Post by #1 Jays Fan on Mar 25, 2008 11:36:52 GMT -5
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Right-hander Shaun Marcum went six innings, giving up five runs and seven hits in the Toronto Blue Jays' 5-3 loss to the Cincinnati Reds on Monday.
Left-hander Jesse Carlson, competing for a spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen, pitched the first inning and gave up a single and induced a double-play grounder from Ken Griffey Jr.
Marcum followed Carlson and gave up Adam Dunn's solo homer and a two-run shot by Joey Votto.
"When he was down, he was good," manager John Gibbons said of Marcum. "And when he was up, he got hit."
Marcum is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Saturday, then will start Toronto's home opener against Boston on April 4.
Cincinnati's Homer Bailey failed to last five innings in a start that will go a long way in deciding his immediate future. Bailey walked six in 4 1-3 innings, throwing only 42 strikes out of 84 pitches.
In the fifth inning alone, he threw 21 pitches -- only six strikes -- while walking the bases loaded. At that point, manager Dusty Baker decided he had seen enough.
"He's looking better," Baker said. "He's got to find a way to eliminate those walks. He's got the stuff. Six walks -- in the big leagues, that will haunt you."
The former first-round pick came into spring training hoping to win a spot in the rotation, but struggled with his control while two others passed him by. Right-handers Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez have moved ahead of him, leaving Bailey and Josh Fogg essentially competing for the last spot in the rotation.
Baker decided to start Bailey in the major league game Monday night instead of having him throw against minor leaguers earlier in the day. In his most important start of the spring, Bailey would have centre stage.
"Yeah, it's a big start for Homer," Baker said before the game. "It's not do-or-die, but it could sure help his cause a lot."
The right-hander kept his pitches to a minimum at the outset, the main thing he hadn't done all spring. The longer he went, the more he lost his touch.
"That's probably the first time I've gone on three days' rest since A-ball, and I just got a little tired," Bailey said. "I think I've thrown all right. There's always a few things you can work on -- maybe those one or two batters where I kind of lose focus and end up walking them. If I cut those out, it's not so bad."
Notes: Toronto 3B Scott Rolen and closer B.J. Ryan will miss the start of the season because of injuries. Rolen had surgery on his broken finger Monday and will be out two weeks or more. Ryan, still recovering from elbow surgery, isn't expected back until at least mid-April. ... Reds C David Ross caught six innings of a minor league game and went 2-for-5 with a walk. Ross hasn't played with the major league team this spring because of back spasms. The Reds are considering starting the season with him on the 15-day DL. ... C Paul Bako was out with a virus. Bako and Javier Valentin are the other two catchers in camp.
Left-hander Jesse Carlson, competing for a spot in the Blue Jays' bullpen, pitched the first inning and gave up a single and induced a double-play grounder from Ken Griffey Jr.
Marcum followed Carlson and gave up Adam Dunn's solo homer and a two-run shot by Joey Votto.
"When he was down, he was good," manager John Gibbons said of Marcum. "And when he was up, he got hit."
Marcum is scheduled to pitch in a minor league game on Saturday, then will start Toronto's home opener against Boston on April 4.
Cincinnati's Homer Bailey failed to last five innings in a start that will go a long way in deciding his immediate future. Bailey walked six in 4 1-3 innings, throwing only 42 strikes out of 84 pitches.
In the fifth inning alone, he threw 21 pitches -- only six strikes -- while walking the bases loaded. At that point, manager Dusty Baker decided he had seen enough.
"He's looking better," Baker said. "He's got to find a way to eliminate those walks. He's got the stuff. Six walks -- in the big leagues, that will haunt you."
The former first-round pick came into spring training hoping to win a spot in the rotation, but struggled with his control while two others passed him by. Right-handers Johnny Cueto and Edinson Volquez have moved ahead of him, leaving Bailey and Josh Fogg essentially competing for the last spot in the rotation.
Baker decided to start Bailey in the major league game Monday night instead of having him throw against minor leaguers earlier in the day. In his most important start of the spring, Bailey would have centre stage.
"Yeah, it's a big start for Homer," Baker said before the game. "It's not do-or-die, but it could sure help his cause a lot."
The right-hander kept his pitches to a minimum at the outset, the main thing he hadn't done all spring. The longer he went, the more he lost his touch.
"That's probably the first time I've gone on three days' rest since A-ball, and I just got a little tired," Bailey said. "I think I've thrown all right. There's always a few things you can work on -- maybe those one or two batters where I kind of lose focus and end up walking them. If I cut those out, it's not so bad."
Notes: Toronto 3B Scott Rolen and closer B.J. Ryan will miss the start of the season because of injuries. Rolen had surgery on his broken finger Monday and will be out two weeks or more. Ryan, still recovering from elbow surgery, isn't expected back until at least mid-April. ... Reds C David Ross caught six innings of a minor league game and went 2-for-5 with a walk. Ross hasn't played with the major league team this spring because of back spasms. The Reds are considering starting the season with him on the 15-day DL. ... C Paul Bako was out with a virus. Bako and Javier Valentin are the other two catchers in camp.
