Ziegler pitches perfect inning in debut

JUPITER, Fla. -- There was a Brad Ziegler sighting on Sunday for the Marlins in their 9-9 tie with the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium.
In the fifth inning, the 37-year-old made his first Grapefruit League appearance, and it didn't last very long. The right-hander with the unorthodox delivery retired the side in order, with one strikeout.
One of Miami's top offseason acquisitions, Ziegler has been getting ready on the backfields of the complex. Not because anything is wrong physically, he just doesn't need a bunch of innings in Grapefruit League games to be ready for Opening Day, set for April 3 at Washington.
With his submarine-style of throwing, Ziegler presents a baffling motion for batters.
"It's just a different look," manager Don Mattingly said. "It's a tough look because you don't see it much. It's a different angle. It's different."
Ziegler induced a pair of pop ups to Jhonny Peralta and Stephen Piscotty before striking out Randal Grichuk.
"It's usually not velocity beating you," Mattingly said. "It's more like [for a hitter], where do I start -- what do I try to do with this guy?"
Overall, Ziegler graded out his outing as, "Decent."
"Throwing strikes," he said. "That's a good start. I felt fine. Getting used to the weather."
The Marlins signed Ziegler to a two-year deal in December after he spent 2016 with the D-backs and Red Sox.
From the beginning of Spring Training, the right-hander has been preparing himself mostly during bullpen sessions and facing Minor Leaguers.
"It's a different level of adrenaline when you get in there against hitters on the other team," Ziegler said. "I felt fine."
Seeing the Cardinals enabled Ziegler to let everything loose.
"You pitch differently there because that's our Minor Leaguers," Ziegler said. "I don't want to hit them. I'm not going to throw as many pitches in as I might to guys on another team. When I get in there today, it's like OK, this is my first chance to really hammer this stuff."