Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
This afternoon, Kyle Gibson and the Minnesota Twins took on the 2013 NL Champions, St. Louis Cardinals, and ended up falling just short after giving up 2 runs in the 8th inning. Gibson, who is looking to increase his chances of becoming one of the five starting pitchers come Opening Day, threw 4.1 innings while giving up just 4 hits and one run while striking out 4 batter. Gibson looked sharp facing a strong and powerful Cardinals lineup who are working towards another successful season and deep playoff run like last year.
While the Twins had a very depleted lineup today, they stayed with the Cardinals the whole game until the 8th inning. Samuel Deduno, who pitched strong over his 2.2 innings today, surrendered 2 runs in the 8th and ended up with the loss. The go-ahead run was scored due to Deduno’s well-known wildness as Peter Bourjos scored on a wild-pitch after he doubled earlier in the 8th inning.
The game was very low scoring throughout this affair as the Cardinals were given an equally as impressive start from possible starter, Carlos Martinez. Martinez went 5.1 innings while only giving up 3 hits and 1 run, which was an RBI single by Jason Bartlett. A note about Bartlett’s single: it was his first for entire spring. Up until today, the Spring Training invitee had gone 0 for 27, but his first hit of the Spring was a game tying RBI single.
Former Twins’ reliever and fan favorite, Pat Neshek, who recently welcomed a baby into his family, came on in the 9th to shut down the Twins and earn his first save of the season.
In other Twins’ Spring Training news, Pedro Florimon, who has been out for a majority of the Spring due to an appendectomy, played his first Spring Training game last night against the Rays and started again this afternoon against the Cardinals. This is in large part to give the likely starting shortstop for the ball club as many starts as they can fill in before Spring Training is over. Tomorrow, Scott Diamond and the Twins will take on the Tampa Bay Rays again as they look to bounce back from a 11-3 drubbing from the Rays on Tuesday.