JUPITER, Fla. —Tyler O’Neill, one of the contestants for the Cardinals’ left field job, got an early jump on it by blasting a 3-1 Marcus Stroman pitch for a 409-foot homer into the wind in the second inning Saturday as the Cardinals took a 1-0 lead over the New York Mets in exhibition baseball.
O’Neill hit six homers for the Cardinals last season but spent part of the season at Class AAA Memphis and another part on the injured list.
Righthander Jack Flaherty, named before Saturday’s game as the Cardinals’ opening day starter on March 26, fanned three in working two scoreless innings in his start on Saturday.