JUPITER, Fla. • Bases on balls turn into runs in spring training precisely as they do in the regular season, which the Cardinals had reaffirmed to them, starkly, on Sunday.
St. Louis pitchers issued 11 walks, and five of those runners came around to score in a 12-2 exhibition setback to the Washington Nationals.
“Eleven walks. You’re clearly not going to be in a very competitive game with that,” said manager Mike Shildt.
The Nationals had three innings of at least three runs and Shildt said, “The crooked numbers (on the scoreboard) are associated with the walks.