Johnson solidifies rotation bid
While manager Joe Girardi isn't ready to proclaim any starter other than Dontrelle Willis, Johnson continued his strong spring showing on Wednesday afternoon at Fort Lauderdale Stadium.
Facing a tough-hitting Orioles squad that started Brian Roberts, Melvin Mora and Miguel Tejada, Johnson overcame a rough first and turned in 3 2/3 solid innings.
Johnson gave up two runs in the first, but he finished strong.
The 6-foot-7 right-hander was tagged for three straight hits, with two runners scoring on a Tejada double. After that, Johnson didn't allow a hit, but he issued one walk.
The Marlins went on to beat the Orioles, 5-2, in a game in which catcher Josh Willingham homered.
"After the first three batters, I felt very good," Johnson said. "I was getting the ball up in the zone (early). Every time out, I've felt better and better."
In some of his early spring outings, Johnson's velocity was down and he wasn't feeling mechanically sound. There was more life on his pitches Wednesday.
Johnson enjoyed being tested by star hitters like Tejada and Mora. He said he was adjusting pitch to pitch with the Baltimore sluggers.
And he was facing a pretty solid starter in rangy Baltimore right-hander Daniel Cabrera.
"I saw him in the (World Baseball Classic), and he was awesome," Johnson said of the Dominican-born Cabrera.
Johnson and Cabrera competed against each other in Class A ball, and now they are at the big-league level.
"I liked the way (Johnson) came back after giving up two runs in the first inning," Girardi said.
Johnson threw 50 pitches and was lifted with two outs in the fourth inning because Girardi wanted to test lefty reliever Josh Stewart against left-handed-hitting Corey Patterson.
In other Minor League news, righty Yusmeiro Petit was optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque after allowing five runs over 5 2/3 innings in three Grapefruit League games.
Acquired from the Mets as part of the Carlos Delgado trade, Petit is considered to have a bright future in the organization. The 21-year-old from Venezuela will just have to wait a bit more for his big-league break.
"He knows how to pitch," Girardi said. "He has the ability to change speeds with all his pitches and locate. He just needs a little more seasoning. Obviously, he was part of a big trade and the organization has a lot of faith in him. He's a young man, and we just feel he needs a little bit more experience."
Petit pitched in a Double-A game against Cardinals Minor Leaguers on Monday. It was his day to pitch, and now the team wants him to get more innings at the Triple-A level.
"I told him today, 'We didn't trade for you to pitch in the Minor Leagues. They traded for you because the Marlins believe you're going to be a pitcher in the big leagues,'" Girardi said. "It's a little bump in the road. He has to go down there with the right attitude."
Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com.