Peavy dazzles in debut
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| The White Sox's Jake Peavy pitches Friday against the Los Angeles Angels' Torii Hunter in the first inning of a spring training baseball game in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) |
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TEMPE, Ariz. – Jake Peavy’s first spring training outing looked more like a regular-season start.
He was that sharp, and showed no signs of fatigue from jamming at his late-night “Woodjock” charity concert Thursday that drew some 1,200 people.
The Sox also looked impressive at the plate in a 10-7 victory against the Los Angeles Angels on Friday, getting two-run homers from Gordon Beckham and Alex Rios in a split-squad game.
Peavy finally got to take the mound in the desert. His first scheduled start Sunday was rained out, although he still made the most of the day by throwing a bullpen session in the cage against live hitters.
The 2007 NL Cy Young Award winner for San Diego has said the right ankle trouble that limited him last season is a thing of the past – and it sure seems that way.
Peavy struck out three in three scoreless innings, allowing two hits in an efficient 38-pitch performance.
“I got some work in, nothing special, but I needed to get out there vs. hitters and vs. competition,” Peavy said. “I was able to get outs, that was about it. I’m trying to get the arm in shape.”
Peavy stuck mostly to fastballs, throwing about six off-speed pitches and five in a row at one point. He had a scare with two out in the first, when Torii Hunter’s hard-hit single up the middle glanced off his left shoulder.
“It was 6 or so inches from hitting me in the face,” Peavy said. “That was scary. It hit my left shoulder, and my reaction – I almost ducked my head into it. It could have gotten ugly. If that had hit square, you go ‘Here we go again.’ ”
After Hunter’s single, Peavy recorded five consecutive outs before allowing his only other hit, to Gary Patchett.
Beckham hit an RBI double in the first, and his first homer of the spring in the second as the Sox staked Peavy to a 5-0 lead. The Sox produced seven consecutive extra-base hits after Jordan Danks led off the game with a single.
“Save a few of those for the regular season, we’ll take our chances,” said Peavy, the Sox’s No. 2 starter behind ace Mark Buehrle after he encouraged the club to go with Buehrle for Opening Day.
Angels manager Mike Scioscia was eager to evaluate Peavy’s first start. The 28-year-old right-hander made only three starts for the Sox after they acquired him at the 2009 All-Star break from San Diego. But he won all three of those appearances after missing three months for the Padres while recovering from an ankle injury.
“Sometimes a spring pitcher when you see him in March and when you see him in June, it’s two different animals,” Scioscia said. “It is nice to see a guy, see his delivery, get a little bit of scouting on him as far as pitches he has. But usually right now most pitchers aren’t a finished product. A guy like Peavy, he’s a veteran, he knows what he’s doing and he’s going to start to stage up and get ready for the season.”
Sox closer Bobby Jenks, on the other hand, doesn’t look so ready. He followed a shaky inning against the Dodgers on March 6 – two earned runs, two hits, two walks – by getting clobbered for five runs and four hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Peavy is eager to get in a couple more spring starts and then move on to the real thing. He said the Sox consider themselves the favorites in the AL Central.
“This has been as refreshing of a move as I hoped it would have been,” Peavy said. “I’ve never been a part of anything like this. I’m very pleased where I’m at. I’m as excited for this season as any season ever.”
NOTES: White Sox outfield prospect Jared Mitchell, selected 23rd overall last June out of LSU, was taken to the hospital for X-rays after hurting his right ankle making a spectacular catch against the wall on Juan Rivera’s deep fly ball to start the sixth. Acting manager Joey Cora said he didn’t believe Mitchell broke a bone but more tests were needed on the ligaments.
