Minor Matters: Rain Causes Adjustments

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Early morning rains played havoc with minor-league plans Thursday as the Indians and Detroit Tigers cancelled exhibition games because of wet grounds. The Indians instead played a couple intrasquad games on the back fields to get as many players some work as possible. Buffalo beat Akron, 5-2, Kinston topped Lake County, 2-0, and other Class A players had a four-inning game.

Manager Eric Wedge didn't play any of his regular outfielders in the big-league game against Tampa Bay as the Chain of Lakes outfield was in worse shape than the minor-league fields.

Grady Sizemore went 1-for-3 with a triple and walk for Buffalo, then was replaced by Nate Panther, who went 2-for-2 with a double and RBI.

Right-hander Adam Miller, sidelined most of camp by a blistered finger on his throwing hand, gave up one hit over two scoreless innings for the Bisons. He walked one, struck out one and made 29 pitches, being clocked at 90 mph for his fastest offering.

Also for Buffalo, Trevor Crowe went 2-for-4 with a run, two RBI and a steal; Jason Cooper doubled and scored in two ABs; and Michael Aubrey was 1-for-3 with a run and RBI. Ryan Goleski went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts as Akron pitchers fanned 12 in eight innings.

Jensen Lewis started for the Aeros and fanned four over three innings, allowing two walks, two hits and one run. His top clocking was 89 mph.

Rafael Perez hit 90 mph, fanned two and allowed two hits and a run over two innings; Jeff Stevens also had a high speed of 90, fanning four and giving up two hits, two walks and two runs over two innings. Submarine-style reliever Randy Newsom's top speed was only 83. He yielded two walks, two hits and one walk over one inning, striking out two.

Mike Butia hit a two-run homer and walked in three times up, Brian Finegan was 2-for-4 with a double, and Wyatt Toregas doubled in two times up for the Aeros.

Working one hitless inning apiece for Buffalo were T.J. Burton (top speed 91) and James Deters (topped out at 86). RHP Sung Wei-Tseng needed only 16 pitches to work two innings, giving up one hit with a high clocking of 88; J.D. Martin reached 88 on the gun, but gave up four hits and two runs over two innings.

Beau Mills went 1-for-4 with three strikeouts for Kinston. RHP Jeanmar Gomez hit 92 on the gun, made first-pitch strikes to 12 of 15 batters faced and yielded two hits while striking out four over four innings. Scott Roehl, Josh Tomlin and Kyle Collina all topped out at 90 mph. Roehl and Tomlin each worked two hitless innings. Collina gave up two hits and two runs in one inning.

Other top clockings for pitchers used by Lake County were Mike Pontius (92) and Scott Sumner (91) each in two hitless innings; Jonathan Holt (88); Vinnie Pestano (86) and lefty Alan Brech (84).

In the lower-level simulated game, Dallas Cawiezell and Candido Jesus both hit 91 on the gun to lead a large group of pitchers who got work in.