JUPITER, Fla. — Postcard from Cardinals camp for Sunday Feb. 23
Weather: 74 degrees, partly cloudy
Result: Cardinals 3, Mets 3 (tie)
Edmundo Sosa’s bid to win a spot on the Cardinals roster as a backup infielder is off to a nice start.
Sosa hit a two-run homer in the eighth inning to pull the Cardinals into a 3-3 tie against the Mets on Sunday in Port St. Lucie. The game was called a tie after nine innings.
Sosa has appeared in the first two games this spring at shortstop, where the Cardinals are searching to find an effective backup to starter Paul DeJong.
Here is how Sunday’s game broke down:
High: Harrison Bader led off the game with a home run and also doubled in his second at-bat.
Low: Starter Adam Wainwright and Carlos Martinez were not able to complete their scheduled two innings of work before hitting their prescribed pitch count limit for their first appearance.
At the plate: All three of the Cardinals’ runs came on the two homers. Four of their five runs in the first two games have come via a home run … Sosa’s homer followed a leadoff triple in the eighth by Max Schrock, who like Sosa finished the game with two hits … Schrock had a chance for a game-winning RBI with a ninth-inning single but Evan Mendoza was thrown out at the plate as he tried to score from second on the hit to right … Kolten Wong and Paul DeJong made their first starts of the spring and each was hitless in two at-bats, with DeJong striking out in both of his at-bats.
On the mound: Wainwright allowed two hits, including a home run, and walked two in 1 2/3 innings … Martinez only recorded four outs, giving up four hits and walking two and allowing two runs … Daniel Ponce de Leon struck out three and allowed one hit in two scoreless innings while Jake Woodford also worked two scoreless innings.
Up next: The Cardinals return to Jupiter on Monday to host the Marlins. John Gant will get the start, with Ryan Helsley also scheduled to work an inning. Also scheduled to make their first appearance with the Cardinals are left-handers Zach Thompson, their first pick in last year’s draft, and Matthew Liberatore, acquired in an off-season trade. Each is scheduled to pitch one inning.
