JUPITER, Fla. — The stride John Gant has taken toward being a starter for the Cardinals to open the season starts with the delivery he’s “sharpening” on the mound and ends with the plunging pitch that left a former MVP puzzled thrice over Saturday.
Gant moved five innings closer to claiming a spot in the rotation by working swiftly, showcasing an improved breaking ball, and striking out five, including Houston’s Jose Altuve three times.
“Still not as sharp as I’d like to be — still in somewhat of the sharpening phase, I would say,” Gant said about his mechanics, which ditched a hitch from a few years ago and have become more fluid, more representative of his athleticism.