Gagne, Smoltz take the mound with different results

Tuesday, March 22, 2005

Associated Press

Eric Gagne was tentative in his first outing of spring training. John Smoltz has been dominant in his return to Atlanta's starting rotation.

On Tuesday, Barry Bonds will return to the San Francisco Giants' training camp, and Mariano Rivera will make his first relief appearance since March 14.

Gagne tried adjusting his pitching motion during his one inning of work Monday to protect his knee, and Derek Lowe gave up two runs against his former team in the Dodgers' 7-3 loss to the Boston Red Sox at Vero Beach, Fla.

The Dodgers' closer hadn't pitched since he sprained a ligament in his knee on Feb. 24 during fielding drills. On Monday, the right-hander took a quick hop after every pitch to prevent too much strain on the knee when his front leg landed.

''I tried to protect it and not put too much weight on it,'' Gagne said. ''It feels pretty good right now. I knew it wouldn't feel good (during the game).''

Gagne limped back to the mound after every pitch in the sixth inning. He faced four batters, walked one, struck out one and got two groundouts.

''I don't think he was in top condition. He wasn't throwing correctly,'' pitching coach Jim Colborn said. ''I expected that because in his last bullpen he wasn't throwing cleanly. He was falling off the side of the mound.''

Lowe gave up two runs and six hits, including a single to Red Sox starter Bronson Arroyo. Lowe struck out three and walked two in five innings.

''It was fun, until I was up to 50 pitches in three innings and had runners on base every inning,'' said Lowe, who pitched the last seven years in Boston. ''Arroyo getting a hit was pretty humorous.''

At Kissimmee, Fla., Smoltz pitched four-hit ball over five innings to lead the Braves past the St. Louis Cardinals 9-0. Atlanta's closer the last three seasons has allowed only nine hits in 14 scoreless innings as a starter this spring.

''I would hope the start of innings pitched eases people,'' Smoltz said. ''As optimistic as I am, there have been a lot of new people coming in here asking the same question.''

Smoltz won the NL Cy Young Award as a starter in 1996, but hasn't started more than five games in a season since '99. He has insisted that a starting role will put less pressure on his right elbow than pitching in relief, and said another reason for returning to the rotation is to make a bigger postseason impact.

Bonds is expected to arrive back at the San Francisco Giants' camp in Scottsdale, Ariz., to begin a rehabilitation program after undergoing a second operation on his right knee last week.

''I've heard the same rumors everybody has,'' Giants trainer Stan Conte said. ''I've heard he's coming back to Arizona, but it would be fine with me if he stayed at home another day.''

Bonds underwent arthroscopic surgery in the Bay Area on Thursday to repair new tears in the cartilage of his knee. His first operation was performed on Jan. 31.

Bonds, who tried to work himself into playing shape with increasingly strenuous workouts, will resume a normal progression in his rehab.

At Tampa, Fla., Rivera is scheduled to pitch Tuesday night for the first time since being sidelined last week with mild bursitis in his right elbow. The Yankees' closer hasn't pitched since March 14, when he experienced discomfort in the elbow and had an MRI. He reported no problems Monday, one day after a bullpen session.

''It feels real good,'' Rivera said. ''I was expecting to feel better, but not this good.''

Shortstop Derek Jeter underwent treatment for his bruised left foot, and there is a chance he could return Tuesday.

''Probably tomorrow, the next day,'' Jeter said. ''It depends on how it feels. It will be all right. It's not broken, so it's fine.''

In other games:

Reds 5, Devil Rays 3

At Sarasota, Fla., Ken Griffey Jr. went 0-for-2 but showed his recovery from a torn hamstring is going well, easily chasing down fly balls in center for six innings. Scott Kazmir allowed five hits and struck out five in 4 2-3 scoreless innings for the Devil Rays.

Diamondbacks 5, White Sox 4

At Tucson, Ariz., Chicago slugger Frank Thomas has taken two days of live batting practice, a first since injuring his left ankle midway through last season.

White Sox ace Mark Buehrle is expected to miss at least one spring training start after tests showed he injured his left foot while shagging fly balls last weekend. White Sox trainer Herm Schneider described the injury as a ''stress reaction'' but not a fracture.

Twins 3, Phillies 2

At Clearwater, Fla., Gavin Floyd allowed just one hit and one run despite walking five batters in five innings. Pitcher Jesse Crain's two-out RBI single off Terry Adams in the eighth inning lifted the Twins to their second straight win.

Phillies third baseman David Bell, sidelined since the start of spring training with a sprained back, played four innings at third in a minor league game and went 2-for-4 with a double.

Blue Jays 6, Pirates 5

At Dunedin, Fla., Kip Wells gave up two runs and three hits in two innings in a rain-delayed start. Toronto's Roy Halladay struck out two in a 10-pitch first inning, and Gabe Gross hit his seventh homer of the spring.

Giants 9, Athletics 4

At Scottsdale, Kirk Rueter threw five hitless innings for San Francisco to lower his spring ERA to 1.93. Pedro Feliz and Marquis Grissom homered. Keiichi Yabu, competing for the fifth spot in Oakland's rotation, allowed five runs on five hits and three walks in three innings.

Nationals 1, Marlins 0

At Viera, Fla., Zach Day boosted his bid to nail down Washington's No. 5 starter's job by outpitching Josh Beckett. Day allowed just two hits and a walk over five innings, striking out three.

Royals 12, Cubs 5

At Surprise, Ariz., non-roster invitee Emil Brown went 3-for-3 with a three-run homer and five RBIs for Kansas City.

Padres 4, Brewers 3

At Peoria, Ariz., Jesse Garcia singled home the winning run with two outs in the ninth. The backup infielder is batting .371 this spring, but probably remains a long shot to make the opening day roster.

Astros 7, Tigers 4

At Lakeland, Fla., Roy Oswalt pitched three-hit ball over his scheduled five innings then gave up two runs in a sixth for Houston. Luke Scott, competing for a spot in the Astros' outfield, went 2-for-2 to raise his spring batting average to .423.

Yankees 6, Indians 2

At Tampa, Kevin Brown allowed one run and three hits during a 90-pitch outing. Jason Giambi hit a triple for the Yankees.

Mariners 12, Rockies 4

Ichiro Suzuki went 4-for-4 to improve his spring batting average to .579. He has hit safely in all 12 games he has played, stole two bases, scored two runs and drove in a run while playing only five and a half innings.

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