JUPITER, Fla. — It wasn’t the two clean 1-2-3 innings that Sonny Gray would have preferred, but overall he was happy with his first game in a Cardinals’ uniform.
“Physically I felt good,” Gray said. “The ball was jumping out of my hand. I was just fighting myself a little bit.”
Gray, the Cardinals’ big off-season acquisition, pitched two scoreless innings against the Red Sox on Tuesday but had to pitch around two hits and two walks, getting a pickoff at second base to get out of one jam. He also recorded two strikeouts.
“I wasn’t as sharp and as clean as I would have liked to have been but it was fun to get out there, it was fun to put on the uniform. I enjoyed it,” Gray said.
The Cardinals also made it official on Tuesday that Gray will be the team’s starter for the first game of the regular season on March 28 in Los Angeles.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” Gray said. “I don’t take that lightly at all. I’ve been fortunate enough to do it a few times in my career and enjoyed every single one of them. I appreciate the opportunity and what that shows.”
Manager Oli Marmol said the Cardinals have been pleased with what they have seen from Gray so far this spring.
“I think we nailed it when it came to bringing this guy in,” Marmol said. “Sonny has done a phenomenal job not only in what he says but how he goes about it. It’s a great example for everybody else. It’s contagious … This is what we thought and what we hoped we were getting.”
Here is how Tuesday’s game broke down:
High: Luken Baker had two hits and drove in a run.
Low: John King allowed two runs on three hits and two walks in his one inning of relief.
At the plate: The Cardinals tied the game in the bottom of the ninth on a bases-loaded walk … Willson Contreras contributed an RBI double … Jordan Walker struck out in both of his at-bats and is now hitless in seven at-bats this spring.
On the mound: After Gray’s two innings, Keynan Middleton also made his Cardinals debut, working a scoreless inning … The other Boston run was an unearned run scored off Nick Robertson … Ryan Fernandez struck out three batters in his inning of relief, also issuing one walk.
Worth noting: The Cardinals made the signing of Brandon Crawford official and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by designating Buddy Kennedy for assignment … The Cardinals have not hit a home run in their first five spring games in a total of 174 at-bats. They are the only team yet to hit at least one home run.
Up next: The Cardinals will be back on the road on Wednesday to play the Mets in Port St. Lucie. Miles Mikolas will make his first start of the spring.
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