Giambi battles Boston
Jason Giambi quieted the caustic Red Sox crowd with his first homer of spring training. Tim Hudson and Mariano Rivera silenced their opponents with their dominant pitches.
With fans chanting ''Steroids! Steroids! Steroids!'', Giambi hit a solo shot in the fifth inning of the New York Yankees' 9-2 victory over Boston at Fort Myers, Fla.
The public face of baseball's steroids controversy was booed before each of his five at-bats — he finished 2-for-5 and is 3-for-12 this spring.
But Giambi took it all in stride. He gave a mass interview, got a hug from Kevin Millar, took batting practice and signed autographs for 25 minutes.
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. Giambi said he tuned out the taunts.
''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.''
At Tampa Bay, Fla., 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.
''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 against Boston in the American League Championship Series. 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.''
Making his Braves debut, Hudson 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.
Atlanta's new closer Dan Kolb followed with a perfect inning. Kolb was acquired in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, allowing the Braves to shift John Smoltz back into the rotation.
''The first day is a little rough, the adrenaline,'' Kolb said. ''Especially when you get traded and you're replacing pretty much a legend in Atlanta. I probably put a little too much pressure on myself.''
In other games
Blue Jays 12, Indians (ss) 9
At Winter Haven, Fla., 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. Sabathia has been told not to throw for a week.
Kevin Millwood, making his first start for Cleveland, gave up five runs and seven hits in one inning. Miguel Batista pitched two hitless innings for the Blue Jays.
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. A. J. Pierzynski gave Borchard $100 for hitting a homer off Giants starter Brett Tomko, who was one of several San Francisco players who called their former teammate a ''cancer'' last season.
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.
Florida starter Al Leiter allowed two runs and two hits in three innings. He walked two and struck out two.
Cincinnati (ss) 10, Pittsburgh (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.
Paul Wilson, the Reds' probable opening day starter, gave up one run and two hits in three innings. Rob Stratton, a non-roster outfielder with 180 homers in nine minor league seasons, hit two homers and drove in four runs.
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 off Sun-woo Kim for Detroit.
Montreal'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, who lost their fourth straight.
Padres 4, Angels 0
At Tempe, Ariz., Adam Eaton was the latest San Diego starter to impress, throwing three scoreless innings and allowing three hits and walking one.
Brian Giles went 3-for-3, and Ramon Hernandez and Sean Burroughs had two hits each for the Padres.
Angels starter Jarrod Washburn pitched two shutout innings with three strikeouts.
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.
Jeff Weaver threw the home run pitches and allowed four runs and six hits in three innings.
Phillies 9, Astros 8
At Clearwater, Fla., Billy Wagner allowed two hits during a scoreless eighth inning against his former Houston 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 straight losses.
Twins 5, Devil Rays 1
Fort Myers, Carlos Silva struck out two in two scoreless innings for Minnesota. Silva allowed one hit and didn't allow a walk. Devil Rays starter Mark Hendrickson gave up five hits and two runs — one earned — in three innings.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer was given the day off because of some mild soreness and swelling in his surgically repaired left knee.
Brewers 14, Mariners 8
At Peoria, Ariz., Nelson Cruz, Enrique Cruz and Lyle Overbay each homered for Milwaukee. Doug Davis made his spring debut that was delayed by a series of back spasms and gave up three runs and four hits in two innings.
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 the first baseman's left elbow. Marlins right-hander Josh Beckett struck out seven over four scoreless innings.
Los Angeles first baseman Hee Seop Choi's RBI infield single sparked a four-run sixth inning. 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 and losing pitcher Jose Acevedo for the victory in the teams' second split-squad game of the day.