64°Scattered Clouds
1:05 PM ET, March 14, 2014
Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Florida
Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland, Florida
Associated Press
LAKELAND, Fla. -- LAKELAND, Fla. -- Torii Hunter was 4 for 4, and the Detroit Tigers had 22 hits in a 12-6 win over the Washington Nationals on Friday.Nick Castellanos, Detroit's first pick in the 2010 amateur draft, had three hits and drove in two runs to extend his Grapefruit League-leading RBIs total to 15.Washington starter Taylor Jordan, competing for the Nationals' fifth starting spot, allowed four runs and seven hits in three innings. Detroit had four runs and five hits in the third.Ian Kinsler and Austin Jackson each had doubles in the inning, and Hunter singled in a run. Victor Martinez, making his second spring training start at first base, also singled home a run.Castellanos, slated to be the Tigers' starting third baseman, had an RBI single that capped a 12-pitch at-bat against Luis Ayala during a five-run fourth inning. Castellanos is hitting .441."Any time you have a 12-pitch at bat and drive in a run with two outs, it's a pretty good at bat," he said.Detroit starter Rick Porcello allowed five runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.Nate McLouth and Tyler Moore each had two hits for the Nationals.FOR STARTERSNationals: Jordan wasn't pleased with his outing and said he didn't get much help from plate umpire Andy Fletcher."I wasn't locating pitches very well, and I wasn't getting the low called strikes like I should have," Jordan said. "I was trying to adjust to the strike zone, and they hit me around a little bit."Still, he said his struggles weren't Fletcher's fault."I didn't feel like I had any command with any pitch," Jordan said. "A lot of the pitches, I was just babying."Nationals manager Matt Williams said Jordan needs to stay with his fastball more."The pitches he got beat on were breaking balls and changeups," Williams said. "The fastball sinks in the low-to- mid 90s, and we encourage him to use that."Tigers: Porcello threw 72 pitches and said for the most part he was pleased, especially with his breaking ball and changeup."On the negative side, the sinker was a little flat," he said. "Most of the damage I gave up was on fastballs that didn't sink."TRAINER'S ROOMTigers: Shortstop Jose Iglesias, who hasn't played since the Tigers' opener on Feb. 27 because of a shin problem, saw a pain-management specialist on Friday. Dr. Rick Smith of Winter Haven was scheduled to treat Iglesias with a micro-current machine with biofeedback, according to Tigers head trainer Kevin Rand.The condition, Rand said, is severe type of shin splints and is causing Iglesias pain when he runs."We're trying to manage his pain and get him some relief," Rand said. "The feeling is if we can get him some relief there, then he can resume his normal activities."Nationals: Right-hander Doug Fister, bothered by inflammation in his right elbow, threw a bullpen session on Friday, and Williams said he thinks Fister will be fine. "It's not a concern," Williams said, apparently referring to a scan. "All the pictures came back good."Williams said the team will not rush Fister back on the mound. "We have to make sure we have him for the whole season and not rush him too quickly and lose him. All indications are everything's good; the soreness and inflammation, we have to get out of there.Infielder Ryan Zimmerman's sore right shoulder is feeling better, Williams said. Zimmerman is expected to play Saturday in either a major or minor league exhibition. Shortstop Ian Desmond tested his injured finger with some light swings in Viera and Williams said "he's on his way." Desmond, who was hit by a grounder during pregame warmups Tuesday, did not make the trip to Lakeland.AGGRESSIVE BASERUNNINGTiger manager Brad Ausmus wants his team to be more aggressive on the bases. The Tigers, who stole 35 bases all last year, were 3 for 4 in stolen-base attempts Friday and 20 for 26 overall."I wasn't here last year but I've liked what I've seen," Ausmus said. "It'll change once the season starts, but right now everyone has the green light."Eleven players have stolen at least one base; Rajai Davis leads with four.GLAD BONDS IS BACKWilliams, who played with Barry Bonds in San Francisco, said Friday he's glad to see Bonds back in the game as a spring training instructor with the San Francisco Giants."He brings a lot of knowledge of baseball with him. I think he can be valuable to that organization and their players from a mental side," Williams said. "I was fortunate to be the guy who got to hit behind him for a few years. He's the best I've ever seen."
Copyright by STATS LLC and The Associated Press
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