JUPITER, FLA. -- Aaron Hicks hit his first home run of the spring, Brandon Boggs matched him an inning later, and Cole De Vries retired all six hitters he faced in his first start of the spring, powering the Twins to a 7-0 shutout of the St. Louis Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.
Five Minnesota pitchers limited the Cardinals to just two singles on the day, and the Twins, now 6-4 in Grapefruit League play, recorded their first shutout of the spring. Among the pitchers was Alex Meyer, the righthander acquired last November for Denard Span, who pitched two scoreless innings in his debut as a Twin. Meyer walked two, but both were erased by double plays; the Twins turned five on the day.
Hicks, trying to win Span's old job in center field, also singled in five at-bats, sparking a three-run first inning off Cardinals starter Lance Lynn. In the seventh inning, facing St. Louis closer Jason Mott, Hicks drove a pitch over the right-field wall, a two-run homer. An inning later, Boggs connected off Edward Mujica.
The Twins face Tampa Bay on Tuesday at Hammond Stadium in Fort Myers.
