Not much relief from bullpens

Here’s what happened today, when the schedule of exhibition games expanded to nine, with five of those between teams that both ostensibly were made up of major league players.
A trend was terrible relief pitching, which is understandable because especially this early in the spring, a number of even the late-inning relievers are pitchers who won’t even get a sniff of the majors in 2010.
The Tigers had some encouraging developments. RHP Jeremy Bonderman started and pitched two scoreless innings. OF Casper Wells, whom we introduced to you Tuesday, drove in a run with a triple to tie the game in the ninth inning, then scored the winning run in a 7-6 victory over the Blue Jays. However, LHP Daniel Schlereth, part of Detroit’s big trade with the Diamondbacks and Yankees, blew a lead by giving up four runs in the bottom of the eighth – with three of those on a home run by minor league journeyman Chris Lubanski.
There was similar bullpen failure in the Giants’ 8-7 victory in 10 innings over the Mariners. San Francisco allowed two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth. 1B Aubrey Huff homered for the Giants. RHP Tim Lincecum gave up three runs in just one inning. He noted that his violent motion has “a lot of moving parts” and that he has to refine each one of those to get his delivery working right. There’s no need to panic now, but remember that there’s a possibility he might not be able to put everything back together just right.
The Orioles hit six home runs in a 12-2 rout of the Rays, but the most interesting homer in that game might have been by 2B Sean Rodriguez. He’s fighting for the starting job in Tampa Bay. If he wins that, Ben Zobrist could start in right field. I predict that if Zobrist plays regularly at second base, the Rays have a good chance to make the playoffs, but if Rodriguez or Reid Brignac is in the usual starting lineup, TB will be a weaker, non-playoff team.
Anyway, today Baltimore got two home runs apiece from DH Josh Bell and 1B Rhyne Hughes. Don’t go putting them on your draft or auction list. Bell hit a homer against RHP Matt Garza, a legitimate major leaguer, but the other was against LHP Heath Phillips. Hughes, who already is 26 years old, hit his blasts against journeyman Phillips and 29-year-old Jason Cromer. You might see similar performances by these players this season – if you’re at a Triple-A game.
Here’s an idea for the majors. Take a page from the NBA’s book and have a few teams that are hopelessly overmatched in a major professional league.
In spring training, baseball pretty much does that by scheduling exhibitions against college teams. The major league teams won all four games against collegians today, by a composite score of 53-10. That’s 6-0 in favor of a handful of major leaguers and the professional minor leaguers representing MLB cities.
The Red Sox swept Northeastern 15-0 and Boston College 6-1 in a pair of seven-inning games. The Marlins played all nine against the University of Miami for a 19-3 victory. In an eight-inning contest, the Phillies overcame Florida State’s 6-4 lead to win 13-6. Seminoles pitchers walked 16 batters. Bad news for Philadelphia was that RHP prospect Phillippe Aumont lasted just two-thirds of an inning and allowed five runs.
The Yankees didn’t play a college team, but they did find a willing opponent in the Pirates. New York didn’t win until OF Colin Curtis hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the ninth against Pittsburgh RHP Virgil Vasquez for a 6-3 victory.
Position changes:
SS Miguel Tejada opened the exhibition season with the Orioles at his new position, third base.
White Sox 3B prospect Dayan Viciedo will start at first base in their opening exhibition.
Failed SS prospect Sergio Santos is now with the White Sox trying to make it as a righthanded pitcher.
Injuries:
White Sox CF Alex Rios is out because of a sore right shoulder. He seems to be becoming somewhat brittle. Expect him to miss 30-40 games this season.
Astros 1B Lance Berkman (bruised left knee) will miss Thursday’s game. If he plays Friday, that would be as a DH.
Cardinals SS Brendan Ryan seems impatient to get back as he recovers from surgery on his right wrist. Beware his trying to come back too soon and missing a significant part of this season as well.
Indians DH Travis Hafner has missed much of the past two seasons, and still has to prove he has regained his former strength and form 17 months after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.
News and notes:
The Diamondbacks and RF Justin Upton have officially agreed on a six-year, $51.25-million contract.
Padres RHP Heath Bell is working to add a changeup to the fastball and curve he already was throwing. You might not realize this, but even with just two pitches he led the National League with 42 saves in 2009.