WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. • As he considered the learning curve of shifting full time to third base, Cardinals infielder Jhonny Peralta described how he had to improve charging in on a ball but couldn’t guarantee that would happen in games. On Friday, he got as much work as he wished.
With Washington’s speedy Adam Eaton at the plate, the Cardinals had a defensive shift on and groundball-getter Mike Leake on the mound. Eaton nubbed a grounder that Peralta couldn’t have played better.
He had to charge in from near shallow short.
He had to beat a sprinting Eaton.