(Jupiter, FL) The day off on Tuesday represented more than a break from games for the St. Louis Cardinals, it also signaled the final push before the regular season begins. Only seven games remain on the Grapefruit League schedule.
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Innings will be harder to come by for pitchers as the starting rotation makes their final starts and stretch out to near the 100+ pitch level. And for hitters the focus on approach will gain an increase on results.
“I think it’s just the natural progression in your mind as we get closer and this locker room starts to dwindle down, you just kind of go to a different place mentally as we get closer to Opening Day,” said Matt Carpenter, who had two of his three extra base hits this spring on Sunday.
“I think it’s just more repetitions,” said Mike Matheny. “What that means is he’s probably going to get more at-bats and the more at-bats he gets, the more comfortable he’s going to feel. I think that’s pretty consistent with all our guys.”
Entering Friday, Carpenter has only 29 at-bats and is hitting .207.
“My swing’s felt good all spring,” he explained. “For me, my work is more important than my results. I’d much rather be not getting results than–nobody wants to be smoking, red-hot the first-two weeks of camp–it’s just the law of averages you’re going to come down from that. The timing of it is you hope that you get smoking, red-hot as you head north. That’s kind of the way the timing for me, hopefully, plays out.”
In his last three games, the third baseman has a double, home run and has 7 total bases over the stretch. Carpenter employed a similar approach last year as he closed out the Grapefruit League with six hits in his final 15 at-bats.
photo credit: Scott Rovak-USA TODAY Sports
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