PORT ST. LUCIE — Steven Matz took the advice of his catcher Sunday and didn’t dabble once he got ahead in the count.
Wilson Ramos’ message may have been just what the left-hander needed following a rough outing against the Red Sox last week.
“It’s good to have some results in spring training,” Matz said after pitching four shutout innings in the Mets’ 9-1 exhibition victory over the Cardinals. “I feel me and Wilson were working really well together. We were able to have a good pace out there, a good rhythm, and that is big for me. It was nice today.”
On Monday, he had surrendered four earned runs over 2 ²/₃ innings. In that start, Matz struggled to put away hitters once he got ahead in the count.
“[Ramos] talked to me about my last outing, just some things we wanted to accomplish today and we were able to carry it out a little bit, still have got room for improvement, but it’s been good to work with him,” Matz said.
“Just putting guys away when I get ahead of them. Just executing a pitch, especially when you are 0-2 on a guy, not leaving the ball up in the zone. That’s the biggest thing for me that he addressed, which is kind of an obvious one, but sometimes when you are out there you can go away from that.”
Matz allowed three hits and walked one in lowering his Grapefruit League ERA to 5.19.
Drew Smith was sent to New York for evaluation because of discomfort in his right elbow. The right-handed reliever has appeared in four games this spring.
Travis d’Arnaud was behind the plate for the final three innings — his first action at catcher in the Grapefruit League. D’Arnaud, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, homered in the seventh inning. D’Arnaud started at catcher in a minor league exhibition game last week.
Tim Tebow singled and walked in two plate appearances after replacing Brandon Nimmo in left field. The former Heisman Trophy winner is 4-for-15 (.267) this spring.
Robinson Cano boosted his Grapefruit League batting average to .500 with a 2-for-3 performance in the Mets’ 9-1 victory over the Cardinals in Port St. Lucie.
Edwin Diaz allowed his first run of the spring on Dylan Carlson’s solo blast in the eighth inning.
Pete Alonso and Dominic Smith each went 1-for-3 with a single. Alonso is batting .414 and Smith .423 in the battle for first base. Alonso was the DH on Sunday.
TODAY’S SCHEDULE
Jason Vargas is the Mets’ scheduled starting pitcher against the Astros in West Palm Beach, Fla. Seth Lugo and Walker Lockett are among those also expected to pitch.
