2020 Spring Training: Saturday’s spring winners and losers
By Bill Felber
Loser: Marcus Stroman, New York Mets pitcher.
It’s awkward to be too judgmental about any eight-batter appearance, especially an early one. But Stroman’s performance for the Mets Saturday was at best mediocre.
Those eight Cardinals batters Stroman faced included five outs, two of them on strikeouts.
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In most other measures, however, Stroman’s showing was less than inspiring. He lasted 27 pitches, of which only 56 percent were strikes. Tyler O’Neill hit one of those strikes, a curve ball, over the wall for a home run. Stroman also allowed a base hit to Matt Carpenter and walked the last batter he faced, Angelo Ravelo, on four pitches.
Because he is a veteran, the Mets are counting on Stroman to be the rotation supporting player behind Jacob DeGrom and Noah Syndergaard.
Unclear: Johann Camargo, Atlanta Braves third baseman.
You can make a case for Camargo as either a winner or loser. In a battle with Austin Riley to be the Braves’ starting third baseman, he got Brian Snitker’s nod to start the spring opener Saturday. What did he make of it?
Camargo got two at bats. He came up in the first, the Braves having already put up three runs against Baltimore’s Chandler Shepherd and with Adam Duvall in scoring position. Camargo chased the first pitch and lifted an easy third out fly ball to left field.
He got a second shot with one out in the fourth inning, this time facing veteran Ty Blach with one out and nobody on. Camargo did come through, his arching hit dropping in front of Mason Williams in right field. But he died there.
On the plus side, Camargo batted .500. On the minus side, he washed out in his one RBI opportunity.
Loser, San Francisco Giants defense.
In the first inning Saturday against the Dodgers, the Giants defense demonstrated that spring training games are designed to work the bugs out. After Chris Taylor drew a leadoff walk, Max Muncy lined a base hit to right fielder Jaylin Davis. When Davis let the ball get through his legs, Taylor came all the way around to score and Muncy advanced to third base.
Giants pitcher Dereck Rodriguez responded by fanning Cody Bellinger and A.J. Pollock, and got Enrique Hernandez to slap what should have been a third out to second baseman Donovan Solano. But Solano butchered the play, allowing Muncy to score.
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Matt Beaty followed by grounding what again should have been the third out, this time to shortstop Mauricio Dubon. He too, clanked it, although Hernandez advanced only to second. He died there moments later when Will Smith hit a pop up that Brandon Belt actually caught, to the surprise and delight of Giants fans. LA went on to win 10-4.