Braves pick on bullpen, overtake Cards for 8-3 win

JUPITER, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter's third spring training outing was more in character for the St. Louis Cardinals' ace.

Carpenter, who won an NL Cy Young in 2005 and was runner-up last year after winning 15 games, allowed two hits in 4 scoreless innings in an 8-3 loss to the Atlanta Braves on Sunday. He used his complete repertoire for the first time. In each of his first two outings, he lasted three innings while emphasizing his changeup.

"As the game went along I got more comfortable, more in rhythm," Carpenter said. "My timing was better and I definitely felt good. So it was nice."

Carpenter had only one strikeout, but walked none and kept the ball down, with 14 ground-ball outs and only two in the air. He left after throwing 54 pitches, 36 for strikes.

"I just think it was just another really good day of work for him," manager Tony La Russa said. "He used all of his pitches and he got a lot out of it."

Braves starter Kyle Davies, who's competing for a rotation spot, recovered from a shaky start and ended up with four scoreless innings, working around three walks and two hits.

Cardinals starters have allowed only five earned runs in 39 innings for a 1.14 ERA, although the Braves erased a three-run deficit with a run in the seventh and five in the eighth against St. Louis' bullpen. Pinch hitter Matt Diaz and T.J. Bohn had two-run doubles in the eighth off Josh Hancock after Tyler Johnson faltered earlier in the inning.

"I left balls up and they hit them," Johnson said. "I've done it 100 times before and it's going to happen again."

Cardinals outfielder Skip Schumaker rolled his left ankle running out a groundout in the third and was replaced in the bottom half of the inning. La Russa was uncertain of the severity of the injury.