Marquis tosses in another solid pitching performance

JUPITER, Fla. -- Jason Marquis is a big reason the St. Louis Cardinals are happy with their pitching this spring.

Marquis pitched shutout ball into the sixth inning, and the Cardinals beat the Montreal Expos 5-4 in 10 innings Saturday.

Montreal scored three runs in the top of the ninth to tie it, but So Taguchi's two-out single in the 10th drove in Kevin Witt with the winning run.

Cardinals pitchers threw 17 scoreless innings before the Expos scored in the seventh.

"I'm throwing the ball down in the zone and I'm throwing quality strikes," said Marquis, acquired from Atlanta in the offseason. "That's what I'm going to go out and try to accomplish on my last spring start."

Marquis has given up only three earned runs in 16 innings. He retired 13 Expos in a row at one point and aided his own cause with a hit in the second inning that helped the Cardinals take a 2-0 lead.

"Even after missing one start I still feel good about where I am," Marquis said. "I want to stay where I'm at. My mechanics feel real good, and things are going in the right direction."

Montreal's Livan Hernandez, who hadn't pitched in a Grapefruit League game since March 11 (mostly because of bad weather), allowed two runs and six hits in five innings.

"I might not be able to pitch forever, but I'm in good enough shape to throw 100 or more pitches," Hernandez said.

Taguchi, trying to make the big league roster, went 2-for-2 with two RBI.

"He's getting better, and he feels like he can play in this league," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.

La Russa also was impressed with Marquis again.

"He's very consistent. He's an exciting kid," the manager said.

Noteworthy

The Cardinals assigned SS Wilson Delgado, 1B Kevin Witt and OF Greg Vaughn to minor league camp.

Cardinals RHP Woody Williams is scheduled to make his third start of the spring today against the Dodgers.