Strasburg strikes out six in three innings for Nationals

Stephen Strasburg's sinker may still be a work in progress. His other pitches seem to be rounding into shape quite nicely.

After giving up back-to-back singles – both on sinkers – to start the game, the Washington ace struck out six over three innings Thursday night in a 4-all tie with the New York Mets. The game was called after 10 innings.

Strasburg, expected to be the Nationals' opening day starter, already has an overpowering fastball, a wicked curve and a changeup that just doesn't seem fair. A big goal this spring is getting a better feel for his sinker, but he admitted he's still struggling with it.

“I need to get over the idea of throwing it harder will make it better,” he said. “I feel like I'm just kind of throwing through the sink and it's kind of flattening out. I want to throw it a little bit slower, let it move a little bit more and I'll get better results.”

The 24-year-old right-hander is also working on calming himself down and not getting too pumped up in the first inning, which causes him to rush through his delivery. He struggled with that a little bit in his initial spring outing – he gave up a single and home run to the first two Mets batters – but made the adjustment much quicker Thursday night.

“Being so early, I don't feel like I've had enough mound time for it to just click, and not really think about it,” Strasburg said. “I'm still trying to feel it out a little bit. The good thing is I felt good when I came out. That's the bottom line.”

While Strasburg gave up a run on three hits while also walking two, the Mets got a look at one of their bright, young arms in the form of 22-year-old right-hander Rafael Montero.

Montero was the team's minor league pitcher of the year last season. He made his first spring start and threw two innings, giving up three hits – all doubles – and one run.

Maurer, wife expecting twins, of course

As news spread that Joe Mauer and his wife are expecting twins in August, the All-Star catcher had two hits with an RBI, a walk and two runs scored to lead the Minnesota Twins over the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 on Thursday.

Mauer said he and his family have known for a while about his impending fatherhood. He used the word “blessing” several times in describing his emotions to the media.

Mauer said the twins are expected at the end of August. By then, Mauer's team could be much improved from last season's 66-96 finish should the Twins extend their hot spring training starts into the regular season.

First baseman Justin Morneau, who rarely played on back-to-back days last spring while recovering from post-concussion symptoms, played for the fifth consecutive game Thursday and went 2 for 3 with a two-run double. Morneau plans on representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic.

Cano receives offer

The Record of New Jersey Robinson Cano has received a “significant” offer from the Yankees, according to general manager Brian Cashman, who revealed the important early effort to keep his All-Star second baseman from hitting the free agent market this fall.

“We've made an offer to him. We've made a significant offer to him,” Cashman said on Thursday, though he refused to further elaborate.

Briefly

•  World Baseball Classic: South Korea is seen as the favorite of the four-team Group B, which starts play Saturday (10:30 p.m. tonight CST) in the opening round of the World Baseball Classic at Taipei, Taiwan. Host Taiwan plays Australia in the first game tonight. Group D, which includes the U.S. team, opens next weekend in Phoenix.

•  Yankees: Closer Mariano Rivera was all smiles after throwing 18 pitches Thursday in his first simulated game since knee surgery last spring. “I feel good,” Rivera said. “I feel real good. Getting stronger and stronger.” The 43-year old pitched one inning against Yankees' minor leaguers. He also fielded and covered first base.

Rivera pitched in nine games last year, his season ending when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while tracking down a fly ball during batting practice in Kansas City on May 3. He had surgery on June 12.

Yankees ace CC Sabathia, likely to start the season opener against Boston on April 1, threw 46 pitches over two innings during his initial simulated game. The left-hander had offseason left elbow bone spur surgery.

David Phelps allowed two hits over three scoreless innings as a New York spilt squad lost 1-0 to the Toronto Blue Jays. Phelps struck out one and walked one, and has not given up a run in five innings over two starts. He could earn a spot in the rotation to start the season if Phil Hughes remains sidelined by a bulging disk. Hughes is working out in a pool and might resume throwing in a few days.

