Jaime Garcia, who pitched just 37 2/3 innings in the minors last year after recovering from Tommy John elbow surgery, came to camp with an outside shot at a big-league starting job.

However, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan might consider having him open the season in the bullpen, a la right-hander Adam Wainwright, who spent all of 2006 in the bullpen before joining the rotation the next year.

"As long as (Garcia) is in the conversation, it counts," La Russa said. "He's in the conversation."

In his first relief outing of the spring, Garcia walked the first hitter he faced and then set down nine in a row. In his second, on a windy day, Garcia walked three but still was impressive.

"He threw the ball very well again," La Russa...

This type of outing was what St. Louis was hoping for when it signed Brad Penny to a $7.5 million, one-year contract in the offseason. Penny threw four shutout innings to help the Cardinals beat the winless Washington Nationals 6-4 on Wednesday. "He was nails," St. Louis manager Tony La Russa said.

Willie Davis, a speedy center fielder who collected two World Series rings, three Gold Gloves and was a two-time All-Star during his 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died. He was 69. "He was beloved by generations of Dodger fans and remains one of the most talented players ever to wear the Dodger uniform.

On a tough day for the Minnesota Twins, third base prospect Danny Valencia provided something positive. Valencia hit the go-ahead home run in the eighth inning, and the Twins beat the St. Louis Cardinals 7-6 on Tuesday after learning All-Star closer Joe Nathan has a torn ligament in his throwing elbow.

Josh Beckett made his second start of spring training, and Red Sox pitchers kept the St. Louis Cardinals hitless into the seventh inning. But it was Boston's young hitters who pulled out the win on Monday. Che-Shuan Lin's one-out single in the ninth scored Josh Reddick after Reddick doubled in the tying run, and the Red Sox beat the Cardinals 7-6.