Associated Press
From around the diamond…
TUCSON, Ariz. ó This was no ordinary split-squad game in spring training.
The Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks traveled two hours to Tucson on Monday to honor Christina-Taylor Green, the 9-year-old girl killed in the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.
Chicago beat the Diamondbacks 12-1 in the exhibition to benefit the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund.
ěA lot of guys wanted to come here because of the cause,î White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said.
Six people were killed and 13 injured in the January shooting in Tucson. Both teams used to hold spring training at the complex where the game was held before moving to the Phoenix area, and 7,419 fans were in attendance.
Greenís father, John, is a scout for the Los Angeles Dodgers and grandfather Dallas was a former major league manager and pitcher.
The young girlís 11-year-old brother, also named Dallas, threw out a first ball, as did some of her Little League teammates. Guillen and Diamondbacks players John Hester and Tony Abreu caught the tosses.
ěIím not the kind of guy who chokes up too often,î Guillen said. ěI got tears in my eyes when those kids came up and shook my hand.î
Cardinals 10, Twins 4
FORT MYERS, Fla. ó Cardinals third baseman David Freese played the field and ran the bases in a game for the first time since undergoing two ankle surgeries last summer. He also had two hits and three RBIs in St. Louisí big win.
Jake Westbrook pitched 3 2-3 innings for the Cardinals, yielding one run and four hits.
Nationals 14, Astros 9
VIERA, Fla. ó Bryce Harper doubled twice and drove in two runs, Rick Ankiel hit a go-ahead homer in the eighth inning and Washington rallied to get the win.
Houston pitcher Bud Norris cut short his outing because of a mildly strained right hamstring. He said he did not believe the injury was serious.
Cubs 14, Angels 13
MESA, Ariz. ó Carlos Silva got hit hard in his first game since a dugout altercation with Cubs teammate Aramis Ramirez.
Silva, who is competing for a spot in Chicagoís rotation, gave up eight runs and 10 hits in 2 1-3 innings. The right-hander groused about the fielding following his lone inning in his spring debut and third baseman Ramirez took offense, leading to a confrontation.
Mariners 6, Athletics 3
PHOENIX ó Seattle ace Felix Hernandez shook off a line drive that just missed hitting him in the head, striking out three over 2 2-3 innings in his spring debut.
Marlins 4, Braves 3 (10 inn.)
JUPITER, Fla. ó Josh Johnson allowed one run in 3 2-3 innings, and Florida went on to get the victory.
Indians 16, White Sox (ss) 16 (9 inn.)
GLENDALE, Ariz. ó Alex Rios of the White Sox and Luis Valbuena of the Indians each homered twice and drove in five runs as Cleveland and a Chicago split-squad played to a tie.6 lead.
Yankees (ss) 7, Phillies 1
TAMPA, Fla. ó A.J. Burnett threw three perfect innings in his second spring training start, leading the Yankees split-squad to the victory.
Burnett, who went 10-15 with a 5.26 ERA during his rough 2010 season, had one strikeout ó Ryan Howard swinging in the second ó during a 45-pitch outing that included 30 strikes.
Red Sox 6, Orioles (ss) 5
FORT MYERS, Fla.ó John Lackey limited Baltimore to one hit in four scoreless innings, and Boston won in the bottom of the ninth when Yamaico Navarro hit an RBI single with two outs.
Lackey threw 29 of his 39 pitches for strikes, then went to the bullpen for 16 more pitches.
It was a very different day for Baltimore starter Chris Tillman, who yielded three runs and four hits in the first inning ó including RBI singles by Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew ó then retired the side in order in the second and third.
Rays 4, Pirates 2
BRADENTON, Fla. ó David Price pitched four innings for Tampa Bay, and B.J. Upton drove in a run and scored.
Price allowed one run and three hits in Tampa Bayís first victory since beating the Pirates in its spring opener on Feb. 26. Matt Bush, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2004 draft and a converted shortstop, worked the ninth for the save.
Tigers 2, Mets 1
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. ó Victor Martinez had two run-scoring groundouts off R.A. Dickey and Brad Penny pitched into the fourth inning for Detroit.
Dickey gave up four hits in four innings in his second start for New York. He threw 47 pitches, then headed to the bullpen down the third-base line for a simulated inning to raise his count to 75.
Penny is coming back from an injury to the back of his shoulder that limited him to nine starts for St. Louis last year. He gave up three hits and struck out four in 3 1-3 innings.
Dodgers 7, Rockies 1
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.ó Ubaldo Jimenez showed no ill effects from an infected thumb that pushed back his start a few days, pitching three scoreless innings for Colorado.
Jimenez gave up a hit and walked one in his first appearance since Feb. 26.
Brewers 15, Reds 2
GOODYEAR, Ariz. ó Brandon Boggs homered off Reds starter Homer Bailey and drove in four runs, leading the Brewers to the rout.
Milwaukee piled up 25 hits and roughed up Bailey, who is trying to win one of two openings in Cincinnatiís rotation. He left in the third inning after giving up three consecutive hits with two down.
Yankees (ss) 0, Orioles (ss) 0
SARASOTA, Fla. ó Sergio Mitre pitched three innings in his first start of the spring as New York and Baltimore played to a scoreless tie. The game was called after nine innings.
Mitre, competing for one of the Yankeesí two final rotation spots, allowed three hits and struck out three.
For the second straight day, New York brought its starting infield to a road game. Derek Jeter, Robinson Cano, Mark Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez were a combined 2 for 11.
Baltimore starting pitcher Zach Britton also threw three innings in his first start, allowing singles to Jeter and Rodriguez.
1:Diamondbacks (ss) 8, Royals (ss) 6
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) ó Arizona reliever J.J. Putz pitched a perfect inning and the Diamondbacks outhomered Kansas City.
A wind that gusted up to 29 mph toward right-center field helped several balls fly over the wall.
Juan Mirando, Konrad Schmidt, A.J. Pollock and Ryan Wheeler homered for the Diamondbacks.
Melky Cabrera, Kila Kaíaihue and Clint Robinson went deep for the Royals.
Putz, signed to be the Diamondbacksí closer, worked a flawless fourth in his spring debut.
The Associated Press
03/07/11 22:09