CARDINALS 5, METS 4
at Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Friday, Feb. 29

Cardinals at the plate: Juan Gonzalez ensured that Johan Santana's Mets debut would be a memorable one, drilling the first pitch he saw over the left-field fence for a three-run homer. Albert Pujols and Brendan Ryan also knocked extra-base hits off Santana, with a double and a triple, respectively. Pujols later added a solo home run in the sixth.

Mets at the plate: Jose Reyes opened the game with an infield hit, then drove in a run with another single in the fourth inning. Outfielder Brady Clark, a late non-roster invitee, rapped out two singles and stole a base, while Moises Alou and David Wright each drove in runs. Ruben Gotay added a solo homer in the bottom of the ninth.

Cardinals on the mound: Though the Mets didn't hit Adam Wainwright particularly hard -- none of their five hits off him went for extra bases -- they strung enough singles together to touch him for two runs in three innings. Ryan Franklin walked two batters in relief, though he escaped his inning unharmed.

Mets on the mound: Santana, Santana, Santana. He wasn't spectacular, though the new Mets ace said he was generally pleased with an outing that saw him allow three runs over two innings. Aaron Heilman and Billy Wagner each pitched a perfect inning for the Mets, while Duaner Sanchez allowed one run after missing Thursday's game with "general soreness."

Grapefruit League records: Cardinals 2-0, Mets 0-3.

Up next: Matt Wise and Jorge Sosa, two relievers competing for a spot in a crowded Mets bullpen, will both see their first Grapefruit League action in a 1:10 p.m. ET game against the Dodgers on Saturday at Tradition Field. Jonathon Niese, the top left-hander in the Mets' farm system, will start the game opposite Brad Penny for the Dodgers.

The Cardinals head back to Jupiter, Fla., on Saturday at 12:05 p.m. CT for the first of their seven Grapefruit League games against the Marlins. This one is a designated away game at Roger Dean Stadium, with Todd Wellemeyer, Brad Thompson, Randy Flores, Tyler Johnson, Chris Perez and Adam Ottavino all expected to pitch.