (2-0, 2.00 ERA this spring) vs. Cardinals LHP Matthew Liberatore (1-0, 1.80)..
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Tigers lineup: TBA.
Game notes: The Tigers head south to Jupiter to take on the defending NL Central champs. It’s tempting to wonder, “What if?” after their end to last season; the Cards actually had a 2-0 lead entering the ninth inning of their division series Game 1 against the Philadelphia Phillies. But they imploded with six runs allowed in the top of the inning, then dropped Game 2 of the best-of-three series, 2-0, and the Phillies’ NL pennant run was on.
These aren’t your father’s Cardinals (or your grandfather’s, depending on your age), though. Gone are franchise legends Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols; the duo finally retired after last season. Gone, too, at least for a couple more days, are stars Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Tommy Edman, Tyler O’Neill and Lars Nootbar, due to their various World Baseball Classic duties. (OK, maybe we’re stretching “stars” here, but still, the Cards have a LOT of players out of camp.)
The next big thing in ‘the Loo’ appears to be second baseman (another term we’re using lightly considering his fielding metrics) Nolan Gorman. The now-23-year-old struggled to a .226/.300/.420 slash line in 89 games last season, just four years after being drafted in the first round out of high school. He seems much more comfortable this spring, hitting .290 with two homers, 12 strikeouts and five walks in 36 plate appearances over 12 games for the Cards.
The Tigers will send Matthew Boyd to the mound; the left-hander’s second stint is starting much better (and healthier) than his first one ended. Boyd was downright dominant in his last outing, holding the Twins to just one hit and one walk while striking out six over four innings on Sunday. Will it last? There’s a long way — 12 days or so — until Opening Day.
The Tigers continue their weekend jaunt with a visit to the Washington Nationals — one of the few teams worse than they were last season, and that’s pretty bad indeed — in West Palm Beach on Sunday before returning home to face the Blue Jays on Monday on Bally Sports Detroit. The Cardinals, meanwhile, visit Port St. Lucie to take on the Mets on Sunday.
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers game score at St. Louis Cardinals in spring training