Lidge may be ready
New closer Brad Lidge might be ready to start the season with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Lidge pitched in a minor league intrasquad game Thursday at Clearwater, Fla., retiring four of the five batters he faced with three strikeouts and a walk. The right-hander, who had arthroscopic knee surgery last month, looked sharp enough that he just might be available for the N.L. East champions on opening day.
Lidge, the key off-season acquisition for the Phillies, threw 19 pitches, including 11 strikes. The only major leaguer he faced was teammate Jayson Werth, who walked on five pitches. Lidge threw fastballs, sliders and a two-seamer. Pitching coach Rich Dubee said Lidge’s next outing will come against minor leaguers on Sunday.
“My goal is to get ready for the season no matter where they put me,” Lidge said. “I feel mentally that’s going to be the case. I don’t want to jinx myself, but I feel real comfortable with where I’m at right now and I feel I need a few more outings to get ready.”
Lidge went 5-3 with 19 saves and a 3.36 ERA in 66 games last season with the Astros. But he also blew eight save chances and temporarily lost his closer’s job to Dan Wheeler during the season.
•In a surprise move, oft-injured John Patterson was cut by Washington a little more than a week before the season begins. He was thought to be a candidate to start for the Nationals when they open their new ballpark March 30 against Atlanta.
Patterson was Washington’s opening-day starter in 2007. But he missed much of the last two seasons because of right forearm problems, limiting him to 15 starts in 2006 and 2007 combined. He had surgery in September to repair a nerve problem.
•The Los Angeles Dodgers made their Cactus League debut, beating the Chicago White Sox 8-2 in Phoenix. The Dodgers are spending the rest of spring training at the Oakland Athletics’ complex after saying goodbye to Dodgertown, their home in Vero Beach, Fla., since 1948. They plan to move into a new facility in nearby Glendale, Ariz., next year as long as construction is completed.
•Pitcher Adam Wainwright and the St. Louis Cardinals agreed to a $15 million, four-year contract, a deal that includes two option years and could be worth up to $36 million.
•Tampa Bay’s B.J. Upton was hit just above the left elbow by a pitch from Cleveland’s Paul Byrd in the first inning and left the game. The team said he had a triceps contusion and manager Joe Maddon said he thinks Upton will be fine.
•A day after being told he was heading back to the bullpen, Joba Chamberlain struck out all three batters he faced for the Yankees.
Mariners 6, Padres 6 (10): At Peoria, Ariz., Chase Headley’s pinch-hit, two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning allowed the San Diego Padres to come from behind and collect a tie with Seattle in Cactus League action.
Adrian Beltre and Jose Vidro drove in two runs apiece for Seattle, while Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez had three hits apiece.
Ichiro was 3 for 4 to increase his spring batting average to .174.
•Sidelined for nearly two weeks with soreness in his pitching shoulder, Seattle right-hander Brandon Morrow is easing his way back into bullpen. He threw a bullpen session for six minutes Wednesday and reported no problems, planned to throw again today and hopes to play in a game by this weekend.
“It felt good,” Morrow said. “It’s great to go out there and throw without any tenderness or anything.”