Carson Benge hates striking out, which helps fuel him when he is down in the count. Jonah Tong is in the process of developing a cutter, which he debuted against the Cardinals. Brett Baty is happy to play anywhere in the field, hoping his versatility will keep him in the lineup.

In their first shutout of spring, the Cardinals got swing-and-miss from their switch-pitcher, intriguing velo from a pair of righties and loft from a lefty Nolan Gorman.

Carson Benge has a novel view on swinging and missing. “I hate striking out,” Benge said after collecting three hits in the Mets’ 6-0 loss to the Cardinals on Wednesday, all on two-strike pitches. “That’s one thing about me.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor took one step closer to returning from his hamate bone surgery earlier this week. Lindor had the stitches removed from his surgically repaired left hand on Tuesday, Mets manager Carlos Mendoza revealed before Wednesday’s game at Clover Park against the Cardinals.

The Cardinals top prospect will get a start at shortstop Wednesday vs. the Mets at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie, Florida.

The Mets’ offseason wasn’t about headlines, until the ending demanded one. Freddy Peralta headlines the rotation after a winter of big-league upgrades.

The Philadelphia Phillies made a few big moves this offseason, and while the starting rotation and the lineup have some question marks, the bullpen looks to be as strong as ever. But in the bullpen, thanks to Matt Strahm being traded away,

The New York Mets (2-2-1) dropped a listless game to the St. Louis Cardinals (3-2), 6-0 at Clover Park in St. Lucie. The Mets scattered eight hits, but couldn’t bring any across in their fifth game of spring.