Mets Lose to Cardinals; Kevin Pillar Has a Day

Positives to take away from Grapefruit League loss to St. Louis

Image via Anthony DiComo, MLB.com

The Mets lost to the Cardinals, 14-9, in Jupiter, FL on Wednesday, but that’s not really important (box score here, if you’re so inclined).

This time of year is about fine-tuning, not wins and losses. Negatives will always be prevalent because spring training is all about exposing and remedying those deficiencies before the swings and pitches begin to count.

Right-hander Jerad Eickhoff, held back over the past two seasons by biceps tendinitis, a lateral muscle strain, a finger laceration, carpal tunnel surgery — this list goes on — started for the Mets on Wednesday and had what most would consider a tough outing.

Four earned over two innings with a walk certainly ain’t pretty, but his breaking pitches looked crisp (location was a bit off, but what can you do…) and, all things considered, progress was likely made.

Facing live hitters — as Marcus Stroman was so intent to do on Tuesday — is likely the only real way to prepare accordingly for a major league season. An integral step, no doubt.

For a guy with just 15 MLB appearances to his credit since the start of 2018 (5.80 ERA, 62 strikeouts, 18 walks, 1.35 WHIP, 63.2 innings), he’ll presumably take all the reps he can get — good and bad — in order to return to form.

A high-spin fastball and curve guy, Eickhoff hit a few bumps in his first inning of work, allowing a leadoff double to Tommy Edman and an opposite-field single to new Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, cutting the Mets’ early lead to 3-1.

Though, Eickhoff dropped in two good-looking breaking pitches to strike out rookie Dylan Carlson looking and Austin Dean swinging to escape the inning with Arenado stranded on third. Encouraging.

John Nogowski took Eickhoff deep on an outside-half fastball in the second, scoring three and cutting St. Louis’ deficit to 5-4, but Eickhoff shook it off and retired Edman and Paul DeJong on flyballs to end the frame.

Quality depth is always a plus. If Jerad Eickhoff is healthy, he could fit that bill to a tee.

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Kevin Pillar — just as Albert Almora did on Tuesday — had a pleasantly productive day for the Mets on Wednesday, going 2-for-2 with a double, triple, walk, and a run scored.

The free-agent bench cog is now 3-for-5 on the spring after signing a two-year, $6.5 million deal with New York in February.

With Brandon Nimmo pegged for the Mets’ starting centerfield job, Almora and Pillar should provide the Mets with offensively capable and defensively adept outfield bench options, a luxury they haven’t enjoyed in some time.

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J.D. Davis, mentioned as one of a handful of Mets with dibs at the team’s third base opening, struck the ball well on Wednesday, sending two line-drive singles into left field with an RBI on the day.

Luis Guillorme, playing second base after starting at third on Tuesday, went 2-for-3 with an RBI and catcher Tomas Nido added an RBI base hit of his own.

Third base prospect Brett Baty added a two-run double in the ninth for his first and runs batted in of camp.

Right-handed reliever Jacob Barnes — who Rojas was praising earlier this week — ran into trouble, allowing three runs on three hits with two walks and a hit batsman during his inning of work.

Righties Franklyn Kilome, Oscar De La Cruz, and Stephen Nogosek all contributed scoreless innings of work in relief.

Left-hander Tom Windle allowed an earned run (three total) on two hits and a walk during his inning of action and right-hander Marcel Renteria gave up two two-run homers in the ninth.

The Mets take on the Nationals in Port St. Lucie at 1:10 PM EST on Thursday, where left-hander David Peterson is slated to make his first start of the spring. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

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