Associated Press
From around spring training …
KISSIMMEE, Fla. ó For Chipper Jones, it was all rather routine. And for him, that was a good thing.
Jones played third base for the first time since injuring his knee last August, and the perennial All-Star was flawless in the field Thursday as the Atlanta Braves beat the Detroit Tigers 4-3.
Jones handled a grounder by Magglio Ordonez and threw him out, and also caught a popup in four innings.
ěOnce you get on the field instinct takes over. Thatís what you need to worry about. I wasnít expecting to be playing by now and I donít know what to expect,î Jones said.
Jones tore his left knee while making a play against Houston and missed the Bravesí playoff run.
Jones opened this spring as a designated hitter, but returned to his familiar spot against the Tigers. He also singled and scored a run.
Rangers (ss) 11, Indians 9
SURPRISE, Ariz ó AL Rookie of the Year Neftali Feliz pitched two scoreless innings in his bid to become part of the Texas rotation, and a Rangers split squad beat the Cleveland Indians.
Feliz, who posted 40 saves last season for the AL champions, is getting a chance to start this year. He allowed two hits, walked one, hit a batter and threw 19 of his 36 pitches for strikes.
Chris Davis won it with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth. Ian Kinsler hit a leadoff shot, his third home run for Texas this spring. Matt LaPorta had a pinch-hit grand slam for the Indians.
Giants 7, Rockies 5
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. ó Buster Posey hit a two-run homer to help the San Francisco Giants beat the Colorado Rockies.
Darren Ford also homered and Ryan Vogelsong threw three hitless innings for the Giants.
Jorge De La Rosa allowed four runs and six hits over three innings in his first spring start for the Rockies.
Phillies 2, Red Sox 0
FORT MYERS, Fla. ó Cole Hamels pitched one-hit ball over four innings, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Boston Red Sox in a spring-training matchup of teams favored to reach the World Series.
Hamels struck out three and walked one.
Reliever Bobby Jenks, in his first season with the Red Sox, made his spring training debut. He gave up a leadoff double to Shane Victorino in the fifth.
Mets 3, Cardinals (ss) 0
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. ó Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning in his spring debut and New York beat a split squad of St. Louis Cardinals.
Rodriguez gave up one hit and struck out one while working the third inning.
Rodriguez missed the final month and a half of last season. He pleaded guilty in December to attempted assault to settle charges he attacked his girlfriendís father at Citi Field in August.
Brewers 11, Athletics 9
PHOENIX ó Trevor Cahill did a bit better in his second spring start for Oakland, but the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Athletics in a game of home run derby.
In his first outing last week against the Cubs, Cahill was tagged for four earned runs and five hits while getting only one out. Against the Brewers, the All-Star righty allowed two earned runs and four hits in 2 1-3 innings.
Anderson De La Rosa hit a three-run homer with two outs in the bottom of the ninth for the Brewers.
Yankees 1, Rays 1, (10 inn)
PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. ó Freddy Garcia launched his bid to win a spot in the New York Yankeesí pitching rotation by working two scoreless innings during a 10-inning tie with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The 34-year-old, two-time All-Star ó signed to a minor league contract after going 12-6 with a 4.64 ERA for the Chicago White Sox last season ó allowed two hits and struck out one in his spring training debut.
Twins 2, Orioles 0
SARASOTA, Fla. ó Carl Pavano pitched three scoreless innings for the Minnesota Twins in their win over the Baltimore Orioles.
Pavano allowed just one hit, a single to J.J. Hardy in the third inning. Pavano picked Hardy off first, and faced the minimum nine batters.
Brian Matusz pitched two hitless innings for the Orioles in his first start. The team said the left-hander will get a wart removed from the middle finger of his left hand and probably miss a start.
Rangers (ss) 8, Cubs 7
MESA, Ariz. ó Chicagoís Carlos Zambrano pitched three scoreless innings in his second spring start, and a split squad of Texas Rangers rallied to beat the Cubs.
American League MVP Josh Hamilton went 0 for 2, including a drive to the warning track in right in the first. Michael Young singled and walked in two trips to the plate for the Rangers.
Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramirez drove in a run a day after a dugout argument with teammate Carlos Silva.
1:Padres 6, Diamondbacks 4
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) ó Jesus Guzman hit a three-run homer with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning, lifting the San Diego Padres over the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Justin Upton had two hits, including his first home run of the spring, for the Diamondbacks.
The Padres were without bench coach Rick Renteria, who went to the hospital in the morning for further evaluation after he was struck in the mouth with a line drive during batting practice.
1:Royals 8, Angels 2
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) ó Mitch Maier had four hits and the Kansas City Royals beat the Los Angeles Angels.
Maier scored twice and drove in two runs. Royals closer Joakim Soria made his first spring appearance, tossing a scoreless inning.
Ervin Santana pitched 1 1-3 innings in his first spring start for the Angels, yielding two runs and two hits.
1:Pirates 4, Blue Jays 1
DUNEDIN, Fla. (AP) ó Brad Lincoln pitched three perfect innings and Pedro Alvarez hit a go-ahead triple to send the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Blue Jays starter Brett Cecil struck out six in three shutout innings. He fanned the first four batters he faced.
Alvarez lined a two-run triple in the sixth for a 2-1 lead.
1:Cardinals (ss) 7, Nationals 5
JUPITER, Fla. (AP) ó Jordan Zimmermann gave up four hits in three scoreless innings in the Washington Nationalsí loss to a split squad of St. Louis Cardinals.
Zimmermann made just seven starts last year after returning from elbow reconstruction surgery in August 2009. Zimmermann, the Nationalsí top pitching prospect before Stephen Strasburg was drafted, was 1-2 with a 4.94 ERA in 2010.
Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols was 2 for 2 with a walk after starting the spring hitless in five at-bats and striking out three times Wednesday.
1:Astros 5, Marlins 3
KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) ó Floridaís Alex Sanabia allowed four runs in the first two innings, and the Houston Astros went on to beat the Marlins.
Nelson Figueroa and Aneury Rodriguez, candidates for the fifth spot in the Astrosí rotation, each pitched two shutout innings.
1:White Sox 6, Mariners 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) ó Alex Rios homered, John Danks pitched two hitless innings and the Chicago White Sox beat the Seattle Mariners.
Danks walked two of the eight batters he faced, but was otherwise pleased with his 37-pitch debut.
Adam Dunn made his first appearance at first base in a White Sox uniform and singled for his first hit.
The Associated Press
03/03/11 20:19