Weather: 78 degrees, partly cloudy
Result: Cardinals 2, Marlins 1
JUPITER, Fla. – On the final day of spring training on Sunday the Cardinals were able for the first time to field a lineup with the eight position players they expect to use in Thursday’s regular-season opener in Milwaukee.
It was about a week later than planned because of tightness in Matt Carpenter’s back which kept him out of the lineup as a precautionary measure. He got one at-bat on Sunday before heading to the back fields to pick up more at-bats in minor-league games.
The lineup featured Paul Goldschmidt batting second, Paul DeJong third and Dexter Fowler in the sixth spot, the same positions where they likely will bat on Thursday.
Goldschmidt showed he is ready for the season to start by hitting his third homer of the spring in his first at-bat.
The game was tied 1-1 in the ninth when the minor league rule of starting the 10th inning with a runner on second base was used. The Cardinals stranded the Marlins runner on third in the top of the ninth, then got a walk-off win on a two-out single by Evan Mendoza in the bottom of the inning.
Here is how the game broke down:
High: Jack Flaherty had his final start before pitching the second game of the regular season and worked four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit.
Low: Seeing major-league teams start the ninth inning with a runner on second base, even if it did result in a win rather than having the game end in a tie.
At the plate: The Cardinals had just three hits in the game, the home run by Goldschmidt, the game-winning single by Mendoza and a double by Yadier Molina … Their only other baserunner, until the fake runner on second in the ninth, came when Molina reached on an error as they failed to draw a walk in the game … Other than Carpenter, who left after striking out in his first at-bat, all of the other regulars came out after two at-bats.
On the mound: Flaherty struck out three and did not walk a batter as he finished the spring with a 2.12 ERA … He was the only major-league pitcher to appear in the game although Tyler Webb, in the battle for the final bullpen spot until the end, did work two scoreless innings.
Off the field: The Cardinals have unofficially set their opening-day roster, with Jedd Gyorko all but certain to begin the year on the injured list. He will stay in Florida this week to get extra at-bats in minor-league games after missing much of the spring because of a calf injury … The injury will allow the Cardinals to keep both Yairo Munoz and Drew Robinson, who will join Tyler O’Neill, Jose Martinez and Matt Wieters as the five bench players … John Brebbia was told he will be on the roster, meaning the Cardinals will have only one left-hander, Andrew Miller, among their 12 pitchers. The other relievers will be Jordan Hicks, Alex Reyes, John Gant, Dominic Leone and Mike Mayers … The order of the rotation to start the season will be Miles Mikolas, Flaherty, Dakota Hudson, Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright … Carlos Martinez, Brett Cecil and Luke Gregerson also will begin the year on the injured list.
Up next: The Cardinals will stop on their way to Milwaukee to play an exhibition game against their Triple A team Monday night in Memphis. Both Wainwright and Wacha are scheduled to start for the two sides.