JUPITER, Fla. Robert Gsellman delivered five solid innings Saturday in his bid to become the Mets' fifth starter, while Michael Wacha solidified his own rotation standing with four solid innings for the Cardinals in the Mets' 5-4 win at Roger Dean Stadium.
Battling Seth Lugo and Zack Wheeler for the fifth starter job, Gsellman held the Cardinals to one run — a Randal Grichuk RBI single — in five innings, striking out three.
The Mets did quite a bit more damage against Wacha, plating runs on a Juan Lagares solo homer and sacrifice flies by Matt Reynolds and Wilmer Flores. Even Tim Tebow rapped out an opposite-field single versus Wacha, who allowed three runs in four innings.
Matt Carpenter reached base twice in three plate appearances for the Cardinals, in what was his second game swinging a bat since experiencing back tightness earlier this month. That lifted Carpenter's Grapefruit League batting average back up to .300.
The Cardinals came back to tie things on a two-run rally off Ben Rowen in the eighth, but Xorge Carrillo gave New York the lead for good with an RBI double in the ninth.
The Cardinals will travel to Orlando one final time this spring for a 12:05 p.m. start against the Braves on Sunday. Lance Lynn, who has allowed two earned runs over nine spring innings, will make the start. Pregame coverage begins at 11:45 on KTLO-AM 1240.
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