The New York Mets didn’t need much offense on Wednesday, and good thing too, because they didn’t produce much. Still, thanks to some rock-solid pitching, they left Roger Dean Stadium with a 2-0 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.
The lineup they faced wasn’t a watered-down version, either—St. Louis rolled out some of their regulars, including Masyn Winn, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Lars Nootbaar.
Even so, the Mets’ arms held firm, keeping the Cardinals off the board all afternoon.
Blackburn Sets the Tone
Paul Blackburn was the star of the show, delivering four perfect innings. Coming off surgery to fix a cerebrospinal fluid leak, there were no guarantees he’d be ready for Opening Day.
But on Wednesday, he looked every bit the part, facing 12 batters and retiring all 12. There were a few hard-hit balls, and he didn’t get any whiffs, but perfection is perfection.
Blackburn also struck out two batters, a nice touch on an otherwise low-whiff outing. His spring ERA still sits at 6.23, a reminder of previous struggles, but this was a big step forward. If he keeps trending up, the Mets will have some tough roster decisions to make.
Minter Joins the Action
Lefty reliever A.J. Minter, working his way back from hip surgery, made his first spring appearance. He didn’t do much wrong—one inning, no baserunners, fastball sitting in the 93-94 mph range.
That’s about where he needs to be, perhaps a tick or two below, and if he keeps progressing, he should be ready to contribute out of the bullpen by late March.
Lindor Breaks Through
Francisco Lindor hasn’t exactly been tearing it up this spring. The hits have been scarce, and power? Nowhere to be found. But on Wednesday, he made an impact.
He notched a hit, drove in a run, and even swiped a base for good measure. His batting average is still a rough .172, and he has yet to log an extra-base hit, but there’s no panic. It’s spring training. The timing will come, and when it does, he’ll be right where the Mets need him.