Cards’ Beltran, Westbrook hurt in win vs. Miami
JUPITER, Fla. — Carlos Beltran and Jake Westbrook limped to the St. Louis Cardinals’ clubhouse moments apart Thursday, which made manager Mike Matheny glad it was still only February.
Beltran bruised the little toe on his right foot when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Cardinals’ 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. Westbrook bruised his left leg below the knee on a grounder hit by Casey Kotchman in the second inning.
Beltran’s X-rays were negative, but he said the injury was painful, and he was unsure whether it would affect his plans to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic. Westbrook didn’t undergo X-rays.
Beltran scored after being hit, then left the game.
“It hurt running around the bases,” he said. “I tried to stay. I tried not to think about it. I tried to run around the bases, but it really got sore.”
Westbrook, pitching in his first game, departed after a long visit at the mound from Matheny and a team trainer.
“I told them I could have kept pitching,” Westbrook said. “They said there’s no reason and no pushing it. I didn’t really feel like arguing about it in the first game of spring training.”
Westbrook faced six batters and allowed four hits, including an RBI triple by Giancarlo Stanton. The Cardinals veteran said too many pitches caught the middle of the plate, but he was otherwise encouraged.
“I felt like I was on the right track,” Westbrook said.
“He looked good,” Matheny said. “The ball was down. That’s him. I think his velocity was good. He looked like he was in great shape. We’re just going to try and get him built up.”
Cardinals nonroster invitee Oscar Taveras hit a grand slam off Marlins starter Justin Turner, who retired only one batter in his first spring training appearance. He walked three, hit a batter and gave up four consecutive hits, including the grand slam.
Stanton had a triple, double, single and walk. Last year’s NL slugging champion finished February with a slugging percentage of 1.000.
DEVELOPMENTS
Tattoo sidelines Rangers’ Andrus: Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus was scratched from Thursday’s game because of what the club called “sensitivity in his left arm,” apparently caused by a tattoo.
Andrus spent nine hours the two days before Thursday’s spring training game against the Indians having a tattoo drawn. He wanted a likeness of his late father, Emilo Andrus, who died in 1996 when Elvis was 7.
The tattoo covers most of Andrus’ left arm from the elbow to shoulder. It will apparently be his last. He said, “I’m done with this; too much pain.”
Rivera throws simulated game: Yankees closer Mariano Rivera was all smiles after throwing 18 pitches Thursday in his first simulated game since knee surgery last spring.
“I feel good,” Rivera said. “I feel real good. Getting stronger and stronger.”
The 43-year old pitched one inning against Yankees minor leaguers in Tampa, Fla. He also fielded and covered first base.
Rivera pitched in nine games last year, his season ending when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while tracking down a fly ball during batting practice in Kansas City on May 3. He had surgery on June 12.
EXHIBITION GAMES
Franklin Gutierrez and Nick Franklin hit home runs and the Seattle Mariners won their sixth straight, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-3 at Scottsdale, Ariz. Giants ace Matt Cain (Houston High) lasted three innings, giving up three runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out two. “Everything felt good,” Cain said. “I was inconsistent with my location. I was a little bit out of rhythm, and I’ll need to work on that.” ... Clayton Kershaw struck out seven over three innings, and the Dodgers beat the Angels 10- 8 at Glendale, Ariz., to leave their Los Angeles rivals 0-5-2 at spring training. ... Cincinnati’s project to turn hard-throwing Aroldis Chapman into a starter got off to a strong start Thursday in a split squad Reds’ 4-3 loss to the Colorado Rockies. Chapman faced the minimum six batters in his two innings.
Rick Ankiel singled in the third inning and homered in the fifth off Mike O’Brien in the Houston Astros’ 7- 6 win over a New York Yankees’ split squad at Kissimmee, Fla. The 33-year-old ex-pitcher is 6 for 9 with a double, triple and home run. ... At Clearwater, Fla., Ryan Howard hit his first home run of spring training, an opposite-field drive to left off All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel that helped the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Howard put the Phillies ahead with an RBI double in the first against loser Paul Maholm (Germantown). Maholm gave up five runs, six hits and two walks in 2 innings. ... At Mesa, Ariz., opening day starter Brett Anderson allowed one hit in two scoreless innings in the Athletics’ 5-3 loss to the Chicago Cubs. ... Chicago White Sox prospect Scott Snodgress made his first and likely only start of the spring, throwing three solid innings in a 4-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at Phoenix.
After giving up backto-back singles — both on sinkers — to start the game, Washington ace Stephen Strasburg struck out six over three innings Thursday night in a 4-all tie with the New York Mets at Viera, Fla. The game was called after 10 innings. Strasburg said a big goal this spring is getting a better feel for his sinker, but he admitted he’s still struggling with it. “I need to get over the idea of throwing it harder will make it better,” he said. “I feel like I’m just kind of throwing through the sink and it’s kind of flattening out. I want to throw it a little bit slower, let it move a little bit more and I’ll get better results.”