Angels Rough Up Stauffer, But Fall To Padres
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Tim Stauffer always has trouble in spring training — just not like this.
Stauffer was roughed up for five runs and 11 hits in just 2 2-3 innings, but the San Diego Padres rallied for an 8-7 win over a Los Angeles Angels split squad Friday.
"I've never felt extremely comfortable during spring, but I've never felt helpless, like I felt," Stauffer said. "There wasn't a whole lot I could do today. It wasn't meant to be today I guess."
The Padres' likely opening-day starter, Stauffer went 9-12 with a 3.73 ERA in a career-high 31 starts last season. He knows March is for fine-tuning his game and building arm strength so as long as he's healthy, he's not worried about results now.
"Nothing hurts," said Stauffer, a first-round draft pick in 2003. "It just takes a while to build it up and I've kind of been that way every year where velocity or life isn't quite there until late in the spring or going into the season. I wish it'd show a little earlier, but it's just one of those processes. You've got to get those innings and the pitch count up."
Stauffer threw 67 pitches against the Angels, walking two. But he was knocked out during a four-run rally in the third inning in which the Angels batted for the cycle.
Los Angeles shortstop Jean Segura, one of the team's top prospects, hit the first of his two home runs against Stauffer in the third. Segura also homered in the eighth inning.
Angels third baseman Alberto Callaspo and catcher Hank Conger each had three hits for Los Angeles. Conger had an RBI.
"He was up in the zone," Padres manager Bud Black said. "He was throwing his strikes. He was getting ahead. He just couldn't finish those guys off. More often than not he tried to make a pitch with two strikes and he left the ball up in the zone."
Padres shortstop Jason Bartlett, who went 1 for 3, and center fielder Cameron Maybin doubled as part of the seventh-inning rally. Maybin went 1 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored.
Angels starter Brad Mills didn't allow a run in 3 2-3 innings. Mills allowed a hit, walked one and hit a batter. He struck out one.
Los Angeles outfielder Ryan Langerhans had a hit and an RBI.
San Diego reliever Joe Thatcher struck out the only two batters he faced to earn a save.
