Slowey sets strong pitching tone as late sub

TAMPA, Fla. -- Long reliever Kevin Slowey started Friday night's exhibition game in place of Jacob Turner for two reasons.

Manager Mike Redmond wanted Turner, who will be No. 4 in the Marlins' starting rotation during the regular season, to stay behind in Jupiter, Fla., to pitch in a Minor League game.

"We wanted to control the amount of innings he threw, and we can do that better in a Minor League game," Redmond explained.

In addition, Redmond wanted to set his bullpen up for Monday's season opener against the Rockies.

Slowey and a quartet of Marlins relievers -- Carlos Marmol, Dan Jennings, A.J. Ramos and Mike Dunn -- responded by holding the Yankees hitless until the eighth inning, when New York banged out three hits and two runs off closer Steve Cishek for a 3-0 win.

"I started to think we were going to throw another no-hitter and lose 1-0," said Redmond, referring to the Marlins' no-hit victory over the Yankees in Panama on March 15.

The Yankees were leading, 1-0 -- thanks to an unearned run in the fourth inning off Marmol -- when Redmond brought Cishek in to pitch the eighth.

"It's been a little bit of a struggle for him all spring," Redmond said. "I'm sure, when the lights come on and he's in a save situation, he'll be fine." 

Slowey worked the first three innings against the Yankees and was perfect, facing the minimum nine batters and striking out two. He threw 44 pitches, 27 of them for strikes. It was his sixth appearance and third start of the spring.