Fish draw Rocket in Mexico

Notes: Fish draw Rocket in Mexico

By Joe Frisaro / MLB.com Ticket information

? Marlins strike late to edge Twins

JUPITER, Fla. -- Like the rest of Major League Baseball, the Marlins thought they saw the last of Roger Clemens in the World Series.

Florida will get another glimpse of the Rocket on Saturday in Mexico City of all places.

Clemens will start for the Astros in the first of two games in Mexico City.

The Marlins will counter with Darren Oliver on Saturday and Dontrelle Willis will start on Sunday. Tim Redding is slated to start Sunday for the Astros.

With the Yankees last season, Clemens faced the Marlins in Game 4 of the World Series at Pro Player Stadium. The game was hailed as the Rocket's finale in what will be a Hall of Fame career.

Marlins manager Jack McKeon joked about Clemens' brief retirement at an awards banquet in New York. On the night he received the Manager of the Year award in late January, McKeon gave a short speech. Clemens was in attendance.

McKeon quipped that he was planning on telling his grandkids that he managed in the final game for the great Roger Clemens.

Turning to Clemens, McKeon said, "You went and blew it.

"Everyone got a kick out of that."

The Marlins are sending a majority of their regulars to Mexico City.

Making the trip are Luis Castillo, Juan Pierre, Alex Gonzalez, Miguel Cabrera, Jeff Conine, Hee-Seop Choi and catchers Mike Redmond and Ramon Castro.

Not going are injured third baseman Mike Lowell, who is treating inflammation in his right elbow.

Starters Josh Beckett, Brad Penny and Carl Pavano also are staying back in Jupiter.

Lowell encouraged: Results of a bone scan on Lowell's right elbow were encouraging because they didn't reveal a stress fracture.

The All-Star third baseman is resting about a week to see if the inflammation in his elbow subsides. As a precaution, Lowell had a bone scan taken on Thursday, three days after an MRI showed no structural damage.

Lowell will likely start throwing and batting again on Tuesday.

"I don't want to go six months feeling like this," Lowell said. "I am a little concerned because I feel it. I hope early next week I'll be ready to roll."

Benitez tested: In his second spring outing, closer Armando Benitez gave up two runs in two innings while walking two and striking out two.

Benitez said mechanically he wasn't sound, and he was moving quickly to the plate.

"The more important thing is my location was good," Benitez said.

Benitez worked mostly on breaking balls, his split-finger fastball and sliders.

Benitez jokes about the heckling he received in his first outing, when he loaded the bases, and a fan yelled: "He always does that."

"One day they hate you, one day they love you," Benitez said. "If you pitch good, they like you. If you pitch bad, they don't like you. I'm the same way."

When watching games, Benitez said he would razz a reliever when he didn't get the job done.

Five-man rotation: For the first half of Spring Training, the Marlins have used a four-man rotation.

They are now adding a fifth.

Oliver is being added to the rotation, making his second start of the spring in Mexico City.

The starters will be pitching every fifth day, and their pitch counts will go up to about 60-65 pitches.

By the end of Grapefruit League games, McKeon would like for the starters to be built up enough to throw 100 pitches.

Pavano, who pitched four solid innings in Thursday's 5-4 win over the Twins, says he is building up stamina.

Pavano feels all the Marlins starters are capable of throwing 200-plus innings this season.

"I was working on a few more breaking balls [Thursday]," Pavano said of his 49-pitch performance.

He was testing his breaking pitches behind and ahead in the counts against the predominantly right-handed hitting Twins lineup.

"My main goal was first-pitch strikes and go from there," he said.

Castro on a roll: Strong play from Ramon Castro has caught McKeon's attention. But it's still too early to say the catcher position is settled.

Castro and Mike Redmond are splitting the workload, and the job may end up being split down the middle unless someone gets hot.

"We're looking for someone to step up," McKeon said. "Competition is great. ... Both will get plenty of playing time. But if someone gets on a hot streak, they are going to stay."

"I've been playing good and I feel good," said Castro, who has three homers. "I always had confidence in myself. I'm getting to play more and I'm getting better."

Friday's schedule: Beckett makes his third spring start on Friday, and will toss 55-60 pitches in a meeting with the Cardinals. Alan Benes will start for St. Louis. Also in line to pitch for the Marlins are Ronald Belisario, Mike Flannery, Michael Tejera and Toby Borland.

Joe Frisaro is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.