Greinke roughed up in spring finale
March 31, 2010
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP)—Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke(notes) was touched up for fiveearned runs, six hits and three walks in his final spring start by the San DiegoPadres, who played to a 8-8 tie with the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday.
Jon Garland(notes), San Diego’s opening day starter, allowed two runs and four hitsin five innings.
Chase Headley(notes) homered in the second inning off Greinke and also had an RBIdouble to finish the spring with 23 runs batted in.
Scott Hairston(notes) also homered off Greinke, who worked 5 1-3 innings.
Greinke threw 54 strikes in 94 pitches and ended spring training with a 3-0record and a 4.29 earned run average.
He went 16-8 with a big league best 2.16 ERA last season for the last-placeRoyals.
The Padres are 15-2-2 in their last 19 games this spring after starting witha 2-8 record.
“We’re a good team,” Padres first baseman Adrian Gonzalez(notes) said. “Everygame we got out there, we’re going to go out there with the mentality that wecan win this. Not because we want to believe that but it’s because we can.
“The way we’ve finished this spring, we’ve lost one or two times in thelast week. And everybody’s leaving their starters in for seven innings. It’s notlike we’ve been winning at the end.”
Will Venable(notes) hit an opposite-field three-run homer for San Diego.
NOTES: The Padres left-handed pitcher Wade LeBlanc(notes) to Triple-A Portland andawarded the fourth and fifth spots in the rotation to Clayton Richard(notes) and MatLatos(notes). Manager Bud Black also said the team is likely to place left-handedreliever Joe Thatcher(notes) on the disabled list to start the season. Thatcher, whohas a sore shoulder, played catch on Wednesday but it’s unclear when he willthrow in the bullpen.
Bonds to appear at Giants’ park April 11
March 31, 2010
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)—Barry Bonds(notes) is scheduled to return to AT&T Park in Aprilwhen the San Francisco Giants honor the 10th anniversary of their 2000 NL Westchampionship team.
The Giants announced Wednesday that Bonds is one of several playersscheduled to take part in a pregame ceremony on April 11.
Bonds has made only a handful of public appearances in San Francisco sincethe Giants decided not to bring him back following the 2007 season.
The ceremony is among the events to commemorate the 10th anniversary of thedowntown waterfront ballpark. Bonds has provided many of the signature moments,including setting the season home record of 73 in 2001 and breaking Hank Aaron’scareer record of 755 in 2007.
Bonds finished with 762 homers.
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Rockies closer Street shut down again
March 31, 2010
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP)—Colorado Rockies closer Huston Street(notes) has had anothersetback in his attempt to overcome the right shoulder stiffness that hasbothered him all spring.
Street was shutdown for the third time this spring Wednesday, a week afterthe right-hander said the plan was to see if he could work his way through thestiffness by going on a throwing program.
Street will open the season on the disabled list. Left-hander FranklinMorales(notes), who filled in for Street last September, will handle the ninth-inningchores to open the season.
Street is hoping to be able to join the Rockies’ active roster by May 1, buttrainer Keith Dugger is not setting any deadlines.
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Indians send LHP Sowers to Triple-A
March 31, 2010
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP)—The Cleveland Indians have sent left-hander Jeremy Sowers(notes)outright to Triple-A Columbus.
The 26-year-old former first-round draft pick is out of options and couldnot be sent back to the minors without going on waivers. Sowers had a soreshoulder early in spring training, which put him behind in the competition for aroster spot.
He was one of three players sent to Triple-A on Wednesday, along withoutfielder Trevor Crowe(notes) and catcher Wyatt Toregas(notes).
Right-hander Hector Ambriz placed on the 15-day disabled list, retroactiveto Saturday.
Sowers, drafted sixth overall in 2004 out of Vanderbilt, has an 18-30 recordand 5.18 ERA in 72 career games.
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Mets SS Reyes makes more progress
March 31, 2010
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP)—New York Mets shortstop Jose Reyes highlighted hissecond minor league game with a headfirst slide Wednesday and made more progressin his return from a three-week absence related to thyroid issues.
Reyes said he might be given the day off Thursday, and still doesn’t know ifhe is traveling with the team to the west coast of Florida, where the Metsfinish spring training with games Friday and Saturday.
Reyes went 1 for 5 with a double, and played three innings in the field. Hesaid his legs are fine and his hitting is coming along.
Jose Reyes poses during photo day at Tradition Field on February 27, 2010.(Doug Benc/Getty Images)
The team had told Reyes to take it easy on the bases. But he ran hard andmade a dive into second base. Reyes said he wanted to give it a try.
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Twins’ Span hits mother with foul ball
March 31, 2010
TAMPA, Fla. (AP)—Minnesota Twins leadoff man Denard Span(notes) hit a hard foul ballthat struck his mom in the chest during Wednesday’s game. She was treated byparamedics and back in the stands minutes later.
Wanda Wilson was wearing a Span jersey and sitting with about 20 familymembers and friends near the third-base dugout. Span took a defensive swing inthe first inning and hit a liner right at her in the box seats.
A stunned Span sprinted into the stands and stayed with his mother while shewas treated. The split-squad game against the New York Yankees was delayed for afew minutes as she walked to first aid, and the Twins said she was sore but OK.
Span returned to the plate and struck out on the next pitch. The Twinsoriginally said Span would leave the game, but his mother was sitting in adifferent seat by the bottom of the first inning and he went to play centerfield.
Span flied out in the second inning, then left in the bottom of the third,telling a team official he wasn’t mentally into the game. Span and his motherspent time together after he departed.