•  Giants: San Francisco outfielder Andres Torres won't play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic and will be sidelined for at least a week because of a strained oblique. The Giants made the announcement Thursday, a day after he got hurt during a swing and had an MRI. The 35-year-old Torres helped San Francisco win the World Series in 2010 and rejoined the Giants in December. He also has played for the Detroit Tigers, Texas Rangers and New York Mets.

•  Indians: A hot dog and a beer will cost less at Cleveland's Progressive Field this year. So will nachos, pretzels, popcorn, pizza and bratwursts. The Cleveland Indians announced the rollback of concession prices on Thursday. Team president Mark Shapiro said it came in response to fans who have called for more affordable food and drink at the ballpark. The team said hot dogs will start at $3 – a 33 percent reduction – and 12-ounce domestic beers will be $4, a drop of 24 percent, during the 2013 season. Prices of nachos, pretzels, popcorn, pizza and bratwursts will drop by 25 percent. Plus, soda refills will be only $2. Plus, the number of $1 hot dog nights at the stadium will increase to 15 – six more than last season.

•  Phillies: Ryan Howard hit his first home run of spring training, an opposite-field drive to left off All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel in Philadelphia’s 10-5 win over Atlanta. Howard, who didn't play until July last year while recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon, has started all six of Philadelphia's exhibition games this year and is 8 for 15 (.533) with three doubles and a homer.

•  Cardinals: OF Carlos Beltran bruised the little toe on his right foot when he was hit by a pitch in the first inning of the Cardinals' 8-2 victory over the Miami Marlins. RHP Jake Westbrook bruised his left leg below the knee on a grounder hit by Casey Kotchman in the second inning. Beltran's X-rays were negative, but he said the injury was painful, and he was unsure whether it would affect his plans to play for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic.

•  Marlins: Giancarlo Stanton had a triple, double, single and walk as Miami lost to St Louis. Last year's NL slugging champion finished February with a slugging percentage of 1.000 and is impressing new manager Redmond.

•  Red Sox: John Lackey retired Pittsburgh on eight pitches in the first inning of a 16-6 Boston win. Then he labored through a 35-pitch second inning. Lackey, who missed last season following elbow ligament-replacement surgery, was making his second spring training start. Lackey threw only fastballs in his one inning last weekend against Tampa Bay. He mixed in offspeed pitches against the Pirates. ... 3B Will Middlebrooks took batting practice, a few hours after being cleared by a wrist specialist. Middlebrooks left Wednesday night's game when he felt pain in his right wrist on a checked swing.

•  Rays: Evan Longoria had two hits in his second spring game in Tampa Bay’s 11-2 loss to Detroit. Longoria improved to 4 for 5 at the plate this spring after getting off to a late start following offseason back surgery.

•  Astros: Brandon Laird hit a grand slam and Rick Ankiel hit his first home run of the spring, leading Houston to a 7-6 victory over a Yankees split squad. Laird's grand slam came in the sixth inning off loser Shane Greene.

•  Dodgers: It didn't take long for Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Luis Cruz to recover from food poisoning.

In his first at-bat after two days in bed, Cruz hit a two-run homer that helped the Dodgers beat the Angels 10-8 Thursday and leave their Los Angeles rival with an 0-5-2 record at spring training.

Clayton Kershaw struck out seven over three innings in his second spring training appearance. Preparing to face San Francisco on April 1 in his third straight opening-day start, Kershaw allowed three runs – two earned – and six hits, walking none.

•  Mariners: Jon Garland (labrum and rotator cuff surgery) pitched for the first time in nearly 20 months and Seattle won its sixth straight, beating San Francisco 4-3.

•  Mets : Reliever Pedro Feliciano, with a rare genetic heart condition, has been cleared to resume baseball activity while wearing a heart monitor.

Garland sees 1st action in 20 months for Mariners

Jon Garland felt a little out of place at the beginning before settling in and relying on what he knows best.

Garland pitched for the first time in nearly 20 months, Franklin Gutierrez and Nick Franklin hit home runs and the Seattle Mariners won their sixth straight, beating the San Francisco Giants 4-3 on Thursday.

