MLB Spring Training: Cole vs. Cabrera – the $66M question
By Bill Felber
MLB Spring Training Recap: March 5
Winners: Travis Demeritte and Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
Most of Cole’s problems dealt with these two figures toward the top of Detroit’s batting order.
After Victor Reyes sent a ground ball double into left field to begin the bottom of the first, Demeritte lined a 2-1 Cole offering for a home run into the left-field seats. Cabrera followed with a home run of his own to left-center.
Just one inning later, with a runner on base and two out, the duo delivered a second time. Demeritte’s home run struck the batter’s eye in deepest center, and Cabrera followed suit higher up on the same barrier.
The back-to-back back-to-back blasts off Cole gave the Tigers a 6-0 advantage, and they eventually won the 30-hit volley 15-11.
Demeritte, who has been considered marginal to make the team, is now hitting .308 for the spring. Cabrera is at .316.
Winner: Mike Fiers, Oakland Athletics pitcher
The Athletics stretched out Mike Fiers in his third MLB spring training appearance Thursday, and he gave every indication of being ready to handle it. Facing the Los Angeles Dodgers, he delivered four innings of one-hit ball, striking out four.
The only base hit was a second-inning single by Edwin Rios, and Fiers rendered that hit meaningless by fanning the side. In fact, he retired the last eight batters he faced as the Athletics won 5-1.
There have been concerns that Fiers’ performance might be affected by his role in exposing the Astros sign-stealing scandal, but so far Fiers has given no cause for concern. In his eight innings of work, he has allowed just five hits and a .179 batting average. That’s on course to make this the best spring of his career.