I’d love to sell you some magic beans, a bridge in Brooklyn or tell you that I was able to make it out of the inning unscathed.

But the next batter took a 2-1 inside fastball the opposite way for a single to score another run and put runners at the corners.

Still no sign from Skip. It’s early enough in the year that he’s just looking to see what we have. To get a feel for us for this year.

Kind of like an audition…and regardless what I’ve done in the past, regardless of what I did in spring training or my first couple of appearances this year, I’m auditioning for Skip and I’m bombing big time.

Like a comic telling joke after joke that gets more coughs than laughs.

But the beauty of baseball is the outcome of the next pitch is a surprise. And surprise, I throw a 2-2 change up over the outside that freezes the guy at the plate.

I don’t know what he was looking for, but I can tell you that that pitch was supposed to be inside and end up by his feet. Instead it floats across about mid-thigh and I’m so giddy he didn’t swing, I almost start towards the dugout.

I’m able to do just that on my next pitch. Guess this guy thought I would throw a first-pitch fastball. Instead, he got the cut and hits it softly to second base.

Inning over.