FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- Chris Carpenter stretched his scoreless innings streak to 16, allowing two singles in five innings and combining with four St. Louis relievers on a 7-0 shutout of the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday.
Carpenter, the National League Cy Young Award winner, went five innings -- the longest outing by a Cardinals pitcher this spring. He faced only 16 hitters, one over the minimum, while walking none and striking out three. In 16 innings this spring, the right-hander has allowed eight hits, walked none and fanned 13.
"That's just the way he pitches," St. Louis manager Tony LaRussa said. "I think it has more to do with him mentally concentrating really well. He hasn't let anything get away from him."
Chris Duncan and John Gall drove in two runs apiece for St. Louis, which used a four-run third inning to take a 5-0 lead against Orioles starter Bruce Chen.
After Yadier Molina's RBI double put the Cardinals up 1-0 in the second, St. Louis added three more runs in the inning. Brian Daubach hit a sacrifice, Gall laced a two-run double to the wall in left-center, and Rodriguez's RBI single scored Gall.
Chen went four innings, allowing six runs on six hits, walking three and striking out three.
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