SPORTS/RELIGION THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2015 9A Hurry up! Nats, Cubs, Red Sox on the clock :DUULRUVEODQNWKH &KHHVHPDNHUV By BEN WALKER AP Baseball Writer Even before Max Scherzer, Bryce Harper and the rest of the ramped-up :DVKLQJWRQ 1DWLRQDOV KLW WKH ¿HOG IRU WKHLU¿UVWIXOOVTXDGZRUNRXWDWVSULQJ training, they got the message. 7KHUHLWZDVSULQWHGDFURVVWKHWRS of a practice schedule posted in the clubhouse at Space Coast Stadium. Simple and direct, from manager Matt Williams. “The road to the World Series be- gins today.” A challenge? A prediction? A state- ment? Or, perhaps, a rally cry from Wrig- OH\ )LHOG WR )HQZD\ 3DUN WR 'RGJHU Stadium. Because as Major League Baseball launches speed-up rules this year to cut the length of games, a lot RIWHDPVZLOOEHRQWKHFORFNZKHQWKH season begins Sunday night. 7KURZ LQ WKH UHWXUQ RI $OH[ 5R- driguez from a drug suspension, the SRVVLEOH UHLQVWDWHPHQW RI 3HWH 5RVH — imagine the roar he’d get at the All- Star Game in Cincinnati — and fresh LGHDVSLWFKHGE\QHZ&RPPLVVLRQHU5RE Manfred, and it’s a full plate going into opening day. “There are so many plot lines unfold- ing, especially at the start of the year. It’s OLNHDYHU\PHDW\QRYHO²SHRSOHZDQWWR VHH KRZ LW¶V JRLQJ WR WXUQ RXW´7RURQWR %OXH-D\VVDJH5$'LFNH\VDLG )DQVDUHLQDKXUU\WRWDNHWKHLUVHDWV They just might need a little extra time at WKHEDOOSDUNVWRJHWWKURXJKWKHPHWDOGH- tectors that are of enhanced security. &KLFDJR &XEV QHZFRPHU -RQ /HVWHU ZLOOWKURZWKH¿UVWSLWFKRIWKHVHDVRQD Sunday night special against St. Louis. +RSHVSULQJVHWHUQDODOORYHUDQGQRZ WKHUH¶V D VSHFLDO NLQG RI &KLFDJR +RSH &UHGLWWKDWWRDNH\IUHHDJHQW²ZLO\RO¶ manager Joe Maddon. 7KH &XEV KDYHQ¶W ZRQ WKH FURZQ VLQFHEHIRUH:ULJOH\ZDVEXLOW$V WKHIDEOHGEDOOSDUNJHWVDUHQRYDWLRQWKDW includes a giant, bright video board, the franchise is being refurbished, too. ³,DOZD\VIHHOJRRGYLEHVLQEDVHEDOO´ Maddon said. The feeling is mutual across the big leagues. From Cuba to Canada, from the %D\$UHDWRWKHVQRZEHVLHJHG1RUWKHDVW great expectations abound. 3DEOR6DQGRYDO+DQOH\5DPLUH]DQG The Daily Astorian :$55(1721 ² 7KH Warrenton Warriors scored in every at-bat Thursday af- WHUQRRQDQGSLWFKHUV%URFN Johnson and Joe Little did the rest in an 11-0 non- OHDJXH EDVHEDOO ZLQ RYHU 7LOODPRRN DW +XGGOHVWRQ Field. The Warriors had all the UXQVWKH\ZRXOGQHHGLQWKH ILUVW LQQLQJ ZKHQ -XVWLFH :DWVRQZDVKLWE\DSLWFKWR lead off, then scored on an infield single by Little, cou- SOHGZLWKD7LOODPRRNHUURU 7LOODPRRN FRPPLWWHG five errors on the day, and WKUHH 7LOODPRRN SLWFKHUV VWUXJJOHG WR ILQG WKH VWULNH zone. The Warriors scored six runs in the third inning on WKUHH EDVHVORDGHG ZDONV DQGDZLOGSLWFKZLWKDWZR run single by Little to left field scoring Kory Thomas and Watson for a 9-0 advan- tage. On the mound, Johnson JDYH XS MXVW WZR KLWV DQG D ZDONLQIRXULQQLQJVEHIRUH Little closed out the fifth and final inning. Warrenton had seven KLWV WZR HDFK IURP *DYRQ McFadden and Little. The Warriors are sched- uled to host a doubleheader ZLWK:LOODPLQDDWQRRQ6DW- urday. AP Photo/John Bazemore Washington Nationals starting pitcher Jordan Zimmermann (27) works in an exhibition spring training baseball game against the Miami Marlins Wednesday in Jupiter, Fla. WKH UHPDGH %RVWRQ 5HG 6R[ 1HOVRQ &UX]ZLWKWKHUXQVWDUYHG6HDWWOH0DU- LQHUV -LPP\ 5ROOLQV DQG WKH /RV$Q- JHOHV'RGJHUVZLWKWKHLUPLOOLRQ payroll. Hey, if Kansas City can come so close in the World Series — should Alex Gor- GRQKDYHWULHGWRVFRUHLQ*DPH"²DQG 3LWWVEXUJK FDQ EORVVRP LQWR D SHUHQQLDO playoff contender, then any club truly can reverse its fortunes. ³