Lackey guards his hand

A sign the season is getting close came when John Lackey threw mostly fastballs and changeups against the division rival Seattle Mariners. Not only that, Lackey won't even bother facing the Oakland Athletics in his last spring start Wednesday. He will pitch in a minor-league game instead.
Lackey's limited arsenal led to predictable results. He gave up nine runs on 10 hits in four innings to the Mariners, including two home runs. Afterward, he admitted that he didn't want to give too much away, but he also confessed that his command was not what it had been in previous starts.
Lackey entered the start with an impressive 0.73 ERA in three spring outings. It stands at 5.51 now, not that the the right-hander is going to worry about it.
“Last time you guys were telling me I was peaking too quick, now you're concerned?” Lackey said. “Come on guys.”