[外電] Wang's spring ends on down note
來源：MLB官網 http://0rz.tw/be3NL
03/26/2008 6:45 PM ET
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The roundness of Chien-Ming Wang's spring ERA -- an
unsightly 8.06 -- can be explained by the comfort Grapefruit League hitters
felt in facing the Yankees' right-hander.
That's normally not what a team would like to hear about one of their
hurlers, especially a 19-game winner tabbed to pitch in the season opener,
but the Yankees believe they've already corrected the flaw.
With his last five innings of the spring in the books, Wang was given an
exhibition loss in New York's 4-0 defeat to the Phillies at Bright House
Field, but he also has something important to carry into the regular season.
The Phillies hit Wang around in the second inning for four runs on four hits,
a frame that could have had much less damage if both Robinson Cano and Alex
Rodriguez were able to turn double-play balls. Regardless, Yankees manager
Joe Girardi thought Philadelphia batters were digging in a bit too much as
the inning went on, and gave Wang his read upon returning to the dugout.
"Joe told me they were too comfortable," Wang said. "I didn't pitch inside
enough."
Wang's spring has been something of a mixed bag. His last effort before
Wednesday came in a Minor League game against the Class A Vero Beach club in
the Rays system, and those Florida State League bats touched him for five
runs (four earned) -- though four of the runs came in Wang's sixth inning of
work, as he was tiring and reaching his pitch count for the afternoon.
That was essentially how Wang's second inning in Clearwater played out, on
his way to a 76-pitch (48-strike) outing that he believes will permit him to
throw around 100 pitches on March 31 against Toronto.
Wang gave up three consecutive singles to open the inning before a run scored
on a Jayson Werth grounder that could have been a double play, but instead
recorded just one out when Cano was slow with the turn. After a walk,
Rodriguez booted a play that also could have been a twin killing, allowing
another Philadelphia run to score.
Those were the negatives. After his final start of the spring, Wang preferred
to look at what he had accomplished this month, and much of that centers upon
being a different pitcher than the one who suffered two losses in last year's
American League Division Series, refining his changeup and splitter.
"I thought he had a decent spring," Girardi said. "I thought today was his
best day, which is good. [The pitchers are] developing arm strength and
they're developing stamina during Spring Training."
And, once in a while, they get to hit. The Yankees played with National
League rules for the first time on Wednesday, meaning that Wang actually had
to grab a bat and dig in against Phillies starter Brett Myers for a couple of
plate appearances.
To Wang's credit, the skills he last tested in a June Interleague series at
San Francisco hadn't betrayed him; like Billy Crystal, at least he made
contact. Wang popped a bunt over the mound for the final out of the second
inning and was thrown out on another bunt in the fifth inning.
The infielders needn't have worried, even in the situation with two outs.
With Opening Day looming near and any injury disastrous, the Yankees'
instructions to Wang were extremely clear.
"No swings," Wang said. "Just bunts."
--
※ 發信站: 批踢踢實業坊(ptt.cc)
◆ From: 24.131.254.133
CMWang 近期熱門文章
33
39
PTT體育區 即時熱門文章
44
54