PORT  ST. LUCIE, Fla. _ Just more than six months removed from serious surgery to repair a herniated cervical disk in his neck, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Chris Duncan appears to be cutting the bat loose as well as he ever has, or at least since 2006-07 when he had 43 homers in under 655 at-bats.

Duncan had four hits, including a three-run homer in the first inning, and knocked in five runs today in a 15-4 exhibition rout of the New York Mets, who have 15 players gone to the World Baseball Classic.  Manager Tony La Russa said he didn’t know what exactly to expect from Duncan this spring but La Russa said, “The only issue was health. It wasn’t his talent or his ability to compete. It’s health. So far, he’s doing great.”

Before the game here, Duncan had been hitting just .154 in 13 at-bats but he had two potential home runs in one game knocked down by an incoming wind.  His home run today off Mets veteran Freddy Garcia went some 475 feet.

“A bomb,” said La Russa. “He had some great swings all day. Two hits against lefthanders.

“The pain he was in (the last two years),” said La Russq, “probably a couple hundred at-bats, with either his groin or his arm, he was so restricted. He gets a lot of courage points for those things.”

Duncan said he didn’t feel restricted at all now. “I feel good,” he said.

Righthander Kyle Lohse gave up three hits and no runs in 3 2/3 innings as he posted the longest start by a Cardinals pitcher this spring.

Korean Hyang-Nam Choi, a non-roster invite, made his first appearance for the Cardinals and the 37-year-old righthander had a scoreless eighth.

“Actually, I thought he did pretty well,” La Russa. “He was deceptive. The report was that he had an assortment of pitches and good command and that’s what he showed.”

The Cardinals had 15 hits. “You don’t have too many days like this one,” said La Russa.

Utilityman Joe Thurston had two hits, including his second homer. Thurston has played four positions already. “Too early to tell,” said La Russa. “But I like the way he goes about it. “

Third baseman David Freese, sidelined by an Achilles’ injury, fanned as a pinch hitter in his firist appearance. With center fielder Rick Ankiel nursing a mild Achilles’ strain of his own, Colby Rasmus played the entire game in center field, but again struggled, going one for six with two strikeouts.

Rasmus, the crown jewel prospect of the system, is hitting .192 with eight strikeouts in 26 at-bats.

“He’s trying to force it a little,” La Russa said.