Mets Shutout Cardinals 2-0 in Jupiter: Blackburn Bounces Back, Minter’s Spring Debut

Mets pitcher Paul Blackburn wasted no time putting his last start in the rearview. After struggling against the Nationals on March 7th, he delivered exactly the outing you could hope for—four perfect innings, two Ks, and not a single run.

Pauly B Nasty

Blackburn lived up to his new nickname, “Pauly B Nasty,” (given to him by Tyrone Taylor), attacking the zone and keeping St. Louis off balance all afternoon.

While I firmly believe in not taking spring training numbers too seriously, he delivered a much-needed course correction as he works through camp with sights set on the sixth-man slot for the regular season.

Minter Is Up And Moving Around

Now up and moving around, AJ Minter made his first appearance of the spring after undergoing hip surgery last August. The veteran lefty looked every bit the high-leverage weapon the Mets expect him to be, retiring all three batters he faced in a clean 1-2-3 inning with one strikeout. His fastball sat at a comfortable 93 mph, while his cutter—thrown 60% of the time—topped out at 89.3.

If this is Minter at the starting line, the Mets should feel good about where he’s heading. Expecting to be a setup man for closer Edwin Díaz, this first outing signals things are moving in the right direction when it comes to easing back into regular activities.

Dialing in the Details

Offensively, the Mets didn’t light up the scoreboard like Monday night, but they still worked counts to take two from St. Louis.

Tyrone Taylor, punching a ground-ball double to left, sparked the first scoring opportunity in the top of the fourth inning. Francisco Lindor—who has been steadily finding his rhythm this spring—came through with an RBI single to right, putting New York on the board.

In the ninth, William Lugo emphatically provided some insurance, launching a 415-foot solo shot to left-center off right-hander Michael Gomez—a no-doubter to seal the win.

Two Weeks to Opening Day

The Mets executed when it mattered. The pitching staff set the tone, the defense stayed sharp, and the offense capitalized on key moments. It took all of Blackburn’s dominance, Minter’s seamless debut, and a couple of well-timed swings to lock down the win.

With two weeks to Opening Day, dialing in the details is a promising season preview for New York.