PORT CHARLOTTE, FLORIDA – Tampa Bay Rays rookie Yoshitomo Tsutsugo slugged his first major league home run — albeit a preseason one — on Monday in a 2-2 tie with the Boston Red Sox.
After getting a hit in his preseason debut on Sunday, Tsutsugo tied Monday’s game at 1-1 in the fourth inning after crushing a fastball from Red Sox left-hander Jeffrey Springs into the left-center deck at Charlotte Sports Park.
“It felt good. I was conscious to some degree of (hitting to) the opposite side (left-center field),” said Tsutsugo.
Tsutsugo, who joined the Rays after 10 seasons with the Yokohama BayStars, is now 2-for-2 with a single and a home run this preseason, and has drawn two walks in four plate appearances.
“The regular season is the most important, so I’ll just keep preparing for the season,” he said.
In Fort Myers, Florida, Kenta Maeda got off to a memorable start for the Minnesota Twins.
The Twins newcomer gave up a home run to Boston’s Andrew Benintendi to begin the game Monday, prompting him to laugh later.
“First time facing hitters so I just wanted to get that feel back,” Maeda said through an interpreter. “And I wasn’t scheduled to give up a home run on the first hitter, just so you know.”
Maeda threw 37 pitches in two innings, allowing two hits with one walk and one strikeout. The Twins won 3-2.
“Everything felt fine. Velocity is up there way more than I expected,” he said. “It’s just the little things that need to be refined, adjusted.”
It’s all about adjustments for Maeda right now.
Maeda, who turns 32 in April, is entering his fifth MLB season after four with the Dodgers and eight years in NPB. He went 10-8 with a 4.04 ERA last season for Los Angeles.
Minnesota acquired the right-hander earlier this month in a deal that sent its top pitching prospect, right-hander Brusdar Graterol, to the Dodgers. The move came after a three-team deal that included the Red Sox fell through.
After less than two weeks with his new team, Maeda is still settling in with the AL Central champions.
“It’s a fresh start, a new team and I’m simply very excited,” he said.
Maeda will be part of the Twins rotation after splitting last season between the rotation and bullpen for the Dodgers. But, it’s not just his on-field ability that intrigues the Twins.
“He’s experienced a lot of things in life, but also he’s pitched in some very unique situations and circumstances,” Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli said. “So, I think as he gets to know the group, as the group really gets to know him, I think the exchange of, really, everything.
“I hope there are plenty of conversations amongst all our players, not just our pitchers, with Kenta because I think he’s seen a lot and done a lot and these are things that can rub off on our guys in a really positive way.”
Baldelli liked what he saw Monday.
“First outing today with a new team, in front of a new group, a lot of firsts,” the manager stated. “Even though he’s a veteran, they’re still firsts. All that being said, it’s been about as smooth as you could ask for.
“I think he’s very comfortable in his surroundings over here. We have a pretty relaxed clubhouse. So whatever somebody needs to do to put themselves in a good place, we want to offer them that and give them every opportunity to be comfortable in their own skin and not feel like there are any crazy expectations as far as what we’re going to ask them to do.”
Maeda expects working with new catchers will be just as smooth. Alex Avila, also in his first season with the Twins and the likely backup for incumbent Mitch Garver, was behind the plate for this game.
“Not worried at all,” Maeda said. “We have great catchers here. I’m sure I’ll be throwing to all of them and we just need to communicate more. I don’t think it’s a warning factor.”
How long does it take him to get comfortable with a new catcher?
“First time,” Maeda said. “Obviously, that’s with all the practices we go through in spring training. First game, I’m good.”
Elsewhere, Toronto Blue Jays rookie Shun Yamaguchi had a shaky preseason debut, giving up three hits, three runs and a walk while also hitting a batter in two-thirds of an inning. The Blue Jays rallied to beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 in a Grapefruit League clash.
Yamaguchi said one of his biggest challenges will be adjusting to the larger balls used in MLB
“I think it’s best to get used to the ball,” Yamaguchi said. “I need to take steps to make sure that my feeling doesn’t change like it did in this game when I make small adjustments to the ball.”
In Jupiter, Florida, Miami Marlins spring training invitee Gosuke Kato singled and scored a run in a 6-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals .
Junichi Tazawa, now on a minor league contract with Cincinnati, tossed a scoreless inning in the Reds’ 9-6 win against the Texas Rangers in Goodyear, Arizona.
Source : Baseball – The Japan Times