Ivan Rodriguez caught on right away in his Houston Astros debut, while Ricky Nolasco and the Florida Marlins turned in a Grapefruit League no-hitter.
Playing his first game with his new team, Rodriguez stroked a single to center field in his initial at-bat and helped Houston to a 1-0 victory over the Washington Nationals on Sunday.
The Astros plugged Rodriguez into the No. 2 spot in the lineup and the 14-time All-Star catcher finished 1-for-3 at the plate in Kissimmee, Fla.
“I feel good out there,” he said. “I’m just trying to get used to my new teammates, and so far it was good. I was very pleased with the way I played today and the way our team played.”
After waiting all winter to land a job, Rodriguez finalized a $1.5 million, one-year contract with the Astros on Friday. He can earn an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.
Houston starter Brian Moehler enjoyed his first game with Rodriguez behind the plate.
ult for him because he hasn’t caught these guys before. It’s a learning experience for him as well as us.”
Moehler left the game as a precaution after he was hit on the right shoulder by Ryan Zimmerman’s line drive. He doesn’t expect to miss any starts.
A 13-time Gold Glove winner, the 37-year-old Rodriguez will use the rest of the spring as a cram session to learn the ins and outs of Houston’s pitching staff.
“Communication is very important,” he said. “I’ve already talked to some of the starters and the other guys, and we’re pretty much on the same page. I want to be the guy to make their work easy, from every starter down to the bullpen.”
John Lannan threw six shutout innings for Washington, allowing four hits.
Nolasco was even better, combining on a no-hitter with Dan Meyer and Leo Nunez in Florida’s 2-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers at Lakeland, Fla.
Nolasco struck out eight over seven innings and faced the minimum 21 batters. He walked Ramon Santiago leading off the first and hit Jeff Larish with a pitch in the second, but the runners were erased on double plays and Marlins pitchers retired Detroit’s next 22 batters.
“It’s obviously something cool to be a part of. It’s something we do want to accomplish as the game goes on when you see you’ve got that opportunity,” Nolasco said.
get the final two outs and the save.
Meyer said there wasn’t any talk of the no-hit bid in the bullpen.
“There’s some pretty superstitious guys in baseball, and some aren’t, but it’s kind of an unspoken thing,” he said. “Even though it’s spring, it’s still a special thing to be a part of. I think it’s great.”
Tigers manager Jim Leyland said it was the first spring training no-hitter he has witnessed in nearly a half-century in baseball.
Detroit’s Justin Verlander gave up two hits in five scoreless innings.
In other news:
-Right-hander Gavin Floyd and the Chicago White Sox agreed to a $15.5 million, four-year contract, a deal that includes a club option for 2013.
-Milwaukee is preparing to open the season without new closer Trevor Hoffman because of a strained muscle on his right side.
-Tampa Bay outfielder B.J. Upton likely will miss the start of the season. Upton is coming off shoulder surgery, and he has a bruised hand after being hit by a pitch during a minor league spring training game.
-Further tests on Fernando Perez’s dislocated left wrist revealed additional ligament damage, and the Rays outfielder will be sidelined four to five months.
-Andruw Jones could stick with Texas through spring training, even though he won’t be a starter and there is no guarantee of him making the team.
shington, the five-time All-Star said he’d be willing to remain with the Rangers as a backup outfielder and part-time designated hitter. Daniels said no decision has been made and the team will continue to discuss the situation.
-Yankees catcher Jorge Posada threw out three of four runners attempting to steal second base in a minor league game, a step forward in his recovery from right shoulder surgery last July 30. Posada had been unsuccessful in four previous throws – three to second and one to third – this spring.
Reds 6, Pirates 0
At Bradenton, Fla., Aaron Harang pitched six hitless innings, facing only two batters over the minimum. Paul Janish and Darnell McDonald hit two-run doubles off Ian Snell in a five-run second.
Mets 12, Braves 1
At Port St. Lucie, Fla., Johan Santana allowed two hits in five innings and struck out seven in his second Grapefruit League start. Matt Diaz homered for Atlanta.
Twins 11, Blue Jays 6
At Fort Myers, Fla., Minnesota’s Justin Morneau hit his first home run of spring training, a three-run drive off Matt Clement.
Red Sox 3, Phillies 0
At Fort Myers, Fla., Josh Beckett allowed four hits in five innings for Boston, throwing 45 of 75 pitches for strikes. He is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in five spring training games. Phillies starter Brett Myers gave up two runs, five hits and five walks in five innings.
s 4
At Jupiter, Fla., David Freese, recalled from minor league camp earlier in the day, went 1-for-3 with a run as he tries to win St. Louis’ third-base job.
Rays 5, Yankees 0
At Port Charlotte, Fla., David Price, the No. 1 pick in the 2007 amateur draft, allowed three hits in four innings to help stop New York’s nine-game winning streak.
Rockies 4, Indians 3
At Tucson, Ariz., Cliff Lee allowed two runs and six hits in five innings for Cleveland, while Colorado’s Aaron Cook gave up one run and five hits in five innings, throwing only 59 pitches.
Cubs 5, Mariners 3
At Mesa, Ariz., Carlos Zambrano allowed one run and four hits over six innings, while Seattle’s Erik Bedard threw 47 pitches in 2 2-3 scoreless innings and gave up two hits.
Dodgers 11, Rangers 4
At Phoenix, Randy Wolf allowed one hit over six scoreless innings and struck out six for Los Angeles. He also had a pair of hits, including a two-run double.
Angels 18, Royals 12
At Surprise, Ariz., Matt Brown went 6-for-6 with two home runs for Los Angeles as the Angels and Royals combined for 15 homers and 40 hits. With wind gusting up to 36 mph, Miguel Olivo homered twice for Kansas City, which trailed 10-1 after three innings.
Brewers 10, Giants 9
et. Randy Winn and Aaron Rowand connected for San Francisco.
Diamondbacks 12, Padres 7
At Peoria, Ariz., Chris Young and Miguel Montero each hit a three-run homer for Arizona. Dan Haren gave up two homers and five runs in the first two innings but settled down after that.
White Sox 12, Athletics 10
At Phoenix, second baseman Brent Lillibridge made two errors for Chicago, while third baseman Josh Fields and shortstop Eider Torres made one apiece, prompting White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to call his team’s defense “pathetic.”
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