JUPITER, Fla. — Weather: 71 degrees, partly cloudy
Result: Marlins 7, Cardinals 2
With a week to go in spring training, the Cardinals know who two of their three starting outfielders will be when the regular season begins on April 1 in Cincinnati.
The question is who will join Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson.
The favorite for the job is still the same as it was when the camp in Jupiter opened, Harrison Bader, but his 0-of-3 day on Monday dropped his spring average to .107 with just three hits in 28 at-bats.
“The pressure is always on,” Bader said. “It’s just a matter if you are the one applying it or the one feeling it or receiving it… I always want to be applying pressure, continuing to compete non-stop.”
Part of the reasons why Bader is still the favorite to begin the year as the starter in center field is Lane Thomas has not had a great camp either (6-of-25) and the Cardinals are still not sure if they are going to keep four or five outfielders, depending if they have a four or five-man bench.
Manager Mike Shildt said Monday that the team likely will give Carlson some playing time in center field in the last few days of the spring, and possibly O’Neill, as they try to sort out both the starting group and the reserves.
Also in the mix for bench spots are Austin Dean, who started in left field on Monday and was 0-of-3, but still has a .296 spring average, and Justin Williams, who has hit .231, but has the advantage of being the only left-handed hitter among the reserve outfielders.
“We’re in daily competition,” Shildt said. “There’s going to be some tough decisions for sure.”
Here’s how Monday’s game broke down:
High: Carlson hit his second home run in as many game and also drove in the other Cardinals run with a single.
Low: Giovanny Gallegos could not finish his scheduled inning of work as he allowed two hits and walked two, leading to three runs.
At the plate: Paul Goldschmidt joined Carlson with two hits, including a double … Matt Carpenter was 0-of-4 and struck out twice, dropping him to 1-of-29 for the spring, although he did have one hard-hit ball which was still turned into an out.
On the mound: Jack Flaherty pitched into the sixth inning in his next to last start before his start against the Reds on opening day. He could not pitch around two errors, one of which he committed, as the Marlins scored four runs in the fifth … Tyler Webb struck out three in 1 2/3 perfect innings.
Worth noting: Shildt announced that Adam Wainwright will get the start behind Flaherty for the second game of the season in Cincinnati, which lines him up to start the home opener on April 8 against Milwaukee … Kwang Hyun Kim pitched two innings in a simulated game on Monday. Shildt said assuming Kim recovers normally, he likely will make an appearance in a regular game later this week and the Cardinals will then have to make a decision about his readiness to be in the starting rotation when the season begins.
Up next: Wainwright will get the start on Tuesday against the Nationals.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains