Cardinals Beat Marlins, Cubs Blank Rockies

The St. Louis Cardinals employed the same formula they used to win 100 games last season -- good starting pitching, enough timely hitting and Trevor Rosenthal closing out the game -- to defeat the Miami Marlins 3-0 on Wednesday in both teams' final game at the spring training complex they share.

Michael Wacha ended a tough spring with by far his best outing, tossing five shutout innings of two-hit ball.

"This was definitely a step in the right direction," said Wacha, who went 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA last year. "I know how important it is to build off today, but everything felt in sync and ready to go."

Rosenthal struck out two as part of a perfect ninth to record his first save of the spring.

Matt Holliday smacked a two-run double into the left-center field gap off Edwin Jackson with two outs in the fifth, giving St. Louis a 3-0 lead. Holiday has a single, double, home run and walk over his last five plate appearances.

Cubs 10, Rockies 0

Jon Lester struck out 10 in five innings and hit a two-run home run to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 10-0 win over a Colorado Rockies split squad on Wednesday.

Lester allowed only one hit and one walk to go along with the 10 strikeouts, which included striking out the side in the third and fourth innings.

"We got some good work in today," he said. "The cutter was good, which is good because it means I am staying on my line."

His homer off Scott Oberg highlighted a seven-run fourth inning in which the Cubs hammered out two doubles, both by David Ross, and Lester and Kyle Schwarber went back to back.

Rockies starter David Hale went 2 2/3 innings. He allowed five hits, three runs -- one earned -- walked one and struck out two.

"I thought he threw the ball well," Colorado manager Walt Weiss said. "He had one of the better changeups I've seen from him. It could be a good weapon for him."

Reds 6, White Sox 3

Joey Votto had four hits, Brandon Phillips homered and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Chicago White Sox 6-3 at spring training on Wednesday.

Votto scored twice and drove in two runs. The slugger has hit safely in 13 of his 19 appearances and reached safely in 17 games.

Votto was aboard for Phillips' second spring homer in the third against Jose Quintana. Phillips also doubled in the first and singled in the sixth.

"Some really nice offensive days from those guys in the middle of the order," Reds manager Bryan Price said.

Quintana was charged with four runs and nine hits in three-plus innings. He struck out three and walked three.

"Today, I missed a lot in the zone. I threw too many pitches. My cutter was bad. It was a tough day," Quintana said. "It was just one bad day."

Wednesday, March 30 Scoreboard

Washington 12, New York Mets 1

Minnesota 4, Toronto 3

New York Yankees 2, Atlanta 0

Philadelphia 8, Houston 4

Boston 4, Pittsburgh 4

St. Louis 3, Miami 0

Tampa Bay 4, Boston 3

Arizona 12, Oakland 9

Texas 5, Kansas City 1

San Diego 7, Seattle 5

Chicago Cubs 10, Colorado 0

Cincinnati 6, Chicago White Sox 3

Cleveland 4, Los Angeles Dodgers 3

Milwaukee 5, Colorado 4

Detroit 2, Baltimore 1

San Francisco 8, Sacramento 4

            
Thursday, March 31 Schedule (All Times Central)

New York Yankees at Detroit, 11:05 a.m.

Boston at Minnesota, 11:05  a.m.

St. Louis at New York Yankees, 11:05 a.m.

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 11:05 a.m.

Atlanta at Baltimore, 1:05 p.m.

Cincinnati at Cleveland, 1:05 p.m.

Arizona atColorado, 1:10 p.m.

Reading at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m.

Chicago Cubs at New York Mets, 6:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Houston, 6:10 p.m.

San Diego at El Paso, 6:35 p.m.
        
Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:10 p.m.

Oakland at San Francisco, 8:15 p.m.

Friday, April 1 Schedule (All Times Central)

Tampa Bay at Detroit, 11:05 a.m.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta, 11:05 a.m.

Milwaukee at Houston, 12:10 p.m.

Chicago Cubs New York Mets, 2:05 p.m.

Minnesota at Washington, 4:05 p.m.

Baltimore at Philadelphia, 4:05 p.m.

Boston at Toronto, 5:05 p.m.

New York Yankees at Miami, 5:10 p.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 6:05 p.m.

Kansas City at Arizona, 7:40 p.m.

Colorado at Seattle, 8:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Angels at Los Angeles Dodgers, 8:10 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at San Diego, 8:10 p.m.

Oakland at San Francisco, 8:15 p.m.

Saturday, April 2 Schedule (All Times Central)

Minnesota at Washington, 10:05 a.m.

Boston at Toronto, 11:05 a.m.

Detroit at Atlanta, 11:05 a.m.

Reading at Philadelphia, 11:05 a.m.

New York at Miami, 11:10 a.m.

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 11:35 a.m.

Cleveland at Texas, 12:05 p.m.

Milwaukee at Biloxi, 12:10 p.m.
    
Seattle at Colorado, 1:10 p.m.

Kansas City at Arizona, 1:10 p.m.

San Francisco at Oakland, 2:05 p.m.

Chicago White Sox at San Diego, 2:10 p.m.

Los Angeles Dodgers at Los Angeles Angels, 7:05 p.m.

Sunday, April 3 Schedule (All Times Central)

St. Louis at Pittsburgh, 11 a.m.

Chicago Cubs at Los Angeles Angels, 1:05 p.m.

Toronto at Tampa Bay, 2 p.m.

New York Mets Kansas City, 6:30 p.m.