Kyle McClellan, the early favorite in the St. Louis Cardinals' Spring Training 2011 race to replace Adam Wainwright in the starting rotation, put together a dominant performance in his first appearance of spring, striking out three in three scoreless innings. Fringe candidate Bryan Augenstein threw two scoreless innings of his own, striking out one. The Cardinals got two hits from Albert Pujols and their only RBI from Matt Holliday; Lance Berkman, DHing again, was 0-3, and third baseman Matt Carpenter was 1-2 with a walk.
McClellan hasn't started since a stint in the low minors before his successful relief conversion, and there's concern—coming mostly from outside the Cardinals' camp, and in part from inside SB Nation St. Louis—that he has no real track record in a starting role. But it's clear he wants the job, and it's equally clear that Lance Lynn can't win it—McClellan would have to lose it, at this point.
Fernando Salas, who will have to pick up some slack in the bullpen if Kyle McClellan departs it, closed out the win for his second Spring Training save, striking out one.