Lindor’s grand slam paces Mets
Walker tosses four shutout innings in 2nd start for N.Y.
Francisco Lindor hit a grand slam, Pete Alonso doubled for the fifth time this spring and Tomas Nido homered and doubled as the Mets beat the Cardinals 8-5. Jeff Mcneil, in the midst of a 2-for-27 skid, was hit by a pitch three times.
Taijuan Walker made his second start, allowing a bad-hop single and a walk in four shutout innings. Jerry Blevins, who returned to the Mets to vie for a bullpen spot, pitched a perfect inning.
Carlos Martinez struggled
in his fourth start for St. Louis. He was pulled after throwing 25 pitches in the first inning, allowing a run on a walk to Brandon Nimmo and a two-out double by Alonso.
Phillies 4, Yankees 1: Darick Hall doubled in two runs during a four-run ninth-inning rally for Philadelphia. Deivi Garcia walked four in three hitless innings and Luke Voit had an RBI double for New York, which was limited to two hits.
Red Sox 11, Rays 7: Nathan Eovaldi continued to struggle in his third start for Boston, surrendering five runs on eight hits and a walk in four innings. Eovaldi has a 10.61 ERA this spring. Hunter Renfroe hit his second home run. Prospect Jarren Duran had four hits and is batting .407 this spring.
Nationals: Washington reliever Will Harris has a blood clot in his right arm and the team doesn’t expect him to be in the bullpen on opening day. Harris is leaving spring training camp to be examined by a specialist, manager Dave Martinez said Friday.
Reds: Luis Castillo has been picked to start on opening day for Cincinnati.
Note: Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie has joined the board of directors of the New York Mets. Christie, 58, was New Jersey’s governor from January 2010 to January 2016. His son Andrew has worked for the team since 2018 and is the Mets’ coordinator of international scouting. Jeanne Melino also joined the Mets board under new owner Steve Cohen, and New York said Friday she will be hired by the team as senior vice president of the Amazin’ Mets Foundation. A former assistant district attorney in Westchester and Suffolk Counties, she is executive director of the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Foundation. She will oversee the Mets’ community engagement and diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. The Mets’ board also includes chairman emeritus Fred Wilpon and vice chairman Andrew Cohen, who is not related to Steve.