Notes: Arroyo gets off to slow start

03/14/2006
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Bronson Arroyo breezed through the Reds' lineup Wednesday -- in the second and third innings. The first inning was another matter.
Arroyo faced each starter in the Reds' lineup in the first, giving up five runs on three hits -- including a three-run homer to Scott Hatteberg -- two walks, and a hit batter, leadoff man Ryan Freel, to open the game.
Arroyo settled down after that, getting the Reds in order in the next two innings, to finish his outing with a line of three innings pitched, five runs, two walks and three strikeouts. In three Grapefruit League starts, he's 0-2 with a 17.55 ERA.
"I guess I was missing the location [in the first inning]," Arroyo said. "I felt decent. I felt pretty good. I felt better than I have my last two starts, and I guess I wasn't throwing the ball where I should."
Arroyo's pitch to Hatteberg left little doubt to its destination -- well beyond the right-field fence -- when it left the Reds' first baseman's bat.
"I was trying to cut the ball in," Arroyo said. "[Catcher] Trent [Durrington] said they were pretty much middle, so I just wasn't getting them in there."
Of the difference between the first inning and the next two, Arroyo said it was luck.
"It was the same pitches I threw in the first, man, they just popped them up," he said.
"[Tuesday], I was taking it serious as a real game, but I just didn't get it done. First inning, they hit the ball around. They hit the ball hard. They could have went right at somebody and maybe you get out of an inning. But either way, I'm not hitting my spots. I'm a little too vague with my control right now. I'm not really hitting a smaller target like I want to."
Manager Terry Francona said he is not concerned with Arroyo's Spring Training work now.
"I thought the first inning, he had a Spring Training inning and then he cleaned it up and he was pretty efficient the next two," Francona said. "I think what happens sometimes is regardless of how many years they've played in the big leagues, they show up, they're getting their legs under them the first couple of outings, and then you give up some runs, it's like, 'Damn.'
"He doesn't need to change things. He just needs to tighten up the breaking ball, start locating his fastball, and Bronson will be just fine. I just think he gave up five in the first and I don't care where you are you don't want to give up five. And he's kind of looking like, 'I got to get outs.' He'll be just fine. Bronson's a good pitcher. If I thought there was a health-related issue, then there's room for concern. There's nothing like that. He just needs to tighten up his pitches a little bit and he'll be fine."
On a staff with an excess of potential starters -- Arroyo, Jonathan Papelbon, Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett, David Wells and Tim Wakefield -- Arroyo, who was 14-10 while starting 32 games and entering in relief in three games last season, said working out of the bullpen would be acceptable to him.
"I'm fine with it," he said. "I said before, I'll pitch out of the 'pen if I have to pitch out of the 'pen. The way I'm pitching right now, obviously if it comes down to a coin toss, I'm going to lose it anyway, so we'll see."
What the Huck: Catcher Ken Huckaby, nursing a tweaked left knee, was expected to catch for Papelbon in a bullpen session Tuesday.
"That's the next step and then he'll throw to bases," Francona said. "Hopefully, we'll get him in there. The idea of him going down [to the bullpen] is that it's not a real game. It's somewhat controlled, but you do the best you can. Some of the things that guys do that you love get them hurt.
"He wants a chance to make the team and we respect that. We're tying to give him a chance where he can legitimately play and not get hurt."
No room in the 'pen: With a well-stocked bullpen, the Sox returned Rule 5 Draft pick right-handed pitcher Jamie Vermilyea to the Blue Jays on Tuesday.
"He handled himself really well," Francona said. "He's a good kid. There just doesn't look like there's any room at all on our staff. We've been fortunate the last couple years to get through the Rule 5 guys and keep them in the organization, but this looked like it was going to be impossible to do."
In one appearance this spring, Vermilyea, 24, pitched two scoreless innings without giving up a hit or walk.
The Sox now have 46 players in Major League camp.
Schill vs. Wake: Curt Schilling and Tim Wakefield will oppose each other in a game at the Minor League complex on Wednesday at 1 p.m. ET. Josh Bard is expected to catch for both.
"We checked with him, and that's a lot to do physically, because we want him to come back the next day and catch [Josh] Beckett [against the Twins on Thursday]," Francona said. "But he feels like it's no problem and I actually like the idea of him catching booth those guys."
Quotable: "I definitely think he deserves it. I'm glad to see them sign him back. He's a manager I think everybody enjoys around here. He's laid back enough and knows when to put pressure on guys and when not to. I played for managers in the past that were down everybody's throat.. Obviously in this market with a veteran team like this you can't have a guy like that. So it's wonderful playing under him. He never kills us in the paper. So, that's all you can ask of him." -- Arroyo, on Francona's extension

Source: http://boston.redsox.mlb.com/