“It was a little weird,” Garland said. “But it felt good to get out there for a true game situation. I've done my throwing and my bullpens but I have not been out there with umpires and guys in uniforms for a long time.”

Garland was 1-5 with a 4.33 ERA in just nine starts for the Los Angeles Dodgers before labrum and rotator cuff surgery ended his 2011 season in July. He tried to make it back last year with Cleveland but suffered complications.

“There was definitely more adrenaline going than usual,” Garland said. “I really just wanted to come out of it healthy. I felt good about my pitches and how I was throwing.”

Justin Smoak collected two more hits and drove in a run for the Mariners. Alex Liddi also drove in a run as Seattle matched its longest spring win streak since 2004.

Brandon Belt had two hits, including a homer, and scored both runs for the Giants, who are winless in their last five games. Brandon Crawford and Cole Gillespie also drove in runs.

Garland was satisfied with a brief outing in which he allowed a hit and walked one in one inning.

“To a certain extent I felt that was where I belonged,” Garland said. “I felt good about that.”

Garland's impressive resume includes two 18-win seasons (2005, 2006) for the Chicago White Sox. He has won at least 12 games seven times and pitched at least 200 innings in six seasons. He has a 132-119 record with a 4.32 ERA in 330 starts.

Smoak is hitting .583 this spring with six RBIs.

Giants ace Matt Cain lasted three innings, giving up three runs on four hits. He walked one and struck out two.

“Everything felt good,” Cain said. “I was inconsistent with my location. I was a little bit out of rhythm and I'll need to work on that.”

Cain said he declined an invitation to play with Team USA because of the way the Giants' season played out last year and throwing an excess of pitches.

“I just felt better in taking some time and going through spring training,” Cain said. “With the (World Baseball Classic) you had to ramp it up early. I felt I could benefit from spring training.”

The Giants' – and the Cincinnati Reds' – rotation stayed healthy and each made all their starts last year. That hasn't happened since the 2005 White Sox pitching staff went through a healthy season.

“You know it's rare when it hasn't been done for a while,” Cain said. “It's hard to stay healthy. Then you get five guys trying to stay together. I just want to make all my starts. If I can do that, I feel good things will happen.”

NOTES: Garland allowed three runs on five hits over six innings in his last Major League appearance on June 2, 2011. … The Mariners have hit a Major League best 14 home runs. … LHP James Paxton will start Friday's game against the Texas Rangers. … Giants manager Bruce Bochy wrote a lineup that included most of his Opening Day starters, including Cain. He cited the loss of several players to the World Baseball Classic this weekend as the reason. … LHP Madison Bumgarner will make his second start of the spring for the Giants at Oakland on Friday. He will be opposed by A's RHP Jarrod Parker. … The Giants played to a tie in each of their previous three games and all six games have been decided by three runs or less.

Mets LHP Feliciano OK to resume baseball activity

New York Mets reliever Pedro Feliciano has been cleared to resume baseball activity while wearing a heart monitor.

Manager Terry Collins said he thinks Feliciano will have enough time in spring training to get ready for the start of the season.

“He's cleared to do everything, which is a great sign,” Collins said before Thursday night's game against Washington. “Obviously, since he hasn't thrown in a while, I'm sure (pitching coach) Dan (Warthen) has a schedule to throw him a couple times to make sure it doesn't inhibit him from doing some stuff.”

The 36-year-old Feliciano was with the New York Yankees for the last two seasons but didn't pitch in any games because of shoulder trouble.

Feliciano visited the Minneapolis Heart Institute Clinic at Abbott Northwestern Hospital on Wednesday for tests. The exams showed he had a rare genetic condition called left ventricular noncompaction. It results from the failure of myocardial development from birth.

“I am ready to return to spring training with my team,” Feliciano in a statement sent by his representatives. “I will attend my ailment that was discovered during a routine checkup and not because of pain.

“I can honestly say it will not keep me up at night. I will be on top of my condition but it will not stop me from playing baseball,” he said.

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