After we wrote about how the Astros still pretty much suck, one of the connections to better days came up with a big game. RHP Roy Oswalt had a pitching line of 420011 in a 3-0 shutout of the Red Sox. LHP Wesley Wright came up with his second save, but his ERA still looks like the number of one of those barely paved, two-lane state highways out in the sticks. For Houston, Koby Clemens, the son of a former major league pitcher and a performance-enhanced mother, played first base.
Another Red Sox split squad also was shut out, 7-0 by the Rays. RHP Wade Davis lowered his ERA to 7.04 with a pitching line of 430015, and 2B Sean Rodriguez hit his fifth home run against RHP Junichi Tazawa. He knew he was no longer pitching in a Japanese industrial league; Tampa Bay’s three runs in his one inning were the first clue.
A second group of Astros weren’t as fortunate in a 4-1 loss to the Yankees. The game’s highlight was New York RHP Phil Hughes’ lengthy save, with a line of 430012.
Some bad pitchers changed hands in the ballyhooed Yankees-Tigers-Diamondbacks trade during the off-season. Arizona was left holding the bag with RHP Edwin Jackson, whose line in a 13-7 loss to the Reds was 2 1/3 67720. Jackson gave up a home run to OF Jay Bruce. He and 2B Brandon Phillips came in with averages under .200.
The Phillies used the work of LHP Cole Hamels (line: 521004) and rookie OF Domonic Brown (his first two homers this spring) in a 6-1 victory over the Tigers. One of Brown’s homers was against the losing pitcher, RHP Justin Verlander (3 1/3 34415). The other came against LHP Phil Coke, another in the aforementioned trade.
The Nationals came into the day with an 0-11 record – and left with not one, but two, wins. One split squad defeated the Marlins 12-3 behind RHP Craig Stammen (432014) and a grand slam by OF/2B Willie Harris against LHP Taylor Tankersley. For the other squad, LHP John Lannan’s pitching (421002) C Ivan Rodriguez’s three runs batted in added up to a 4-2 victory over the Cardinals.
In the Indians-Giants game, San Francisco RHP Tim Lincecum had the winning poker hand (444444) but Cleveland won 7-1 behind RHP Jake Westbrook’s pitching (421101) and OF Shin-soo Choo’s homer. We’re touting Choo this spring.
Sample Scouting Report:
Wade Davis, RHP, Rays
Ht.: 6-5 Wt.: 220 T: R Age: 24 Inj. Risk: 10 Alt. Pos.: SP
{2010} Davis throws a low-to-mid-90s fastball and a hard curve. How far he ultimately advances in the majors could be determined by how well he can develop a third pitch. For now, his status as a prospect is behind LHP David Price and RHP Jeremy Hellickson in the Rays’ organization. Last season, in Davis’ second shot at Triple-A Durham, he was 10-8 with a 3.40 ERA and 140 strikeouts in 158 2/3 innings. That performance earned him a spot in Tampa Bay’s rotation after the Rays traded LHP Scott Kazmir. Davis could maintain his starting role by beating out RHP Andy Sonnanstine or become a vital cog in the bullpen this year. Born: Sept. 7, 1985, Lake Wales, Fla. 2009: Rays, 36 IP, 2 W, 3.72 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 0 S, 36 SO.
Projection
IP: 109 W: 8 ERA: 3.88 WHIP: 1.34 S: 2 SO: 102 Value: $4
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