Penny pitched three strong innings against the Tigers on Monday, his first appearance this spring against major league hitters. He threw only 33 pitches, did not allow a hit, walked one (Gary Sheffield, his 3rd batter of the day) and struck out three. A scout stated that Penny's fastball hit 94 and was consistently around 91-92.
I felt good. It has been a while since I've gone out there and felt good. ... I felt 100 percent. I didn't get to throw many breaking balls, because they were so aggressive swinging early in the count. I would have liked to have worked on my offspeed [pitches] a little more. ...Smoltz will throw his first bullpen session -- roughly 30-35 pitches -- tomorrow at 9 AM. The Globe, quoting John Farrell: "'I think he could be doing more than he is right now, but by design' the pitcher has been held back to be ready for the second half of the season and for October."
I think I threw some pitches up 0-and-2. When I'm really throwing well, that's how I pitch. I'll get two strikes and try to elevate the fastball, and today I had that. I felt like (the fastball) had life, like I was throwing pretty hard today.
Daisuke Matsuzaka is expected in Fort Myers Wednesday evening. The plan is for him to throw an inning in a minor league game on Friday, then pitch against Atlanta next Tuesday.
***
The Globe has the lineups for tonight's game (Tim Wakefield / A.J. Burnett) against the Yankees in Tampa:
Jacoby Ellsbury, CF Johnny Damon, LF
Jed Lowrie, SS Derek Jeter, SS
David Ortiz, DH Mark Teixeira, 1B
Chris Carter, LF Hideki Matsui, DH
Rocco Baldelli, RF Jorge Posada, C
George Kottaras, C Robinson Cano, 2B
Brad Wilkerson, 1B Xavier Nady, RF
Nick Green, 2B Cody Ransom, 3B
Angel Chavez, 3B Brett Gardner, CF
He's not dead; he's pining for the Smoltz.
ReplyDeleteSigh. I did think that looked a bit off.
ReplyDeleteI tend to circle this game on the calender as it seems to get a little bit more attention here in spring, but more importantly it seems like we're right around halfway through Spring by the time the Red Sox face the Yankees in Tampa.
ReplyDeleteSo that's four times in 15 minutes Don has mentioned George M. Steinbrenner Field...
ReplyDeleteTex goes down waving.
ReplyDeleteHow did Lowrie not beat out that play in the first?
line shot up the middle by Cano for the first hit off Wake with 2 out in the 2nd.
ReplyDelete0-0 after 2.
ReplyDeleteKilgore wrong on his line about Lowrie grounding out to short. I think he's confusing him with Jeter. Lowrie grounded back to AJ.
ReplyDeleteWake and Burnett have identical lines through two innings.
ReplyDeleteSeems like the kind of thing that would get RS a bit hard.
C-Note looked horrible against the knuckler.
ReplyDeletequick 3rd for Wake.
ReplyDeletequick one for their guy, too. very fast game.
ReplyDeleteI always like to predict who's under the veil with me. I'm gonna say Benjamin's going strong, ish has a couple, and zenslinger and joe grav each have one.
ReplyDeleteSigh, Burnett.
ReplyDeleteVery nicely turned DP by us. Hit into by prick. Meaning Teixeira.
ReplyDelete4 innings done in exactly 45 mins
ReplyDeletewow, Don suggested the deaths of security guards in Seattle
ReplyDeleteGame half over in 50 minutes. 0-0.
ReplyDeleteVery quick game so far. One hour into it and they're already in the top of the 6th!
ReplyDeleteA flustered AJ heads to the showers cursing.
ReplyDeleteBOS - 000 001
ReplyDeleteMFY - 000 00
I got the zenslinger part right.
ReplyDeleteHow the F did Dumbo gun down LBJ?
ReplyDeleteWell, the throw was way to the first base side and high, Jeter reached out and caught it and swung the glove down, and it MAY have brushed across Jacoby's helmet as he slid. I was surprised the ump called him out, I don't know how the feet weren't at the bag by the time of the phantom tag anyway. But Jeter did his usual selling of the call and it worked.
ReplyDeleteYeah I was just waiting for the rest of the yet-to-be-moderated comments to appear and then come out of the woodwork.
ReplyDeleteYeah Jere I think the tag MIGHT have just touched Lyndon's helmet too. That call could have gone either way and could probably have been right either way.
ReplyDeletepay no attention to the comments behind the curtain....
ReplyDeleteThe Mailman's in left.
yeah, if Jacoby slides head first he's safe easily. Or if he rolled into second. Or ran by ducking.
