Pujols out, Holliday returns for Cardinals

Posted Mar 22, 2010 by TBO.com

Updated Mar 23, 2010 at 06:07 PM

JUPITER — While Matt Holliday returned for the St. Louis Cardinals, Albert Pujols was out of the lineup again.

Pujols was scratched from Monday’s 13-8 victory over the Boston Red Sox with back tightness. The three-time NL MVP underwent an MRI exam and got an anti-inflammatory shot. He is expected to be out of action for the next couple of days.

General manager John Mozeliak said Pujols has felt some discomfort in recent days. Asked whether he thought the star first baseman’s back could be a chronic concern throughout the season, Mozeliak said: “I don’t get that sense.”

Pujols missed a week this spring because of lower back pain he described as feeling like spasms. He returned to play in five exhibition games before being pulled from the lineup against Boston.

Holliday hit an RBI double for the St. Louis split-squad in his first game since March 9. He was nursing a strained muscle in his rib cage.

Jeremy Hermida went 2 for 2 and scored two runs for Boston. Tug Hulett had two hits and three RBIs.

Cardinals (ss) 6, Astros 4

KISSIMMEE — David Freese and Joe Mather hit their first spring homers to lead the Cardinals split-squad to the victory.

Kyle Lohse worked five innings for St. Louis in his fourth spring start. He gave up three runs and eight hits, struck out two and walked one.

Carlos Lee went 3 for 3 and drove in a run for Houston. Pedro Feliz hit his second spring homer.

Astros left-hander Wandy Rodriguez had one of his worst outings this spring, allowing five runs and seven hits over four innings.

Rays 11, Red Sox (ss) 9

FORT MYERS — James Shields was solid for 5 2-3 innings and Evan Longoria hit two of Tampa Bay’s seven homers.

Shields recently was picked by manager Joe Maddon to start on opening day for the third straight year. The right-hander gave up one run and five hits.

Kelly Shoppach homered twice for Tampa Bay and drove in four runs. Ben Zobrist, Sean Rodriguez and Hank Blalock also homered for the Rays.

Boof Bonser was hit hard in his first start for the Red Sox, giving up five runs and six hits in two-plus innings.

Phillies 9, Yankees 7

CLEARWATER — Wilson Valdez homered off Phil Hughes with two outs in the ninth inning to give Philadelphia the victory.

Starters Cole Hamels of the Phillies and A.J. Burnett of the Yankees combined to allow 11 runs and 16 hits in eight innings.

Mark Teixeira went 4 for 4 with a home run for the Yankees. Dane Sardinha homered and drove in four runs for the Phillies.

Sardinha, Valdez and Ben Francisco connected against Hughes.

Hamels, who entered with a 1.69 ERA in three spring starts, allowed seven runs (six earned) and nine hits in four innings.

Nationals 7, Mets 5

VIERA — Ryan Zimmerman and Josh Willingham each hit two homers off Mets starter Mike Pelfrey, leading Washington to the victory.

Zimmerman hit a towering, wind-aided solo drive in the first inning, and a two-run shot in the fifth. Willingham had a solo shot in the second and a two-run homer in the fourth.

Pelfrey was charged with six runs, five earned, and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings.

Jason Marquis pitched 4 2-3 innings for the Nationals, yielding three runs and seven hits.

Tigers 8, Blue Jays 2

DUNEDIN — Brandon Inge hit a three-run homer to power Detroit to the victory.

Nate Robertson pitched 4 1-3 innings for the Tigers, yielding two runs and five hits.

Inge connected in the first against Brian Tallet, who is expected to be Toronto’s fifth starter but had a rough time against Detroit. He allowed five runs and eight hits in five innings.