By Rob Rains
NEW YORK – It wasn’t a good opening day for Carlos Martinez and the Cardinals Thursday against the Mets in New York.
Struggling with his control, Martinez walked six, hit one — the leadoff batter in the first inning — and was charged with five runs in 4 1/3 innings in the 9-4 loss.
Martinez was pulled after 90 pitches in the shortest outing by a Cardinals starter since Donovan Osborne lasted only two innings in 1999. The six walks were the most by a starter on opening day since Bob Weiland also walked six in the 1938 opener.
The Mets broke the game open in the fifth inning, sending 10 hitters to the plate and scoring five times. Matt Bowman relieved Martinez and retired only one of the five hitters he faced, on a sacrifice bunt, allowing one runner he inherited from Martinez to score.
It was a better day for the other Martinez, Jose, who went 3-for-4, including a home run, and drove in two runs. He did also make a throwing error in the first inning which led to the Mets’ first run.
The best news of the day for the Cardinals came before the game, when it was reported they had reached agreement on a one-year deal with free-agent closer Greg Holland, pending a team physical. Holland, 32, had 41 saves for the Rockies last year, more than the combined career total (37) of the eight relievers the Cardinals had in their bullpen on Thursday.
It isn’t known when Holland will be ready to join the team, having missed all of spring training, and it could be hard for him to find a place to get into games in the next week. The Cardinals’ minor-league teams play their final spring games in Florida on Friday and the regular minor-league seasons do not begin until next Thursday.
Signing Holland, reportedly for $14 million, also will cost the Cardinals their second-round pick, the 59th overall, in the June amateur draft and the $1.1 million slot value that goes with that pick. The team will still have its top two picks, the 19th and 43rd overall selections.
Here is how Thursday’s game broke down:
At the plate: The Cardinals struck out 15 times, their highest total ever on opening day. They struck out 14 times in the 2016 opener. Tommy Pham and Marcell Ozuna each struck out three times … Yadier Molina hit a two-run homer in the second inning, the fourth opening day homer of his career. That ties Albert Pujols for the most career homers on opening day in team history … The top four hitters in the lineup were a combine 1-for-16, a double by Matt Carpenter in the fourth, and struck out eight times … The only baserunner after Martinez’s homer in the fifth came on a two-out walk to Molina in the ninth, the first walk by a Mets pitcher in the game … Yairo Munoz made his major-league debut as a pinch-hitter in the seventh and struck out.
On the mound: Martinez and the five relievers combined to walk nine Mets, the most by the team on opening day since a 10-walk game in 1984 … Brett Cecil also allowed an inherited runner to score in the fifth … Jordan Hicks made his major-league debut in the seventh, allowing a leadoff infield single before getting a double play and striking out Jay Bruce. At 21, Hicks became the youngest Cardinals pitcher to make his debut on opening day since 20-year-old Steve Carlton walked the only hitter he faced in a relief appearance in the 1965 opener.
Key stat: The Mets’ Noah Syndergaard struck out 10 in six innings, becoming the third pitcher in history to reach double digits against the Cardinals on opening day. John Candelaria also had 10 strikeouts in 1983 and Francisco Liriano did it two years ago, both while pitching for the Pirates.
Worth noting: After starting 1,038 career games in center field, Dexter Fowler made his first career start in right field and did not have a fielding chance in the game. He had played one inning in his career in right field, in 2008 when he was with the Rockies … The start was the 14th consecutive behind the plate in the season opener for Molina, the most consecutive opening day starts at the same position in franchise history. Stan Musial made 18 consecutive starts, but at different positions, and Lou Brock started 15 consecutive openers, the second coming as a right fielder … Molina was the only starter in the same position among the eight non-pitchers from last year’s opener.
Looking ahead: After Friday’s day off, Michael Wacha will get the start on Saturday in the second game of the series against the Mets’ Jacob deGrom.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains