Cardinals v Nationals Game Thread: 3/26/2016

Mike Leake is having himself quite the Spring Training, striking out 12 in 11 innings thus far. The Cardinals signed Leake as an innings eater, and he is still getting himself ready for the season but he appears to be ahead of hitters in the early going. As Joe Schwarz noted, Leake should be a key contributor for the Cardinals, getting a bit more out of his talent than he has thus far.

Given the noticeable differences in velocity and horizontal movement, Leake's repertoire is a pitch sequencing craftsman's dream. The next step is to turn that ability into reality, and Leake has the perfect battery mate to help do this. Now, will Leake go out there and strike out nine hitters per nine innings this season? No, but any uptick from his career average will be a step in the right direction and will play a vital role in Leake performing as a crucial contributor to the Cardinals' success.

The game will be on Fox Sports Midwest and MLB.com.

Here is the lineup:

#STLCards lineup vs. Washington (3/26). pic.twitter.com/1m7XEVyDxN

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 26, 2016

Enjoy the game!