Fullabull
03-30-2002, 08:34 AM
A's watch:
Hudson, who as a senior at Auburn University hit .396 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs on the way to All-America and Southeast Conference Player of the Year honors, was just as pleased with his two-run single off Rueter as he was with his economical outing. "My first time up, I was taking all the way," Hudson said. "I was planning to not swing the bat, because I didn't want to risk a freak injury or anything like that. But the second time, hey, bases loaded, two outs ... I'm hackin'." Asked what pitch he hit, Hudson smiled and said, "Oh man, it was a nasty ol' hard-bitin' slider." Then he fessed up: "OK, it was a fastball. He just kept throwing me fastballs. Maybe he thought I was taking all the way again." ... Hudson said the pitch Bonds hit out was a good fastball on the outer third of the plate. "He's somebody I don't match up with real well," Hudson explained. "I'm a low-ball pitcher and he's a low-ball smacker." ... Rookie 1B Carlos Peña changed from uniform No. 19 to No. 2 before the game. Why? It looks better with his autograph. "Nineteen looked off balance to me," he said. Peña's balance was excellent in the second inning, when he made a nice sweeping tag on Benito Santiago after SS Miguel Tejada's throw from short center field pulled Peña off the bag. ... 3B Eric Chavez has been an extra-base hit machine of late. His two-run double to the wall in right-center during the sixth inning was his seventh double of the spring, and he has five home runs among his 17 hits in Cactus League play. ... Jim Mecir worked a hitless seventh with one walk, Billy Koch struck out two while working a perfect eighth inning, and Matt Miller struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Miller has not allowed a run or a walk in 10 outings this spring; he's allowed eight hits over 13 innings. ... Oakland's 11 hits came from 11 players.
Hudson, who as a senior at Auburn University hit .396 with 18 homers and 95 RBIs on the way to All-America and Southeast Conference Player of the Year honors, was just as pleased with his two-run single off Rueter as he was with his economical outing. "My first time up, I was taking all the way," Hudson said. "I was planning to not swing the bat, because I didn't want to risk a freak injury or anything like that. But the second time, hey, bases loaded, two outs ... I'm hackin'." Asked what pitch he hit, Hudson smiled and said, "Oh man, it was a nasty ol' hard-bitin' slider." Then he fessed up: "OK, it was a fastball. He just kept throwing me fastballs. Maybe he thought I was taking all the way again." ... Hudson said the pitch Bonds hit out was a good fastball on the outer third of the plate. "He's somebody I don't match up with real well," Hudson explained. "I'm a low-ball pitcher and he's a low-ball smacker." ... Rookie 1B Carlos Peña changed from uniform No. 19 to No. 2 before the game. Why? It looks better with his autograph. "Nineteen looked off balance to me," he said. Peña's balance was excellent in the second inning, when he made a nice sweeping tag on Benito Santiago after SS Miguel Tejada's throw from short center field pulled Peña off the bag. ... 3B Eric Chavez has been an extra-base hit machine of late. His two-run double to the wall in right-center during the sixth inning was his seventh double of the spring, and he has five home runs among his 17 hits in Cactus League play. ... Jim Mecir worked a hitless seventh with one walk, Billy Koch struck out two while working a perfect eighth inning, and Matt Miller struck out two in a scoreless ninth. Miller has not allowed a run or a walk in 10 outings this spring; he's allowed eight hits over 13 innings. ... Oakland's 11 hits came from 11 players.