Cardinals pitcher Carlos Martinez dominated on Thursday against the Marlins.
Martinez tossed two perfect innings, striking out three batters in the process. The 23-year-old is considered a strong favorite for the fifth spot in the rotation, but must beat out Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales for the role.
Following the start, Martinez said throwing strikes was his main goal. "I tried to focus on every pitch and be on the zone," Martinez said. "That's basically my main focus right now, to concentrate on the strike zone. That's how I want to work until the end."
Martinez posted a 4.03 ERA over 89 1/3 innings last season.