Izzy throws eventful, shutout inning in loss

JUPITER, Fla -- Jason Isringhausen's spring training debut, a date circled on the calendar for months, was suspense-filled like a lot of his games. It was a big success for the St. Louis Cardinals' closer not because he wriggled out of a jam, but because his surgically-repaired hip was no factor.

Isringhausen, who missed the team's first World Series title in 24 years, loaded the bases with none out before escaping without damage in the first inning of Thursday's 3-1 loss to a Los Angeles Dodgers split squad.

"I thought he was really in control," pitching coach Dave Duncan said. "His delivery looked great and his command was outstanding."

Isringhausen pitched the first inning instead of the last so the team could control the timing of his stint and so he could throw to major league hitters. At this juncture of spring training, mostly minor leaguers are in the lineup at the end of the game.

"I wanted to judge my stuff, and I was able to keep guys off-balance," Isringhausen said. "Even though there were base hits, they weren't hit real hard."

Isringhausen was most pleased that of his 16 pitches, 14 were strikes. He issued 38 walks in 58 innings last season en route to a career-worst 10 blown saves before undergoing surgery in September.

"That's something I struggled with all year," Isringhausen said. "That's my goal right now, to be able to throw all of my pitches for strikes any time I want on both sides of the plate. I just want to pound the strike zone."

Tony Abreu opened the game with a sharp grounder up the middle that Isringhausen knocked down but well in front of him on a play ruled a fielding error. Juan Pierre followed with a soft single between shortstop and third, and James Loney loaded the bases with none out with an infield hit, a chopper that bounced high over Isringhausen's head.

Isringhausen got out of the jam when Andy LaRoche popped up weakly to second, Andre Ethier took a called third strike, and Matt Kemp lined out to left on Preston Wilson's sliding catch. Isringhausen is scheduled to pitch again Sunday, although the Cardinals don't plan on him working in consecutive games during the rest of the spring.

"He would have to have an awfully low pitch count on the first day, and if that happens, we might consider it," Duncan said. "I don't know how necessary it is."

Adam Wainwright took over in the second and quickly allowed his first runs of the spring in on RBI singles by Abreu and Pierre.

Wainwright allowed two runs on seven hits in five innings with four strikeouts and no walks. Entering the game he had given up no runs in 10 innings.

"I think they just did a good job of finding holes," Wainwright said. "They hit some good pitches."