Wednesday’s Indians/pirates exhibition baseball games

Giants 5, Indians 3

GOODYEAR, Ariz.

Kevin Slowey remains in the race for the Indians’ final rotation spot. He’s just not gaining ground. Slowey gave up four runs over four innings in another so-so effort in the Indians’ loss to the Giants. “He had the one bad inning, other than that he was able to locate his pitches,” manager Manny Acta said of Slowey, acquired from Colorado in January. Brett Pill hit a three-run homer in the fourth off Slowey. The shot far over the left-field fence sent a group of fans scrambling in the sunbaked sand outside Goodyear Ballpark for a Cactus League souvenir. Even Slowey admits his battle with lefty David Huff and right-handers Zach McAllister and Jeanmar Gomez is not as close. “Jeanmar is doing quite a job,” Slowey said. “As far as the rest of us, there’s been parts and flashes. But if you look at the way he’s throwing, it is tough not to say, ‘Man, that guy is really getting the job done.’” Slowey is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA; Gomez is 1-0 and has yet to yield a run in 11 innings. “I threw a lot of strikes early, then started throwing hittable strikes,” said Slowey.

Pirates 6, Red Sox 5

BRADENTON, Fla.

Jon Lester allowed four runs in the third inning, when Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker hit run-scoring singles and Matt Hague hit his third spring-training homer, a two-run drive. Nate McLouth hit a two-run homer in the seventh off new Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey. Hague, who led the International League in hits last year, went 2 for 3 with a home run and raised his average to .429. Pirates starter Kevin Correia ran his scoreless streak to 101⁄3 innings before Josh Kroeger singled in a run in the second. Pittsburgh’s opening day starter a year ago, Correia gave up four runs and eight hits in five innings and allowed a long home run to Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the fourth. “I was pretty efficient today as far as pitch count was concerned,” Correia said.

Associated Press