Another down day for Prior
Actually, he's behind the dark horse.
That was the term applied to raw right-hander Angel Guzman by manager Lou Piniella on Saturday before a powerful three-inning performance by Guzman made another ugly performance by Prior look even worse during the Cubs' 6-5 loss to the Kansas City Royals.
''He's throwing the ball like he wants a spot here,'' Piniella said of Guzman after the game. ''And he's going to get every opportunity to. That was impressive. I told him after he pitched that he threw the ball very well, and I want him to continue to work hard here in camp and not take anything for granted.''
Piniella said Guzman, who had command and a fastball that hummed in the upper 90s on Saturday, likely will get a spring start the next time he pitches.
As for Prior, the manager and the pitcher struggled to find anything good to say on a day he spent two innings missing with his fastball and short-arming his curveball.
''You know what, he threw the ball a little better,'' Piniella said after a pause. ''He couldn't get his breaking ball over at all, and he's pitching with one pitch [an 87-88-mph fastball], and he's not locating that pitch. So it's not really a recipe for success right now.''
The Royals were on almost everything Prior threw near the strike zone, scoring four runs on four hits -- including a home run -- and three walks. Only twice in 40 pitches did a Royals hitter swing and miss.
''I didn't like the way I threw, but I had some positive things out of it,'' Prior said. ''I was a little better out of the windup. The stretch still has some issues. I think now I need to work on my curveball a little bit. I haven't really thrown a lot of those on the side.''
But even Prior didn't sound convinced he'd be ready to open the season in the rotation.
''That's in the back of my mind,'' he said. ''Right now I'm just worried about playing and worried about trying to make myself better. All that comes at the end. If I make myself better and I'm pitching the way I can, then I help the ballclub.''
Though Prior blamed his not-quite-right mechanics for most of his problems -- and insisted he's completely healthy and fully cutting loose with his fastball -- the Royals said his delivery looks no different than when he was at the top of his game.
''It's the same motion,'' said Kansas City manager Buddy Bell, who was in Colorado when Prior was at his best, ''but the same stuff wasn't coming out.''
Former National Leaguer Reggie Sanders called Prior's ineffectiveness ''surprising.''
''He didn't have the velocity that I'm used to,'' Sanders said. ''But maybe he was working on something.''
He better work fast. Before the game, Piniella said he planned to cut the fifth-starter field from three to no more than two by March 20.
And that was before Guzman went from dark horse to a legitimate fourth candidate, joining Prior, Wade Miller and Neal Cotts.
After his first game of the spring, five days earlier, Prior had said it was too early to worry about the results on the mound.
''If I'm doing this three or four weeks from now, obviously, I'll be sending up a panic alarm,'' he said.
He better hope it comes with a snooze button.
SHORT HOPS: Catching prospect Jake Fox went to the manager's office to lobby for some playing time Friday, then came off the bench Saturday and responded with a double and home run. ''He came into my office [Friday] and wanted to talk to me,'' Piniella said. ''Today he let the bat do the talking.''
• Infielder Mike Kinkade was hit on the left hand by a pitch in the sixth inning and left the game. He was to have X-rays in Mesa.
• Once the roster gets cut down by about a dozen players Monday, Piniella plans to start using right fielder Jacque Jones in center on days he rests Alfonso Soriano, he said.
• Cliff Floyd (heel) is scheduled to play his first game of the spring Monday against the Giants in Scottsdale, as the starting left fielder.
• Pitching coach Larry Rothschild said left-hander Sean Marshall, whose tender shoulder early in camp put him about three weeks behind the other pitchers, looked good in a throwing session Saturday morning and could make his Cactus League debut sometime this week.
• Long-relief candidate Michael Wuertz, also set back by shoulder soreness, could get in his first spring game in the next two days, Rothschild said.