SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Veteran third baseman Casey Blake rapped a double and a homer Tuesday for the Rockies on a back field against the Cubs’ Triple-A team.
“I saw my dad after the game, and I went up to him and said, ‘I can still do it,’ ” Blake said. “I was joking, but you always want to know you can still put the bat on the ball and drive the ball out of the park and still play the game.”
Now he must prove it to the Rockies — in a hurry — because he knows the club is ready to go with the combo of Chris Nelson and Jordan Pacheco at third. Blake, 38, is coming off neck surgery and has already missed a week of games because of neck stiffness. He’s 0-for-11 in Cactus League games, and his $2 million contract kicks in only if he makes the 25-man roster.
He knows he’s in a tenuous position but is convinced he can still play.
“Absolutely, I have no doubt,” he said before starting in Thursday night’s game against the Giants.
Moscoso roughed up. Right-hander Guillermo Moscoso’s bid for the job as the fifth starter took a hit Thursday afternoon.
Pitching in a split-squad game against the Padres in Tucson, he allowed five runs on seven hits and walked three in three innings. Moscoso, Tyler Chatwood and Jamie Moyer are in the mix for the final spot.
Footnotes. Lefty Drew Pomeranz said he felt fine after throwing 66 pitches in a minor-league game Wednesday. He was coming back from straining his right glute. … Troy Tulowitzki is sporting a Mohawk but said he’s not making a big statement. “It’s a little short on the sides. It needs to grow out.” … Eric Young Jr., trying to make the team as a utility player, connected for his first home run of the spring against the Padres in Tucson with a leadoff shot. He then tripled in the fifth inning.
Patrick Saunders, The Denver Post
