KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) - Scott Feldman and a few of the Houston Astros beat the rain.
Feldman and Brad Peacock pitched in a morning B game Thursday before the scheduled afternoon exhibition against the rest of the New York Mets was rained out.
“It was nice to get the work in. This weather doesn’t look too good,” Feldman said after pitching three shutout innings in Houston’s 6-2, seven-inning victory over New York.
“I do hate it when you get all prepared and then the game gets rained out. It’s pretty annoying, but this was nice. I was happy we got it in,” he said.
Anticipating the rain that would come later in the day, the Astros kept both starters on schedule by moving them to the morning game on a field behind Osceola County Stadium.
“If we would have been rained out and not had the B squad game, now your pitching starts to get backed up,” manager Bo Porter said. “Fortunately for us, it was perfect timing as far as getting those guys their innings.”
The Mets’ first bus, loaded with B game players, left Port St. Lucie at 7:30 a.m. The team scheduled to play in the afternoon game left an hour later, only to turn around and go back when the hard rain arrived and the game got canceled.
By then Feldman and Peacock, who pitched two innings and threw 15 more pitches in the bullpen, were finished for the day.
“You’ve got to just take it for what it is and get your work in,” said Feldman, who didn’t mind pitching in the low-key setting.
“Just because there’s not a bunch of fans, you’ve still got to make your pitches,” he said. “I try to really focus and treat it like it was a regular game during the season.”
“A lot of times in spring training, you know the atmosphere is going to be way different during the season, but you try to treat it exactly the same.”
NICE IMPRESSION
Carlos Correa, the 19-year-old shortstop drafted first overall in 2012, drove in two runs with a double and a single off Mets starter Logan Verrett.
Japhet Amador, who signed with the Astros last summer after a big season in the Mexican League, singled off Erik Goeddel in his first at-bat in a game. Amador, who arrived late because of a family problem, is scheduled to play in a regular game for the first time Saturday.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pitcher Mark Appel, the first overall pick in 2013, is throwing on the side but still recovering from his January appendectomy.
“We’re going to take it slow with him,” Porter said. “He’s progressing, but at this point of the spring there’s no sense in rushing him or hurrying him.”
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