St. Louis Cardinals vs. Houston Astros Prediction & Match Preview - April 2nd | MLB Spring Training 2022
The St. Louis Cardinals and Houston Astros have a scheduled Spring Training game at the Astros spring home, The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, Florida. With both teams entering the 2022 season with high expectations, what should fans anticipate in this upcoming Spring Training matchup?
The St. Louis Cardinals enter the 2022 season after making the postseason as a wild card. The team is constructed similarly to a year ago with the additions of several notable players.
The Houston Astros are among the top contenders in the American League. The loss of Carlos Correa hurts, but the team still looks poised to make another run to the postseason.
Let's see what fans can expect from each team, what their lineups will be when they face off tomorrow, and where to watch the game.
Match Details
Fixture: St. Louis Cardinals vs. Houston Astros
Date & Time: Saturday, April 2, 6:05 p.m. EDT
Venue: The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, Florida
St. Louis Cardinals Team Preview
The St. Louis Cardinals enter the 2022 season with a lot of excitement over the recent signing of Cardinals legend Albert Pujols. Pujols will be wearing the birds on the bat for the first time since 2011 when the team won the World Series.
As always, the Cardinals' expectations are high. The team made the postseason a year ago. They are hoping that with the additions this offseason and having new manager Oliver Marmol, they will finally win it all for the first time in 11 years.
Key Player: Adam Wainwright
Adam Wainwright is expected to start for the Cardinals tomorrow. This will be his final Spring Training appearance before he pitches for the team on Opening Day.
St. Louis Cardinals Predicted Lineup
The Cardinals lineup has a lot of the same players from a season ago. Two additions of note are Corey Dickerson and Albert Pujols. Both will likely platoon at the DH position. The St. Louis Cardinals' projected lineup is below:
- Tommy Edman, 2B
- Paul Goldschmidt, 1B
- Tyler O'Neill, LF
- Nolan Arenado, 3B
- Dylan Carlson, RF
- Yadier Molina, C
- Corey Dickerson, DH
- Paul Dejong, SS
- Harrison Bader, CF
The Cardinals already have one of the best defenses in baseball. If they can get consistency in the lineup, they will have a chance for a special season. Look for several minor leaguers to get a chance at playing later in the game. One of note is first baseman Luken Baker. Baker homered in today's game against the New York Mets.
Luken Baker, solo four-bagger.
TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: bspts.cc/st-louis-cardi…
#STLCards https://t.co/vrOhOkDPAR
"Luken Baker, solo four-bagger." - @ Bally Sports Midwest
Houston Astros Team Preview
The Houston Astros enter the 2022 season coming off an American League pennant. The team returns many familiar faces but one notable loss is star shortstop Carlos Correa. The team is hoping that young prospect Jeremy Pena can step in and become the next great shortstop for the Houston Astros.
The lineup seems to be the strength of the Astros as they enter the regular season. Headed by the likes of stars Jose Altuve, Alex Bregman, and Yordan Alvarez, the Astros have one of the best lineups in baseball.
Jose Altuve had a leadoff homer today. Here it is. https://t.co/V5ZAJ5haFK
"Jose Altuve had a leadoff homer today. Here it is. (video)" - @ Michael Schwab
Justin Verlander's return will make fans happy. The veteran right-hander missed all of last season due to injury. The rotation will sure have more depth with his return, to go along with Framber Valdez and Jake Odorizzi. When Lance McCullers comes back from injury, the team will have one of the deepest rotations in baseball. The Astros looked poised to make another postseason run in 2022.
Key Player: Alex Bregman
Alex Bregman is one of the league's top third baseman and will be one player to watch in tomorrow's game. Bregman hopes to continue his stellar playing career into 2022.
Houston Astros Predicted Lineup
The Houston Astros lineup is among the best in baseball. This lineup features multiple All-Stars and Silver Sluggers. The projected lineup can be seen below.
- Jose Altuve, 2B
- Michael Brantley, LF
- Alex Bregman, 3B
- Yordan Alvarez, DH
- Yuli Gurriel, 1B
- Kyle Tucker, RF
- Jake Meyers, CF
- Jeremy Pena, SS
- Martin Maldonado, C
Look for other players on the Astros, such as Aledmys Diaz and Jose Siri to be key players off the bench.
Cardinals vs. Astros Prediction
This will be an interesting matchup as both teams wrap up their 2022 Spring Training. Look for more minor leaguers and reserve players to get key at-bats later in the game. Look for the Cardinals and Wainwright to come out on top in this one.
Where to watch Cardinals vs. Astros
The game can be seen on AT&T SportsNet Southwest and MLB Extra Innings.