Gee struggles with command
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Dillion Gee allowed four runs and 10 hits over six innings in the New York Mets’ 4-3 spring training loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.
“Today was really weird,” Gee said. “I felt awesome in the pen, felt pretty good in the first inning, then I kind of lost it after that.
“I feel like I was struggling and battling myself the whole game.”
Cardinals starter Kyle Lohse, meanwhile, allowed only one unearned run on three hits while striking out seven in six innings. The right-hander also drove in a run.
“I felt good out there,” said Lohse, whose next start will be the April 4 season opener at Miami. “It was a nice way to wrap up spring training, using all my pitches to get some good bad swings. “Overall I felt strong.” Trailing 1-0, the Cardinals took the lead for good in the fourth. Matt Carpenter smacked a one-out double, and came around to tie game on Yadier Molina’s single.
That’s also the inning Lohse helped himself by poking an RBI single over first baseman Justin Turner’s glove, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
Two innings later Carpenter struck again, launching Gee’s first pitch over the left field wall, extending the Car- dinals’ lead to 3-1.
T h e homer was Carpenter’s second of the spring. St. Louis added a second run in the inning when Adam Melker, pinch hitting for Lohse, drove a ball off the top of the right field wall for a double that scored Bryan Anderson.
Jason Motte pitched around a one-out single to record his first save of the spring.
Matt Holliday had two hits for St. Louis, as did Vinny Ruttino for the Mets.
NOTES: New York told reliever Miguel Bautista that he’s made the team but the 41-year-old righthander has yet to be added to the Mets 40-man roster. “He’s the one guy I know who is durable enough and he’ll throw enough that if we need a spot start he can give it to us,” Mets manager Terry Collins said. ... Mets CF Andres Torres (calf) went 1 for 5 with a single in a minor league game against the Cardinals, but did not play the field. Collins expected Torres to play at least one more minor league game and has not ruled out a DL stint for the center fielder to start the season. ...New York optioned righthander Chris Schwinden to the minors.