Photo Gallery: A's vs. Indians

The Oakland A's traveled to Goodyear, Arizona, to take on the Cleveland Indians. Cleveland took home the win by a score of 7-6. We have the details and the photos of the game inside...

The Oakland A's starting rotation has been in flux all spring, and the situation wasn't clarified on Friday. Brett Anderson took the mound as one of the leading candidates to be in the A's starting rotation. He threw two scoreless innings, but was lifted after those two frames with forearm stiffness. Anderson downplayed the injury after his outing, however.

“It was just stiffness. They were being precautious. I think it was a result of getting through the first inning and then sitting through a long top of the second inning when we scored four,” Anderson said.

“I told them that I was 100 percent and that I could have gone more, but they were being precautious, which is understandable in spring training.”

James Simmons, called up from minor league camp, relieved Anderson in the third inning and was roughed up for six runs in 2.2 innings. Michael Wuertz and Andrew Bailey combined to throw 2.1 scoreless innings before Jay Marshall allowed the winning run in the eighth inning.

Carl Pavano got the start for Cleveland. The oft-injured right-hander allowed six runs on seven hits and three walks in four innings of work in the Indians’ 7-6 win, but he insisted that he made progress in the outing.

“Result-wise, no one wants to go out there and give up six runs, but there are some things that I am trying to establish right now and I think I took a positive step in that direction,” Pavano said.

Early on, Pavano was making quick work of the A's hitters. He had faced the minimum through five batters when a groundball hit by Daric Barton bounced off of his glove for a base-hit. He walked the next two batters before allowing a bases-clearing triple to Cliff Pennington and a run-scoring single to Rajai Davis. Pavano also allowed a two-run homer to Aaron Cunningham in the fourth inning.

“I felt like I had better life on my ball and I was using my body more, as far as my delivery. These are the adjustments that I have made before and it’s that time of year where you just start falling into it,” Pavano said.

Indians’ manager Eric Wedge isn’t concerned about Pavano’s results.

“He was on-line again and the baseball is doing what he wants it to do, but I felt like he got the ball elevated a little bit. He is a guy who needs to leverage the baseball,” Wedge said.

“This is a veteran guy who knows and has a pretty good feel for what he needs to do to be successful. As long as he feels good and has an understanding of why the baseball is doing what it is doing, or isn’t doing what it is doing, I think that we are going to be okay because he is smart enough to make those adjustments.”

The Indians’ Josh Barfield, who has been making the transition from second baseman to utilityman this spring, got the start in center on Friday and made two diving catches. Wedge has liked what he has seen from Barfield in the outfield thus far.

“He has looked really good. I think that he has looked best in centerfield. The more versatile he can be, the better,” Wedge said.

Barfield feels comfortable in the outfield, especially in centerfield.

“I think center is probably the easiest to play because you are able to see everything. It’s all right in front of you,” Barfield said.

Scott Lewis, a candidate for the Indians' fifth starter spot, threw five scoreless innings and got the win.

"He has pitched as well as anyone in camp," Wedge said.

To view photos of the game, please view the gallery below.