The Mets played the St. Louis Cardinals on Saturday evening as they play the penultimate game of their spring training slate.
Here are the takeaways…
– Taylor Megilllooking to grab a spot in the rotation, got the start against a Cardinals split-squad lineup with few big leaguers and ran into trouble in the first allowing a leadoff hit and a bunt base hit before back-to-back one-out walks pushed across the game’s first run that led to a mound visit from the pitching coach Jeremy Hefner. Megill escaped with just one more run on a sacrifice to center on a sinking liner that wasn’t caught but ruled a catch anyway. (Still spring training for the umpires, too.)
The Mets’ starter struggled with his command, throwing 54 pitches through two innings. He settled in the third, getting a strikeout and a double-play ball to work around a leadoff walk, before retiring the side in order in the fourth and fifth
Megill came out for the sixth, but after walking the leadoff hitter was lifted for Jimmy Yacabonis. Megill’s final line: five innings (plus one batter), two hits, three runs, five walks and four strikeouts. He threw 90 pitches with 49 strikes.
– Brandon Nimmo made his return after being out a few days with knee and ankle sprains and nearly had a diving grab in the first center on the first. He looked to be running without issue. He went 0-for-3 at the plate.
– Starling Marte smashed a single to right in his second time up off the hard-throwing Jordan Hicks. He went 1-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
– Francisco Lindor hit a rocket up the middle in the fourth but Cards shortstop Masyn Winn made a diving stop to start a 6-3 double play. But Lindor snuck the ball just over the wall in right field on a 3-0 pitch to score Marte for his third home run of the spring to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 4-2 in the sixth. Lindor finished 1-for-3.
– Pete Alonso singled to lead off the second, his only hit in three times up.
– Jeff McNeil went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.
– Mark Canha squeaked a single past the third baseman for a hit in the fifth to go 1-for-3 with a strikeout.
– Daniel Voegelbach’s struggles at the plate continued with an 0-for-3 night including a strikeout looking and a four-pitch walk in the ninth.
– Eduardo Escobar, who will likely start as the Mets’ third baseman with Brett Baty not making the roster, went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
– Tomas Nido had a chance to get the Mets back in the game with two outs in the home half of the fifth but bounced out to third to strand runners at first and second. He finished 0-for-2 with a strikeout.
– Yacabonis allowed an inherited runner to score, allowing a double on the first pitch he threw. He finished with one earned run, one hit, two walks and two strikeouts in one inning of work.
– TJ McFarlandwho is looking to make the Mets’ bullpen, allowed two hits and hit a batter, but tossed a pair of scoreless innings with two strikeouts.
– A Michael Perez double in the eighth put runners on second and third with nobody out. And a Jonathan Arauz RBI ground out and double from Jose Peraza tied the score.
Highlights
What’s next
The Mets wrap up spring training by hosting their Opening Day opponents, the Miami Marlins, on Sunday at 4:10 pm on PIX11.