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Spring Training Roundup for Monday
By The Associated Press


Giambi quiets boos with first spring homer against Red Sox

Jason Giambi proved he can still hit a home run. Tim Hudson and Mariano Rivera showed they can still dominate hitters.

Giambi, 1-for-7 with one RBI in his first three exhibition games since becoming the public face of baseball’s steroids controversy, was booed before each of his five at-bats against the Boston Red Sox at Fort Myers, Fla., on Monday.

Giambi quieted the crowd with his first homer of spring training, and finished 2-for-5 in the New York Yankees’ 9-2 win against their AL East rivals.

“A lot of the hard work paid off tonight,” Giambi said. “Every day is getting better and better.”

With fans chanting “Steroids! Steroids! Steroids!”, Giambi hit a solo shot in the fifth inning to help the Yankees get their first win since Game 3 of the AL championship series. New York was 0-4-1 in five spring games, after losing the last four games of the ALCS.

“Tonight was a good night for him,” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “I’m sure he feels good about it. I know we were pleased because he didn’t let the emotion of where we were and who we were playing against interfere with what he was working on.”

Giambi, one of only a handful of Yankees regulars who made the 2-hour bus ride for the split-squad game, was prepared to face Red Sox Nation. He gave a mass interview, got a hug from Kevin Millar, took batting practice and signed autographs for 25 minutes.

Earlier in the day, Rivera sparkled in his first spring appearance for the Yankees, working one perfect inning in a 3-1 split-squad loss to the Cleveland Indians at Tampa, Fla.

“He didn’t even break a sweat,” Torre said before heading to Fort Myers.

Rivera threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes, and retired the side on a grounder to short and two fly balls to right.

The right-hander changed his offseason program in hopes of rejuvenating himself after the Yankees’ collapse in the ALCS. He feels like he accomplished that objective.

“Mentally and physically I was tired,” Rivera said, explaining the decision to change his routine. “I worked out, but I didn’t throw. It’s not normal for me. I just felt like I needed it, so I did.”

Hudson, making his Braves debut, worked two scoreless innings in a 5-0 victory over the New York Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla. He threw 21 of 29 pitches for strikes and got four groundouts, showing off the sharp stuff that made him a huge winner with Oakland the past six years.

“It was good to finally get it out of the way,” Hudson said. “I was just mainly trying to locate my fastball, stay down in the zone.”

The Braves sent three players to the Athletics in a trade for Hudson last December, and he agreed to a $47 million, four-year contract extension last Tuesday.

In other games

Blue Jays 12, Indians (ss) 9

At Winter Haven, Fla., Kevin Millwood, making his first start for Cleveland, gave up five runs and seven hits in one inning. C.C. Sabathia likely won’t start the Indians’ season opener after an MRI showed the left-hander strained a muscle in his right side.

Giants 6, White Sox 5

At Tucson, Ariz., Tony Torcato had a two-run single for San Francisco. Joe Borchard homered in the second and sixth innings for the White Sox.

Orioles 5, Marlins 0

At Fort Lauderdale, Fla., James Baldwin pitched four innings of three-hit ball as a late replacement for Baltimore starter Sidney Ponson, who was scratched from his outing because of visa problems related to his pending court case in Aruba.

Reds (ss) 10, Pirates (ss) 2

At Bradenton, Fla., Todd Ritchie gave up three runs — one earned — and four hits in two innings in his first start of the spring.

Nationals 6, Tigers 5

At Lakeland, Fla., Dean Palmer, attempting a comeback after retiring last year because of neck and shoulder injuries, hit a two-run homer. Washington’s Tony Armas Jr. allowed three runs on five hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings.

Athletics 5, Diamondbacks (ss) 0

At Phoenix, Rich Harden pitched three scoreless innings and struck out three for Oakland. Eric Byrnes hit a bases-loaded double off Russ Ortiz to drive in three runs in the first inning.

Cubs 9, Rangers 4

At Surprise, Ariz., Greg Maddux gave up three hits and allowed two unearned runs in two innings in his spring debut.

Alfonso Soriano, who missed the final two weeks of 2004 with a torn left hamstring, was limping in the locker room after playing six innings and going 0-for-3 with two strikeouts. He played second base for the first time this spring.

Rockies (ss) 8, Royals 7

At Tucson, Ariz., Jamey Wright allowed two hits over four shutout innings to help Colorado, and Matt Holliday had three RBIs. Chris George allowed three runs in two innings for the Royals.

Padres 4, Angels 0

At Tempe, Ariz., Adam Eaton threw three scoreless innings, allowed three hits and walked one. Brian Giles went 3-for-3, and Ramon Hernandez and Sean Burroughs had two hits each for the Padres.

Cardinals 6, Dodgers 1

At Jupiter, Fla., Albert Pujols hit two home runs and a hard double for the Cardinals. In eight at-bats this spring, Pujols has three homers and two doubles.

Phillies 9, Astros 8

At Clearwater, Fla., Philadelphia’s Billy Wagner allowed two hits during a scoreless eighth inning against his former team. Pat Burrell hit a two-run homer, and Placido Polanco and Jimmy Rollins also connected for Philadelphia, giving new manager Charlie Manuel his first victory after opening spring training with four losses.

Twins 5, Devil Rays 1

At Fort Myers, Carlos Silva struck out two in two scoreless innings for Minnesota. Devil Rays starter Mark Hendrickson gave up five hits and two runs — one earned — in three innings.

Brewers 14, Mariners 8

At Peoria, Ariz., Nelson Cruz, Enrique Cruz and Lyle Overbay each homered for Milwaukee. Ichiro Suzuki went 3-for-4 for Seattle.

Dodgers (ss) 4, Marlins (ss) 2

At Jupiter, Fla., Carlos Delgado was scratched from his debut with Florida because of tendinitis in his left elbow. Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett struck out seven over four scoreless innings.

Pirates (ss) 12, Reds (ss) 1

At Sarasota, Fla., Josh Hancock, held out of Cincinnati’s previous games with a sore left hip muscle, pitched two scoreless innings in his first spring start. Pittsburgh scored six runs on six hits in the third inning off Reds reliever Jose Acevedo.

Rockies (ss) 9, Diamondbacks (ss) 6

At Tucson, Ariz., rookie Luis Gonzalez had two hits and two RBIs while Jason Young, who missed most of last season with a stress fracture in his ribs, pitched three solid innings for Colorado. Alex Cintron and Josh Kroeger homered for Arizona, which committed six errors.