Associated Press
From around spring training…
DUNEDIN, Fla. ó Kyle Drabek struck out five and allowed five hits over five innings in a matchup of sons of former All-Stars, but Boston rallied for a 3-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday in a game shortened by rain.
Tony Pena Jr., son of former major league catcher and current Yankees bench coach, started for Boston in place of John Lackey, who remained in Fort Myers because of the threat of rain. Play was stopped for 21 minutes after the fifth inning, and the game was called after the Red Sox batted in the top of the eighth.
Pena gave up one run and two doubles to Aaron Hill over three innings.
Jeremy Hazelbaker hit a two-run homer in the seventh for Boston.
Drabek is the son of 1990 NL Cy Young winner Doug Drabek.
Orioles 14, Tigers 9
SARASOTA, Fla. ó Luke Scott homered twice off Max Scherzer and drove in seven runs to carry Baltimore past Detroit.
Scott hit an opposite-field, grand slam to left in the first inning and added a three-run shot to right in the second. He came in with a .185 batting average, two homers and six RBIs.
Scherzer yielded 12 runs, 11 earned, and nine hits in 2 1-3 innings. The right-hander had a 10.38 ERA this spring. He is scheduled to pitch Sunday in New York against the Yankees and has been chosen to start the home opener against Kansas City on April 8.
Marlins 4, Cardinals 1
JUPITER, Fla. ó Ricky Nolasco pitched six strong innings and Florida had a four-run third inning.
Nolasco, who earned his first win of the spring in only his fourth appearance, retired 15 consecutive batters during one stretch before Ryan Theriotís single in the sixth. Nolasco gave up only two hits while striking out three.
Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook retired the first two batters of the third, then allowed the next six to reach base ó five on consecutive hits.
Phillies 7, Astros 6
CLEARWATER, Fla. ó Ben Francisco hit a three-run homer to help the Phillies beat Houtson before boarding a plane to Philadelphia.
The Phillies gave most of their regulars the day off against the team they will face on opening day on Friday.
Former major leaguer Nate Bump, in minor league camp with the Phillies, held Houston to one run on eight hits in five innings.
Twins 4, Pirates 3
FORT MYERS, Fla. ó Justin Morneau capped his abbreviated spring action by getting a hit and Minnesota beat Pittsburgh to wrap up exhibition play.
Morneau, who missed the first half of spring training while recovering from a concussion that kept him out for the final three months of last season, finished the spring hitting .192 with one RBI.
Jeff Karstens allowed five hits and one unearned run in 4 2-3 innings for the Pirates. Heís hoping to make the team as a bullpen arm or fifth starter.
Francisco Liriano, Minnesotaís No. 2 starter, gave up three runs and four hits and struck out four in six innings.
Steven Pearce had a hit and an RBI and Jose Tabata added a hit with a run scored for the Pirates.
1:Royals 10, Brewers (ss) 0
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) ó Kila Kaíaihue hit a three-run homer, Kyle Davies struck out six in six innings and Kansas City won its fifth straight.
Alex Gordon, Alcides Escobar and Jeff Francoeur also connected for Kansas City. Kaíaihueís drive with Melky Cabrera and Billy Butler aboard in the fifth was his seventh of the spring.
Davies gave up three hits and walked one.
Cabrera had two doubles to raise his average to .483, which leads American League hitters.
1:Indians 4, Cubs 3
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) ó Chicagoís Carlos Zambrano kept his composure despite some shoddy fielding behind him in his final spring tuneup.
Chicago scored twice in the ninth off closer Chris Perez, who left after it looked as if he became ill. Vinnie Pestano hit a batter, then got the final out.
Zambrano walked five over five innings, yielding four runs. One was unearned as middle infielders Starlin Castro and Darwin Barney kicked the ball around a bit.
Zambrano went 8-0 with a 1.41 ERA in his final 11 outings in 2010 after a blowup over poor defensive support.
Cleveland starter Carlos Carrasco allowed one run and three hits in six innings.
1:Reds 9, White Sox 1
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) ó Mike Leake pitched into the sixth inning, Drew Stubbs hit a three-run homer and Cincinnati beat Chicago.
Leake allowed one run and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, bouncing back from a terrible showing last Tuesday when he gave up seven runs in 2 1-3 innings against the Oakland Athletics.
Jonny Gomes, Brian Barton and Mike Costanzo also homered for Cincinnati.
Chicago starter John Danks worked five innings, yielding four runs, three earned, and four hits.
Paul Konerko had two hits for the White Sox, and Brent Lillibridge drove in the teamís only run.
1:Brewers (ss) 5, Padres 4
PHOENIX (AP) ó Ryan Braun hit a pair of home runs and Rickie Weeks also connected to lead a Milwaukee split-squad.
Right-hander Shaun Marcum, making his first start in nearly two weeks since experiencing shoulder tightness in a start against the Chicago White Sox, gave up three runs and four hits while throwing 68 pitches in four innings.
Two of those hits were home runs, one by Will Venable, the first batter of the game, and the other a two-run shot by Brad Hawpe in the fourth.
Venable hit another homer in the fifth off right-hander Sergio Mitre, acquired by Milwaukee in a trade with the New York Yankees on March 25.
1:Mariners 7, Rockies 6
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) óó Jason Vargas, Seattleís No. 2 starter, gave up five runs and 11 hits in five innings, before the Mariners rallied with two runs in the bottom of the ninth.
Steve Baron lined a single to right field to drive in Michael Saunders with the winning run. The Mariners tied the score with hits from Justin Smoak and Saunders and a two-base error by Rockies right fielder Bronson Sardinha.
The Rockies scored three runs in the fifth inning off Vargas, two on Ty Wiggingtonís double.
Milton Bradley drove in two runs and Chone Figgins had three hits, a stolen base and a run batted in for Seattle.
1:Rangers 6, Diamondbacks 4
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) ó Daniel Hudson didnít allow a run in 4 2-3 innings and Russell Branyan hit his fifth home run of the spring, but Texas rallied for four runs off reliever Juan Gutierrez in the ninth.
It was the final game for Arizona at its new Salt River Fields spring training facility this season and the last game in Arizona for the Rangers, who flew out afterward for an exhibition game against Coastal Carolina University on Tuesday in Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Hudson gave up four hits, struck out four and walked two.
The Associated Press
03/28/11 20:10