JUPITER, Fla. — Since he wasn’t one any more, Cardinals’ pitcher Kyle McClellan didn’t have to attend a relievers meeting earlier this spring, and when all of his former chums were away he seized a chance to mingle.

He pulled up a chair next to Chris Carpenter and asked if the former Cy Young Award winner had a few minutes to answer questions.

They were still talking 40 minutes later.

“We talked strategy,” McClellan said. “Coming out of the bullpen I wanted to strike everybody out. (As a starter) you’re not going to throw that seven-inning shutout.”

McClellan sought Carpenter out for obvious reasons — heck, Adam Wainwright did it a few springs ago; others have as well — but also because Carpenter throws a similar arsenal of pitches. (”Though at a much high level,” McClellan said.) The righthander, who made his first 1 o’clock start Sunday, throws a cutter, a sinker, a curve and a changeup. Carpenter works the same pitches. And as the two talked, Carpenter told McClellan he goes into games with plans for each hitter, unlike a reliever who goes in to attack every hitter with his best stuff.

In his spot start Sunday, McClellan worked three scoreless innings, got some hearty and helpful play for his defense and struck out three batters. He did not walk a hitter and needed just 32 pitches (22 strikes) to get through his innings.

Told the Cardinals like him, a scout who popped by the press box offered this report to the seated media:

“I can see why. I like him, too.”

That McClellan has come to his first big-league camp and has put himself into the big-league conversation is remarkable considering where the Hazelwood West grad was just two years ago: On the operating table. Again.

The righthander, a 25th-round selection in 2002, had Tommy John surgery in 2005 and a nerve relocated in the same elbow in 2006. From 2005 to the start of last season, McClellan threw a total of 60 2/3 innings over 20 appearances. He came back from surgery a more composed pitcher – with better stuff. Could have been the strengthening he did (and still does) to protect the elbow and keep the arm in shape. Could be another Tommy John story. Could be any number of things.

But instead of throwing in the high 80s and hitting 91 mph, McClellan became an air-it-out reliever for Class AA Springfield last season and was known to hit 96 mph.

And that was his sinker.

On Sunday, McClellan got three outs from the first three batters he faced, but rarely has it been down with as high a degree of difficulty. The first two batters singled and doubled, but a relay from right field cut down leadoff hitter Hanley Ramirez at home for the first out. The third batter, Jorge Cantu, lined into a double play to end the inning.

“Adrenaline took over in the first inning,” McClellan said. “I wanted to make sure my infielders and outfielders worked on their cutoffs and relays. … I looked up at the end and after all that there was still a zero up there., and that’s what you’re after.”

He struck three of the next five batters he faced and pitched two perfect innings to end his outing. Two of his strikes were batters looking at strike 3, both pitches on the inside edge, one with a backdoor cutter.

The same pitch Carpenter uses in the same situation.

You’ve followed the story in here all spring. McClellan was impressive enough early that pitching coach Dave Duncan suggested he shift from reliever back to starter. McClellan was impressive enough after the move that Duncan scheduled him to get starter-like innings in a few exhibition games. Then when Joel Pineiro had to miss a start to strengthen his arm … McClellan got the call. Next? Does he enter the bullpen conversation? Does he get a midseason look at the role Dan Haren once had?

Right now he’s earmarked for Triple-A’s rotation. A few weeks from now …

“I try to down-play it,” he said. “I keep myself grounded.”

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All five of the Marlins’ runs were earned today and all off Blake Hawksworth. He primed Florida’s offense with a couple walks and seven consecutive runners reached against the righthander. The Cardinals lost, 5-4, falling behind 0-2 in the best-of-seven Abacoa Cup.

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For the third consecutive game in which they’ve played, the Cardinals’ corner thumpers of Albert Pujols and Troy Glaus were linked, batting No. 3 and cleanup, respectively. In the fourth inning of Sunday’s game, the order worked — as Glaus ripped a two-run double to score Joe Mather and Pujols.

When it comes to power this season, it’s possible that the Cardinals’ corner infielders will swat with the best them in the National League. With both of them limited by injuries, they still combined for 52 home runs. The current corner combos who combined for more last summer were:

• Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun, MIL … 84
• Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz, PHI … 67
• Mark Teixeira and Chipper Jones, ATL … 59
• Lance Berkman and Ty Wigginton, HOU … 56
• Carlos Delgado and David Wright, NYM … 54

Having a first baseman that is the youngest to hit 50 home runs in baseball history and a third baseman whose debut put him in the company of Pujols tends to put a tandem in elite company. But Braun won’t be back at third this season; Bill Hall will be there. That puts the Cardinals’ corners as, arguably, the biggest combined power threat in the league … if they stay healthy.

Using www.Baseball-Reference.com and its 162-game average for the corners in the National League, the Pujols-Glaus duo has the highest CT* (* — Combined Thump):

1. Pujols and Glaus, STL … 78
2. Howard and Feliz, PHI … 71
3. Teixeira and C. Jones, ATL … 70
4. Delgado and Wright, NYM … 67
5. Aramis Ramirez and Derrek Lee, CHI … 59
6. Fielder and Hall, MIL … 58
7. Berkman and Wigginton, HOU … 56

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Manager Tony La Russa said he plans to explain to Cody Haerther about the tough spot he’s in as a lefthanded-hitting outfielder. Joe Mather, a minor-leaguer liker Haerther, started in left field on Sunday and the skyscraper who hit 31 home runs last season could see more playing time this spring — because he’s righthanded and the Cardinals are looking for righthanded-hitting outfielders. They’ve got plenty of lefties. They got plenty of lefties they need to get into games. 

And that costs Haerther his opportunities to make an impression.

“There’s an opportunity to give (Mather) a look; we’re thinner in that area,” La Russa said. “For Haerther this is a time to get in great shape, go down to Triple-A and hit .350.” 

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A parade of pitchers returning from injuries/ailments/surgeries — the standard menu in these parts – took the mound Sunday, covering the news spectrum: Matt Clement threw an aggressive 45 pitches from the mound. He called it much more than the standard “progressing nicely”, mainly because he was able to throw two bullpens in three days without succumbing to fatigue. … Joel Pineiro’s bullpen was handled almost like a start and he’ll return to the rotation for his next scheduled start, which is Friday. … John Wasdin also threw a bullpen, his first since being slowed by what the team called shoulder weakness.

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So, if you’re keeping score this spring, we have the following T-shirt ready slogans for the coming season: “Progressing Nicely”; “The Limit is the Sky”; “Hit the Board with The Chatmeister”; “Flock to Bird Land”; “I’m Moving On”; and … “Due Diligence”.

***

Some clarification on the Sidney Ponson note reported by Joe Strauss and mentioned earlier:  Ponson is looking for a place to throw for scouts. That place will be near the Cardinals’ spring training facility, if not on it. It’s a short walk for some of the Cardinals’ scouts to see him. So, they’ll stop by. The Cardinals stance on Ponson and other free agents — the David Wells or Jeff Weaver or Sidd Finch, for that matter — has not altered.

Though the time when they will reconsider their patience is approaching.

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