Eldred builds case for rotation spot

JUPITER, Fla. -- Things couldn't be going much better for Cal Eldred in his quest to make the Cardinals' rotation.

The right-hander, who sat out last season rehabbing from elbow surgery, worked four scoreless innings in a 7-2 victory over the Florida Marlins on Wednesday. He has allowed one earned run in 10 2/3 innings this spring.

"It's all about health with him," manager Tony La Russa said. "If he's healthy, he'll be a very good pitcher."

Eldred had thrown to 25 consecutive batters without giving up a hit, with only three walks and a hit batter in that stretch, before surrendering a one-out single to Derek Lee in the fourth. In his previous outing, Eldred threw four hitless innings.

Eldred doesn't care if he starts or relieves.

"You're in my position, you want a role," he said. "I think that's the first thing. I think it would be different in a different clubhouse, but in this clubhouse you realize what kind of pitching talent is here."

Marlins starter Mark Redman struggled for the third straight outing -- all against the Cardinals -- allowing six runs in three innings. St. Louis batted around in the third against Redman, an offseason acquisition from Detroit who has a 17.60 ERA in 7 2/3 innings.

Scott Rolen got his first home run and first extra-base hit of the spring, a two-run shot in the second of a hanging breaking ball from Redman. Albert Pujols had two hits, including an RBI double in a four-run third, and has hit in all 12 spring games.

Pujols has 16 RBIs this spring.

"He goes about it exactly the same way and practices the same way, plays the game the same way," La Russa said. "He really is special in the way he concentrates and works."

Todd Hollandsworth homered off Russ Springer in the sixth for the Marlins.

The Cardinals ended a four-game losing streak. Coming in, they had been scoreless in 17 consecutive innings, and they were outscored 33-4 during the slump.

Right-hander works out difficulties in simulation

After two mediocre spring training starts, Woody Williams righted his course Wednesday.

The Cardinals right-hander threw a four-inning simulated game to teammates two hours before St. Louis played the Florida Marlins, working out his troubles. In his first two spring starts, he totaled just 3 2-3 innings and allowed eight runs on eight hits.

He said he'd been getting too many pitches up in the zone.

"I needed to work on stuff and it's hard to do it in a game," Williams said. "It was just something I needed to do."

There were perhaps 100 people watching at Roger Dean Stadium, but Williams didn't find that strange.

"Pitching is pitching," he said. "The guys are up there hitting and you've got to try to get them out. It was nice to feel comfortable again."