JUPITER, Fla. • With about three weeks remaining in spring training, Cardinals manager Mike Matheny approached some of his veteran players about playing in back-to-back games, even this early in March, so that they could "get a look" and what a lineup might look like for opening day.
The Houston Astros was one of the reasons why.
Earlier this week, the World Series champions stormed into Roger Dean Stadium with a regular season-ready lineup and thundered through an exhibition win against the Cardinals, who had a lineup polka-dotted with regulars. Matheny explained to the media Tuesday morning that maybe it was time to "show" some of the opponents "what we have going here, too.