ATLANTA -- Tim Hudson says he's ready for the regular season
"despite how that looked today."
Hudson gave up eight hits and seven runs in four innings
Saturday during his Turner Field debut for the Atlanta Braves.
In an odd final exhibition game finale, the Braves used a
six-run 10th inning to rally for an 11-9 win over the Cleveland
Indians, a game that teams agreed would go 11 innings because of
Friday's rainout.
Still, only the first nine innings counted in the spring
training statistics, which showed Cleveland winning 9-5. That means
Adam LaRoche didn't get credit for his three-run homer off David
Riske, not that it will be of any significance once the season
starts next week.
Hudson ended the spring with consecutive poor outings. After
allowing only two runs in his first three games, Hudson gave up 14
runs -- 11 earned -- in his last two starts as his spring training
ERA climbed to 6.63.
"I feel good; I feel ready to go," Hudson said, adding "I was
just missing with some pitches."
"It's definitely not the outing I wanted," he said. "It's
still spring training. If there's one time you want to have a game
like this, it's when it doesn't count. But you want to end on a
good note."
After the game, Braves manager Bobby Cox said he was pushing
Hudson back one day to Thursday in the opening series at Florida.
John Smoltz will start Tuesday's opener and be followed by Mike
Hampton, who pitched two innings Saturday.
Cox attributed the switch to Hudson's high pitch count -- 85
pitches in four innings.
"I don't want to bring him back on three days' rest," Cox
said.
Coco Crisp had two hits and drove in three runs and Aaron Boone
hit a two-run homer for the Indians. Wilson Betemit hit his fourth
homer of the spring for Atlanta.
Cliff Lee gave up five runs, four earned, in five-plus innings
for Cleveland.
The game appeared to be in jeopardy when 30-mph winds and a mix
of rain and sleet chased the Braves off the field during batting
practice. The skies cleared for the start of the game, though the
brisk winds continued.
Game notes
The Braves unveiled a new red jersey and red and blue cap
the team will wear in its 13 Sunday home games. It is the first
uniform change for the Braves since 1987. ... RHP Jorge Sosa,
acquired by the Braves from Tampa Bay on Thursday, gave up a walk
in one inning. ... The Indians set their 25-man roster by optioning
INF Brandon Phillips to Triple-A Buffalo. ... The Braves assigned
seven players to their minor league camp, as RHP Adam Bernero and
OF Ryan Langerhans were among those who made the 25-man roster.
Sent to the minor league camp were RHPs Kevin Barry, Matt Childers,
Buddy Hernandez and Zach Miner, C J.C. Boscan and OFs John Barnes
and Esix Snead.