Hey, it's Spring Training. Even when you lose 9-2, you can find things to feel good about. Daniel Bard went five innings, tossed 80+ pitches, gave up three runs—but his arm felt good. In the grand scheme of things, that's the important thing to come out of the night. As he looks to transition from reliever to starter, he needs to go deeper into games than he ever has. Mission accomplished.
As far as the rest of the staff is concerned—not so good. Once again, the bullpen gave up six runs and continues to be a major worry for Bobby Valentine. Tonight, it was Mathis and Albers who combined to cough up four runs. On the other hand, Kelly Shoppach got his first home run of the Spring. Aren't we supposed to get better as we get deeper into Spring Training? Also, when the heck are we going to see a real lineup like other teams are fielding?