Cardinals Grapefruit Game Recap: Nootbaar Christens ABS Challenge System

JUPITER, Fla. — How sure were you?

That was the first question faced by St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar after Saturday’s game—and he knew exactly what the reporter was referencing.

“Not very sure,” Nootbaar grinned.

Nootbaar became the first Cardinal to bust out the new ABS challenge system being used at a number of spring training sites across MLB. The Cardinals opened the Grapefruit League slate on Saturday, serving as the road team against the hosting Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. 

Ultimately, St. Louis piled up six runs before the bullpen surrendered the touchdown and extra point later in the contest as the Cardinals fell to the Marlins, 7-6.

Nootbaar challenged a strike call in the top of the fourth inning, winning the challenge and reaching base via walk later in the plate appearance.

The aggressive decision contributed to the Cardinals’ first run of the spring.

“I thought it was a ball so I tapped my helmet,” Nootbaar recounted. “Looked in the dugout after I tapped and then saw (Ryan) Helsley and Pedro (Pagés)—they were like, ‘It’s down! It’s down!’ So, sitting there waiting, I was like, ‘Okay, okay, now I’m confident!’ 

“But yeah, I thought it was a ball and pretty cool to get rewarded for that.”

Better Than The Box Score

Erick Fedde’s stat line showed two hits allowed in the first inning, but when you consider that neither batted ball left the infield, the veteran starter came away from his scoreless, 16-pitch outing feeling pretty good.

After an infield hit, Fedde allowed a batted ball that struck the base runner on what arguably would have been a 4-6-3 double play had the runner not intervened—cue Happy GIlmore on that one.

Officially, the play was ruled a base hit, accounting for Fedde’s second knock permitted in his lone inning of work Saturday.

“After the first one I was like, this is not how my spring is about to go,” Fedde joked. “Luckily I was able to get through it. But yeah, two scorched balls today.”

#HugWatch In Spring Training?

Although Nolan Arenado left the game for a pinch-runner in the fourth after blooping the first St. Louis hit of the spring in front of the Miami right fielder, it wasn’t necessarily a #HugWatch situation—Willson Contreras left for a pinch-runner, too, one batter ahead of Arenado.

That being said, MLB.com did report Saturday that trade talks between the Cardinals and the Astros have been rekindled, sparking intrigue.

An Ivan Herrera sacrifice fly later that frame plated the first Cardinal run of the spring, scoring R.J Yeager—who pinch-ran for Willson Contreras.

Other Nuggets To Note

• After Nootbaar’s successful challenge, the eagle-eyed Cardinals battery struck for another one in the bottom of the fourth. Ryan Fernandez earned a strike on a pitch that had been initially ruled a ball.
• Riley O’Brien struck out the side in an impressive sixth inning, allowing a walk as the only base runner on his ledger. O’Brien’s 2024 season was impacted by injury, but given that he struck out Shohei Ohtani in his MLB debut in the season opener, there’s clearly some substantial raw ability in his arm—the Cards are hoping to harness it this season.

• Cardinal reliever Bailey Horn didn’t have the debut he was looking for, walking three batters and allowing four earned runs while retiring only one hitter in the Marlins’ five-run seventh inning.