Cardinals Snag 9-5 Win Over Blue Jays in Spring Training
The St. Louis Cardinals claimed a 9-5 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday afternoon in a spring training matchup at the Rogers Centre. The game, which saw both teams battle through some rough patches and flashes of brilliance, served as another tune-up for the Blue Jays as they continue their preparations for the 2025 MLB season.
The Blue Jays got off to a solid start, taking an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. George Springer led off the frame with a walk, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. followed up with a double that sent Springer home. The early run looked promising for Toronto, but the Cardinals quickly regained control of the game.
St. Louis answered with two runs in the top of the second inning. Brendan Donovan opened the scoring for the Cardinals with a single, and Dylan Carlson extended the rally with a two-run double to right-center field, giving St. Louis a 2-1 advantage. The Cardinals wouldn’t look back from there, adding more runs as the game progressed.
Starting pitcher Chris Bassitt, who is expected to be a key part of the Blue Jays’ rotation, struggled to find his rhythm on the mound. The right-hander allowed five earned runs over three innings, including a home run from Cardinals star Nolan Arenado in the third inning that increased St. Louis’ lead to 4-1. Bassitt, who had shown promise in previous spring outings, will look to bounce back in his next start as he continues to fine-tune his mechanics.
The Blue Jays’ bullpen also faced difficulty in containing the Cardinals’ offense. Relievers allowed four more runs to cross the plate, including a two-run double from Alec Burleson in the fifth inning, pushing the Cardinals’ lead to 7-1. Toronto did show some signs of life late in the game, with Cavan Biggio hitting a solo home run in the seventh inning to make it 7-2. Bo Bichette added another run with an RBI single in the eighth inning, but the Blue Jays couldn’t string together enough offense to mount a serious comeback.
Despite the loss, Blue Jays manager John Schneider remained upbeat, focusing on the positive takeaways from the game. “It’s a process, and every game helps us get a little bit better,” said Schneider. “We’ll take the lessons from today and continue to build toward Opening Day.”
The Blue Jays will look to bounce back in their next spring training game as they continue to prepare for the 2025 season.