PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -Boy, is Jake Peavy glad the winter is over.
The ace of both the Padres and the United States team in the upcoming World Baseball Classic breezed through a scoreless frame to start the Padres’ 4-3 exhibition victory in 10 innings over the Seattle Mariners on Wednesday.
Using fastballs and an effective changeup, Peavy took another positive step away from an offseason he spent waiting to be traded. The Padres talked about dealing him to shed payroll, but never got an offer they liked.
“I’ve put that behind me,” Peavy said, obviously fatigued with the subject. “Doing all I can do to get prepared for this WBC and our season in ’09 in San Diego.”
g complex. The sparse crowd that looked far below the announced 5,028.
“His delivery looked great,” Padres manager Bud Black said.
The outing was so brief and easy, Peavy went to the bullpen throw 10 more pitches and then to a side field to sweat through a series of sprints with a conditioning coach.
The extra pitches and sprints are part of the 27-year-old’s accelerated plan to be ready to start the WBC opener on March 7 against Canada in Toronto. He expects to throw 40 or 50 pitches Sunday against the Cubs before leaving for the tournament.
“Good first day,” he said. “Working my way to where I want to be.”
Heath Bell, taking over for Trevor Hoffman as San Diego’s closer, allowed four hits and two earned runs in the second inning.
Bell wasn’t happy.
“I’m intense. I always want to do well,” he said.
Bell, who credits his Nintendo Wii Fit game for helping him lose 25 pounds, said he is more dedicated this spring to working on a changeup – the pitch that made Hoffman baseball’s career saves leader. Bell liked two of the four changeups he threw Wednesday.
Ryan Rowland-Smith, who chose not to play for his native Australia in the WBC so he could make Seattle’s rotation, allowed two hits in two scoreless innings. The left-hander, who finished strongly last season after Seattle converted him from being a reliever, was pleased that a developing sinker got him out of some jams.
Ken Griffey Jr. did not play, four days after he signed with the Mariners. Manager Don Wakamatsu said he is being cautious with the 39-year-old slugger who had arthroscopic knee surgery in October. Griffey may play by the weekend.
“He’s ready to go,” Wakamatsu said. “It will be my fault if he isn’t in there the next couple of days.”
Notes: Seattle 3B Adrian Beltre is expected to play Thursday to test his surgically repaired shoulder in hopes of playing for the Dominican Republic in the WBC. The cautious Mariners don’t want him to play. … OF Scott Hairston had two hits and scored a run for San Diego. … LHP Garrett Olson, acquired from the Cubs last month to push for a spot in Seattle’s rotation, allowed three earned runs in the third. Kevin Kouzmanoff hit a two-run home run off him.
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