JUPITER, Fla. — Result: Nationals 11, Cardinals 4
One of manager Oli Marmol’s goals with the Cardinals this season is to identify a more consistent spot in the batting order for his players.
On Monday, Brendan Donovan made his case to be the leadoff hitter, getting on base in all three of his plate appearances with two singles and a walk. He also stole a base and scored all three times.
After the game, Donovan admitted he wants that job.
“I like it from a mentality aspect, like if I can set the table for us,” Donovan said. “One of my favorite things is getting on base and watching whoever is behind me slug something in the gap and I just get to run.
“To me, I love it. I like being the first one up there. Being the first one in the fire is always cool.”
Donovan started 50 games in the leadoff spot in his injury-shortened 2023 season, one of five players to start a game in that spot. He also started games hitting third, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth.
He also spent a lot of time watching games after undergoing elbow surgery and while not enjoyable, Donovan believes he learned some things which he is going to try to take with him onto the field this season.
“When you are watching you actually pick up on little things,” he said. “You can watch a pitcher and put yourself in a scenario. If I am hitting, what pitches might I possibly see? When you watch a game I think you can take some different aspects from it.
“I lost time but I don’t think I lost much (by not playing). In this game if you want to you can learn something on a daily basis. Does it suck sitting? Yes. But I learned a lot from it.”
Here is how Monday’s game broke down:
High: Donovan had two hits, walked, stole a base and scored three runs out of the leadoff spot.
Low: Relievers JoJo Romero and Wilking Rodriguez combined to allow eight runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
At the plate: Paul Goldschmidt had a pair of doubles and drew a walk in his three plate appearances and Nolan Gorman, hitting third, had an RBI single and also drew a walk … Dylan Carlson went 2-of-4, including what should have been a double batting lefthanded but he was called out at second base, even though video replays appeared to show that he slid around the tag.
On the mound: Miles Mikolas scattered six hits over four innings but limited the Nationals to only one run. He struck out five and did not walk a batter … Ryan Helsley worked a 1-2-3 inning and Giovanny Gallegos allowed a run in his inning of work before the bullpen collapsed later in the game, with the Nationals scoring a combined nine runs off three relievers in the seventh and eighth innings.
Worth noting: Sonny Gray threw 20 pitches off the mound, a week after he had to come out of a game because of a “mild” hamstring strain. “He looked good,” Marmol said. “If you were just walking in and didn’t know anything you would have thought he was throwing a regular side, which is encouraging.” How Gray recovers will determine the next step in his return from the injury but he probably will throw another bullpen session on Wednesday or Thursday … Donovan made his first start of the spring at third base, starting a double play. He is expected to begin getting some time in left field later this week … Brandon Crawford made his first start at shortstop … The Cardinals’ top pitching prospect, Tink Hence, is scheduled to start the prospect breakout game on Friday against the Marlins.
Up next: The Cardinals make their only overnight trip of the spring on Tuesday and Wednesday, crossing the state to play the Red Sox and Twins in Fort Myers. Matthew Liberatore will start against Boston and Zack Thompson against Minnesota.
Follow Rob Rains on Twitter @RobRains
Want more local sports delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for the 5 On Your Side Sports Plus newsletter.