Sox drop pair of split-squad games
Once Edinson Volquez settled down, he sure looked ready for the regular season.
Volquez pitched 7 solid innings to help the San Diego Padres beat a White Sox split-squad 13-2 on Wednesday in Glendale, Ariz.
The right-hander, who will be the Padres’ No. 3 starter, allowed 2 runs and 2 hits in the first inning, but held the White Sox to no runs and 3 hits for the rest of his outing.
“I was way better (after the first inning),” said Volquez, who struggled in the first last year, when he was with the Cincinnati Reds. “I made better pitches the rest of the way.”
Yonder Alonso, Chase Headley and Andy Parrino homered for San Diego, which had 18 hits.
White Sox starter Dylan Axelrod allowed 3 runs and 8 hits in 52⁄3 innings. He struck out four and walked three.
Axelrod, who posted a 2.89 ERA in 182⁄3 innings with the White Sox last season, is competing with four pitchers for two bullpen spots.
“I’ve had some really good outings and a couple poor ones,” said Axelrod, whose ERA is 5.95. “My ERA isn’t good, but I feel like a couple innings have gotten away from me, kind of blew up my ERA a little bit. I’m not happy with it, but I’m not terribly disappointed either.”
White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski had a run-scoring triple and is batting .268 this spring. He likely will be the No. 2 hitter in the lineup.
“That’s all I’ve been trying to do all spring, not do too much and put the barrel on the ball and let it go where it goes,” Pierzynski said. “I’ve been squaring some balls up, and they’ve been hitting the gaps and a couple of balls have got out.”
NOTES: The Padres optioned C Yasmani Grandal to Triple-A Tucson and reassigned pitcher Alex Hinshaw to minor league camp. . Padres 2B Orlando Hudson (groin strain) is expected to play Thursday. He sat out Wednesday’s game and has played in one of the team’s last 15 games. ... Padres OF Kyle Blanks (left shoulder impingement) took batting practice. He hasn’t played since March 18. ... Padres RHP Luke Gregerson (sore back) threw on the side after missing the previous two games and reported feeling good. . White Sox CF Brent Lillibridge exited after four innings but was OK after RF Alex Rios stepped on his foot during a play in the outfield, bench coach Mark Parent said. ... The White Sox traded minor league OF Christian Marrerro to Atlanta for future cash considerations.
Rockies 8, White Sox 5:
Jamie Moyer threw 92 pitches over 4 innings, the latest step in his comeback bid, and the Colorado Rockies beat a White Sox split squad in Scottsdale, Ariz.
For the Sox, Gavin Floyd, penciled in as the No. 3 starter, looked sharp until the Rockies scored six times in the sixth.