The AL co-leader in triples last season was born and raised in Tampa. Spanregularly volunteers to make the long trip from the Twins’ spring training homein Fort Myers when Minnesota visits the Yankees so he can see his family.
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Texas 2B Kinsler expects to open on DL
March 31, 2010
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP)—Texas Rangers second baseman Ian Kinsler(notes) is expecting toopen the season on the disabled list because of a high ankle sprain.
The Rangers on Sunday acquired Andres Blanco(notes) from the Chicago Cubs partiallyas insurance in case Kinsler was unable to open the season.
Kinsler says there is no timetable for his return.
He hit .253 with 31 homers and 86 RBIs in 144 games for Texas last season.
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Phils’ Halladay hit hard early by Jays
March 31, 2010
CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP)—Roy Halladay(notes) was hit hard early then bounced back withfour straight strikeouts against his former team, but the Philadelphia Philliesfell 5-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.
Halladay, who spent his first 12 big league seasons with the Blue Jaysbefore joining the Phillies in December, allowed four runs and five hits in thefirst inning. He then struck four straight and retired the final seven battershe faced.
Halladay’s final spring start was cut short at three innings to keep his armfresh for the Phillies when they open the season in Washington on Monday.
“I’m extremely anxious,” the 32-year-old Halladay said of his upcomingPhillies debut. “I think the hard part of later on in spring is that you startanticipating what’s to come and you get a little stale. I’m looking forward to(starting the season). I feel prepared.”
On the same field where former Phillies pitcher Brett Myers(notes) exchangedhandshakes and laughs with his old coaches and teammates six days earlier,Halladay was all business at Bright House Field with the Blue Jays in town.Instead of chatting with his old Toronto teammates in between at-bats orinnings, he tried to get them out.
“I respect everyone over there,” Halladay said. “(But) you realize thatthere’s a time for that in the offseason. I wanted to keep my focus on that andpitch and focus on that as much as I could.”
The Blue Jays greeted their former, longtime ace with a flurry of hits.After Jose Bautista(notes) led off with a double to center, All-Star second basemanAaron Hill(notes) drilled the first pitch he saw from Halladay into the left fieldbleachers for a two-run home run.
Adam Lind(notes) and Edwin Encarnacion(notes) followed with doubles later in the inningand Alex Gonzalez added an RBI single as the Blue Jays jumped to a 4-0 leadagainst Halladay.
“I just wasn’t aggressive,” Halladay said. “I just guided the pitches anddidn’t make an adjustment until later on.”
Halladay struck out Jose Molina(notes) to end the first inning and then struck outeach of the three hitters who came to the plate in the second. He finished hiseffort with a 1-2-3 third inning.
Halladay allowed four runs on five hits while striking out five and walkingnone.
“I don’t think he leaned on it,” Philadelphia pitching coach Rich Dubeesaid of Halladay’s rough start against his former team. “There is a littlesomething there: ex-teammates, the end of spring training, you’re less apt tomaybe stand somebody up or move somebody.
“I think he was feeling his way through it and then all of a sudden he saidenough is enough and the last two innings he turned it up a little bit,” Dubeesaid.
Both of the Phillies’ runs came on solo drives off Toronto starter BrettCecil(notes). Placido Polanco(notes) hit a one-out homer in the third inning and Ben Francisco(notes)hit his team-high fourth of the spring to lead off the fifth.
NOTES: Philadelphia catcher Carlos Ruiz(notes) was out of the lineup after gettinghit in the left arm with a pitch in a minor league game Tuesday. Manuel expectsRuiz to play in today’s spring finale. … Philadelphia reliever Ryan Madson(notes)took over for Halladay to begin the fourth inning and struck out two in ascoreless frame. Madson will serve as the Phillies closer with Brad Lidge(notes)sidelined until mid-to-late April. … Toronto manager Cito Gaston named JasonFrasor(notes) the Blue Jays closer prior to the game.
Verlander struggles in last spring start
March 31, 2010
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP)—Justin Verlander(notes) was roughed up for five runs, threeearned, over 5 1-3 innings in his final start of spring training, though theDetroit Tigers downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 8-5 Wednesday.
Verlander, who will face Kansas City?s Zach Greinke on Monday, allowed 10hits and walked two as his spring ERA ballooned to 5.48.
Verlander said he felt ready to go and was using the game to makeadjustments he would not normally make in the regular season.
Scott Sizemore(notes) hit his third homer of the spring and went 2 for 3 for theTigers. Johnny Damon(notes) had three hits.
Pirates starter Zach Duke(notes) allowed eight runs—all earned—in 3 2-3innings.
Aki Iwamura, Lastings Milledge(notes), and Andy LaRoche(notes) each had two hits for thePirates.
Mariners LHP Lee pain-free after workout
March 31, 2010
Arizona Diamondbacks' Chris Snyder, left, and Seattle Mariners' pitcher Cliff Lee confront each other during the third inning on Monday, March 15, 2010 in Tucson, Ariz. Lee was ejected for throwing at Snyder.(AP Photo/Arizona Daily Star, Jill Torrance)
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP)—Mariners left-hander Cliff Lee(notes) says he didn’t feel any painafter playing catch to test out his strained abdomen.
Lee threw off flat ground Wednesday. It was the first time he has thrownsince being shut down last Thursday because of pain in his side.
Still, he is likely to start the season on the disabled list.
Lee started off the 6-minute session throwing off one knee, then stood up toplay catch from about 60 feet. He threw out of a half windup. His rehabilitationfrom the injury, which he suffered March 15 in a spring training game, hasincluded exercises in a pool.
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