Times wires
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Cardinals 2, Padres 0
ST. LOUIS — Cardinals manager Tony La Russa batted the pitcher eighth to boost his offense. Quickly shedding awful spring numbers, Jaime Garcia needed little help. The left-hander, 24, looked nothing like the kid saddled with a 6.26 spring ERA, pitching a four-hitter with a career-best nine strikeouts as St. Louis avoided a season-opening sweep. "I knew my arm felt good, physically I felt great and mentally felt like I was where I wanted it to be," Garcia said. "I wasn't concerned at all. I knew I had the stuff."