WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Lefthander Austin Gomber, whose 2019 season effectively ended in mid-May when he encountered biceps tendinitis after going 4-0 at Memphis, appeared back in form Sunday.
Gomber missed three months this past season before working a couple of short-inning outings at lower levels of the minors. But before Sunday’s game with Houston, manager Mike Shildt said, “I think his stuff is just as crisp as I remember.”
“Crisp” would be one way to describe Gomber’s second Grapefruit League start. “Dominant” would be good, too. Gomber, who was 7-3 for the Cardinals in 2018, winning five in August, faced nine Houston hitters in three innings, striking out four.