JUPITER, Fla. — Cardinals Spring Training 2021 got off to a start you'll only see in a spring training. The Cardinals and National played to a 4-4 tie on Sunday afternoon at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter.
The Cardinals jumped on top first thanks to a wild pitch with the bases loaded and Nolan Arenado at the plate in the bottom of the first inning.
The Nationals scored the next three runs off St. Louis starter Jack Flaherty to go up 3-1.
A Harrison Bader double in the second inning scored Tyler O'Neill to cut the lead to 3-2. The Nationals took back a two-run advantage with double of their own in the seventh inning.
But in the bottom of the ninth, catcher Ivan Herrera sent a grounder to shortstop that Jackson Cuff couldn't handle, scoring Austin Dean and Max Moroff to tie the game at four. And since it's spring training, that's how the game ended.
Flaherty went just one inning, giving up three earned runs and striking out one. Tommy Parsons, John Gant, Roel Ramirez, Alex Reyes, Connor Jones and Giovanny Gallegos all put up scoreless innings in relief. Genesis Cabrera walked two and allowed an earned run in the seventh inning.
On offense, Nolan Arenado went 0-2 with a strikeout in his Cardinals debut. Tommy Edman, Max Moroff, Yadier Molina,Tyler O'Neill, Austin Dean, Dylan Carlson, Harrison Bader and Lane Thomas all had hits in the game, with Bader netting the lone RBI.
The Cardinals are back in action on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.