Mulder throws well in losing effort

By R.B. FALLSTROM / AP Sports Writer

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) - The way Mark Mulder looked at it, he induced a lot of ground balls that found holes.

The St. Louis Cardinals' 16-game winner allowed five runs in the first inning of a 9-1 loss to the Florida Marlins on Sunday.

“A couple of them were hit hard, but they just weren't hit where somebody was,” Mulder said. “That's why it's spring training.”

The Marlins had five runs on four hits before Mulder could settle in. Mike Jacobs and Dan Uggla had RBI doubles, but only two of the runs were earned due to a fielding error by second baseman Junior Spivey.

Mulder, who entered with a 1.69 spring ERA, hit his stride late in the second inning and retired the last 10 batters he faced. In five innings he gave up six runs, two earned, with six strikeouts and two walks.

“I felt really good the last few innings, especially with my sinker,” Mulder said. “Despite the first inning I was really pleased with the way I threw.”

Scott Olsen, competing with Josh Johnson for the Marlins' fifth starting spot, strengthened his case with a strong outing. In 5 1-3 innings, the left-hander gave up one run on three hits.

Olsen will get one more start. Manager Joe Girardi has stopped short of saying he is in the rotation.

“I like my chances,” Olsen said. “I'll do whatever is best for the team but I'd like to start and I think the outings I've had in spring training can at least validate me starting for a while.”

The Marlins are 16-6-3 and have won six in a row despite a lineup that's largely unproven, putting them on a pace that trails only a franchise-best 26-5 spring record in 1997. They're 3-1-1 against the Cardinals, including two shutouts.

“What means something is that we're playing the game right,” manager Joe Girardi said. “We've talked all along about just because people don't know who we are and we don't have the experience, don't think that you can't play.

“There's expectations in this room.”

Chris Aguila added an RBI single in the first for the Marlins, although he dropped two fly balls later in the game in left field. He tracked down So Taguchi's liner into the corner in the second but the ball popped out of his glove on a play that was ruled a double, then dropped Mulder's easy fly in the fifth for an error.

Scott Rolen had an RBI triple in the sixth for the Cardinals' lone run. It was only the second extra-base hit of spring training for Rolen, coming off shoulder surgery.

Cardinals reliever Josh Hancock allowed two hits and had two strikeouts in a scoreless sixth. Hancock, released by the Reds in February after reporting to camp overweight, has not allowed a run in eight spring innings.

“I'm not going to come in here and back down,” Hancock said. “I'm going to come in here and throw my game.”