The New York Mets picked up a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on Saturday in spring training action. Mike Tauchman paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. Kodai Senga worked 2.2 innings on the mound, allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits. The Cardinals out-hit the Mets 8-6 on the day. The victory gives the Mets positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Mike Tauchman was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. His aggressive approach at the plate paid dividends. Performances like this give the Mets confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Wyatt Young provided support, going 1-for-1 with an RBI, Brett Baty also contributed, going 2-for-3, and Luis Torrens chipped in, going 1-for-3. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Joshua Báez led the Cardinals offense with a 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI day. Miguel Ugueto also contributed, going 1-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. Alec Burleson added a 3-for-3 effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Mets pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Kodai Senga got the start, struggling with his command, working 2.2 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 50 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Mets evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen was sharp, combining for 6.1 scoreless innings while striking out seven. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions.
Among the relievers, Jack Wenninger stood out with 3.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out five. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
Cardinals got on the board first with a run in the second inning. Cardinals pushed across a run in the third. The Mets struck back with a run in the sixth. The Mets added a run in the seventh. The Mets tacked on a run in the eighth. The Mets spread their scoring across three different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. Cardinals out-hit the Mets 8-6, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 5,612 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Mets can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.
