PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. – Until four months ago, Cardinals pitcher Connor Thomas wasn’t even on the club’s 40-man roster. On Wednesday, he found himself in a spring training pitcher’s duel with three-time Cy Young Award and former MVP winner Justin Verlander.
Thomas might not have outshined the New York Mets’ ace pitcher, but Thomas didn’t back down and the Cardinals eventually came out on the winning end, 4-1, in front of an announced crowd of 6,804 for a Grapefruit League game at Clover Park.
Asked when it hit him that he was in a back and forth with Verlander, Thomas said, “Probably after the second (inning) when I saw his velocity start ticking up a little bit.