LAKELAND, Fla. -- Tigers starter Mike Pelfrey took some time to settle in during the first inning, but he escaped that jam unscathed en route to five shutout innings in a 5-4 win over the Cardinals on Thursday at Joker Marchant Stadium.
"The first and second inning, [I was] all over the place," Pelfrey said. "I think it took my second walk there to lead off the second to finally tell myself to finish down instead of rotational. I thought I was a lot better after that."
Pelfrey, who signed a two-year deal worth $16 million in December, retired seven straight Cardinals and 12 of 13 batters to finish his fourth start of the spring and earn his second win.