ReplyDeleteNEWS:
ReplyDeleteRed Sox signed RHP Rocky Cherry to a minor league deal.
The Mets offered the Rule 5 pick back to the Orioles last week, but they declined to accept him. The 29-year-old posted a 6.35 ERA in 18 appearances with Baltimore last season.
Jacoby looks darker.
ReplyDeletenice catch asshole
ReplyDeleteSo Rocky Cherry looks real good. God I hope the scouts saw something in him that Ferrel can fix.
ReplyDeleteSo when we play the Yanks, there could be a Cherry Coke pitching matchup.
ReplyDeleteIs it safe to say that this Duncan guy on 1st for the yankees is the only guy who gives a shit that the yankees signed tex?
ReplyDeleteNo extras in spring training right?
ReplyDeletethey'll play an extra frame or two, depending...
ReplyDeleteDid I see that correctly? Nobody from team america was on the all WBC team?
ReplyDeleteWell Swisher might have had 1st all to himself, now he's battling Nady for RF
ReplyDeleteI guess at this point there is no reason to not play extras with all the minor league guys trying to earn a spot.
ReplyDeleteIf Ryan Dent ever makes the Red Sox, on the road uni they should just leave his name off of there.
ReplyDeleteTito thought it was funny. I like that
ReplyDeletePitch flies over everything, hits backstop, bounces right back to catcher still at home plate. Jacoby = screwed.
ReplyDeleteMagrane sounds just like Mike Singletary on the NFL channel commercial when he is describing how good the Bears defense was back then. Go Fridge!
ReplyDeleteOh, you're getting this on a different channel. That explains why you were talking about Duncan when Remy and Don weren't even mentioning him. And how you knew Tito thought it was funny. And how you found the hidden gold!
ReplyDeleteMDC in for us.
ReplyDeleteMDC in.
ReplyDeleteso this is a spring training game thread for us. Getting our legs under us.
ReplyDeleteDon admitting he read a promo at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteThe Melkman and Mailman in the game at the same time.
Some of us are in midseason form, ha
ReplyDeleteSomebody is getting knocked up
ReplyDeletecraziness on that play
ReplyDeleteSo the answer to whether Carter can play adquate 1B is starting to look like "no".
ReplyDeleteWell! So much for this entertaining game, eh? MDC blowing the game... DOOMED I tell you!
ReplyDeleteJust dropping in to say hi and WTF, MDC?
ReplyDeleteOk, one out. Phew.
ReplyDeleteCI. The other CI.
ReplyDeleteMDC BLOWS
ReplyDeletesit down, asshole.
ReplyDeleteThat one was out...no doubt there.
ReplyDeleteHeh. Hey guys, remember that one time it was scoreless and Burnett and Wakefield were pitching lights out going into the 6th?
ReplyDeleteI'd be happier if MDC hadn't shat the bed, but Wake's performance was great, and I'm not concerned that three everyday batters couldn't muster more runs.
ReplyDeleteYES's cameras made that look easily foul. Shit.
ReplyDeleteDear NYY: Enjoy your March Pennant. You still choke against us in October, when it counts. Chokers.
Chocolate rain!
ReplyDeleteIs Phil now Benjamin? Or just has the same avatar?
ReplyDeleteWell, it is only spring training. No stress here. And who the hell are those guys anyway?
Of course chocolate rain doesn't have his glasses anymore... Way to ruin it, Edwar.
ReplyDeleteYou still choke against us in October, when it counts.
ReplyDeleteMFY play the Rays October 2-4, not us.
Same, Amy. Had an operation in the off season to remove the pseudonym.
ReplyDeleteAustin Jackson is one of their only relatively bright position-player prospects.
ReplyDeleteSeeing as they started their starters, they kind of should have won this game, just as we should have won our last ST game against them.
Here's the mail it never fails it makes me want to wag my tail...
ReplyDeleteMaybe he does fail!
I love Yankee wins that don't count
ReplyDeleteB: Right, I misspoke. These guys aren't making the playoffs. Just another 3rd place finish and the satisfaction of having edged out the Jays.
ReplyDeleteWell the water is clean which is sort of an oxymoron when you're talking about Florida.
ReplyDeleteGood to know, Benjamin. Always like to use a real name!
ReplyDeleteAlways like to use a real name!
ReplyDeleteI wish I was using a pseudonym. Man, my parents musta been fucked up...
I started off using my real name but then I'd see things from another Rob that I didn't write. Confusing as hell.
ReplyDelete