Mets blank Cardinals 8-0 at Clover Park

The Mets take another shutout spring training with an 8-0 win over the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. With a list of prominent names slated to open the season on the Injured List, it seems as though the Mets’ lineup veterans and depth-hedge offseason signings have proven to be a successful mix with another win at Clover Park.

Griffin Canning’s 5 Ks Through 3.2 Innings Pitched

Griffin Canning set the tone early with a dominant outing, working efficiently to keep St. Louis off the board.

Originally slotted as a long-reliever, he made a strong campaign to break camp as a possible 6th man in the rotation over three innings, having struck out five batters with zero hits/runs allowed. 

Canning most notably eased off his curveball and increased the frequency and velocity of his cutter and slider this spring. Both look strong and sat between 87 and 89 mph against the Cardinal’s lineup. 

Slotted initially as a long-reliever, Canning made a strong campaign to break camp as a possible 6th man in the rotation over three innings. He struck out five batters with zero hits/runs allowed. 

With Frankie Montas and Sean Manaea to open the season on the IL, it’s looking even more likely that he could emerge as another starter/spot reliever like Tylor Megill for the Mets to call on.

Winker Gets it Going, McNeil Brings it Home

The Mets’ offense came alive at the bottom of the second. Jesse Winker kicked things off with a solid single, consistently working counts and getting on base all spring.

Starling Marte, returning from a knee injury, followed by reaching base and showing no signs of rust—his mobility looked strong, a promising sign for Opening Day. Carlos Mendoza even confirmed that he’s still feeling good and can be expected to DH this week.

Jeff McNeil then stepped up and ripped a double to the right-center gap, bringing Marte home. His swing looked noticeably smoother, a potential adjustment heading into the season.

Home Run Parade: Torrens, Soto, Vientos Go Yard

While stepping into the starting catcher role with Francisco Álvarez sidelined, Luis Torrens ignited a home run parade with his first of the spring, a fly ball to right center to bring in McNeil.

Juan Soto continued his spring training power display, launching his third homer of camp in the bottom of the fourth—a rocket to right-center that left his bat in a hurry. His timing looks locked in, and his approach remains disciplined.

An inning later, he added a double to left, staying on a pitch and driving it easily. Mark Vientos followed that up by crushing his second home run of the spring, a deep shot that left no doubt off the bat.

The Mets kept the pressure on in the bottom of the seventh, stringing together quality at-bats. José Azocar and Joey Meneses both lined singles before Luisangel Acuña added an RBI knock, continuing to showcase his speed and bat control. Yonahan Henriquez capped off the rally with another single, keeping the Mets in full command.

From Canning’s composed start to Soto’s continued fireworks and contributions from across the lineup, the Mets played a complete, fundamentally sound game—a dominant win with contributions from top to bottom.