PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Marlins manager Don Mattingly knows his pitchers can't make mistakes to the left-handed batters in the Mets' lineup. Miami starter Severino Gonzalez likely knows that now, too.
Gonzalez, acquired from the Phillies, had been untouched in his first Spring Training with the Marlins, but that changed on Monday when he gave up a solo shot in each of the first three innings of Miami's 6-4 loss at First Data Field.
Asdrubal Cabrera, Lucas Duda and Curtis Granderson all hit big home runs onto the berm behind the right-field fence, and there were two more long foul balls that were hit hard and had the distance.
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"I think they were all pretty legit," Mattingly said. "It wasn't like it was 'Get it in the air and get it going.' I thought they were all hit pretty good. They were all fair."
The Marlins are giving Gonzalez a chance at starting, stretching out the former reliever, but his results on Monday weren't there.
"You've got to get the ball in the right spots. With him, we've started him some, but I'm not quite sure what we're going to do. We need to see him get the ball on both sides of the plate," Mattingly said.
"Their lefties are good at keeping the ball in there, and they do a good job with that. He kept coming back, which I liked."
Gonzalez said his transition to the Marlins, after been placed on waivers, has been good. He's excited about the new opportunity.
"I'm not focusing on starting or relieving, just making the Major League roster. I was trying to work the ball inside, and they have some lefty hitters who were able to make good contact," Gonzalez said through a translator.