Cardinals name Kelly No. 5 starter after exhibition win

JUPITER, Fla. -- Joe Kelly was told that he will be the Cardinals' No. 5 starter after taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning Sunday in St. Louis' 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said Carlos Martinez will go to the bullpen.

"We are just in a spot where we've got to try and figure out what is best for our club," said Matheny, noting that Martinez is a proven commodity in the bullpen.

Kelly lost a competition last spring to Shelby Miller, but moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation later in the year. He started 15 games for the Cardinals in the regular season and four more in the postseason with a 3.08 ERA.

Martinez thrived in the setup role late last season, including in the playoffs. He will return to eighth-inning duty, setting up closer Trevor Rosenthal, despite allowing only three earned runs and striking out nine in 15 1/3 spring innings.

"I believe that he is eventually going to be a starter and I believe he is going to be a very good one, but right now we need him to help our club out of the bullpen," Matheny said.

Kelly's control fluctuated in Sunday's start, during which he struck out five but also walked four. He allowed two runs and two hits in the sixth and didn't get an out before being lifted.

"I wouldn't say it was great, by any means," Kelly said before learning he would be in the rotation. "The walks are just something that I absolutely don't like."

Shortstop Jhonny Peralta gave the Cardinals the lead in the second with his third homer of the spring. Matt Holliday hit his first in the third and Matt Adams also connected in the third, a two-run shot off Astros starter Jerome Williams.

Williams gave up six runs and nine hits in four innings.

Closer Trevor Rosenthal took a comebacker off his backside in the ninth. The ball caromed to third baseman Daniel Descalso, who threw to first in time to get Marwin Gonzalez. Rosenthal remained in the game and recorded the save.

While Matheny named Kelly to the starting rotation, he declined to give the order in which the starters will appear. Adam Wainwright will be the Cardinals' opening-day starter. He will be followed, in an order to be announced later, by Lance Lynn, Michael Wacha, Shelby Miller and Kelly.

Noteworthy

* Jaime Garcia threw a 25-pitch bullpen session from the mound for the first time since the second week of spring. Garcia had experienced soreness in his surgically repaired shoulder. He was expected to contend for the Cardinals' fifth starting spot before experiencing the discomfort.

Reliever Jason Motte is scheduled to long toss on Monday as he works his way back from ligament replacement surgery.

* The Cardinals sent five players to the minors -- one of whom was 23-year-old Aledmys Diaz. The newly signed Cuban shortstop went 3 for 5 in two major league games before heading to Class AA Springfield.

"He just kind of plays a little more experienced baseball than you would expect him to," Matheny said.