PADRES-MARINERS
New power on display
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Matt Kemp legged out a triple two pitches before Justin Upton hit his third home run of the spring, and the San Diego Padres showed off their new power outfield in a 6-4 exhibition victory over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.
Kemp's liner to the gap off Mariners starter J.A. Happ was followed by Upton's drive to left-center in the third inning. Upton doubled and scored an inning earlier. Kemp later singled and stole second.
The third offseason outfield acquisition, Wil Myers, went 1 for 4 and looked shaky on a play by the wall that turned into a double for Dustin Ackley.
Seth Smith, traded to the Mariners after San Diego remade its outfield, had a home run, an RBI double and stole second against former teammate Andrew Cashner.
The right-hander gave up 3 runs and 6 hits in 4 innings.
RED SOX-MARLINS
Marlins have big 8th
JUPITER, Fla. -- Allen Craig bolstered his bid for more playing time in Boston's crowded outfield, hitting a three-run double in helping the Red Sox build a lead the Miami Marlins would overcome with an eight-run eighth inning for a 9-4 exhibition victory Tuesday.
Jordany Valdespin hit a two-run triple and Jeff Baker doubled in two in the Marlins' big inning. Miami managed only one hit until the eighth.
Playing in the spring training park he once called home with the St. Louis Cardinals, Craig's double off Tom Koehler capped a four-run third inning for the Red Sox.
Locked in a six-player battle for one of the five roster spots the Red Sox intend to use for outfielders, Craig is hitting .278 with seven RBI in Grapefruit League play.
Craig came to Boston via a 2014 trade with St. Louis, which shares the Roger Dean Stadium complex with Miami.
ASTROS-METS
Wright back in form
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- David Wright hit his third home run of spring training, a two-run drive in the New York Mets' 4-3 exhibition loss to the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Wright, limited to eight home runs last year by a lingering shoulder injury, has 3 home runs and 9 RBI in his past 7 games.
Mets starter Dillon Gee allowed 4 hits in 4 scoreless innings and struck out 1. Houston's Collin McHugh gave up 3 runs -- 2 earned -- on 2 hits in 5 innings with 7 strikeouts.
Jake Marisnick was 2 for 2 with a home run and Luis Valbuena was 2 for 2 with a double and a RBI for the Astros.
TWINS-BLUE JAYS
Hunter breaks tie
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Torii Hunter (Pine Bluff) hit a tiebreaking, three-run home run off Chad Jenkins in the seventh inning, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-5 on Tuesday.
It was the first home run this spring for the 39-year-old Hunter, who signed a $10.5 million, one-year deal to return to the Twins, a team he left after the 2007 season. Hunter had just two extra-base hits, two doubles, through his first 25 spring training at-bats before connecting on an 82-mph breaking ball.
Before the game, the Twins announced a $20 million, four-year contract with second baseman Brian Dozier, who hit a home run on the first pitch he saw.
Ricky Nolasco allowed 1 run, 3 hits and a walk in 5 innings. He struck out six -- four called.
Jordan Schafer hit a home run leading off the eighth.
Blue Jays starter Todd Redmond gave up 1 run and 1 hit in 3 innings.
PIRATES-ORIOLES
McCutchen hitless
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Andrew McCutchen was hitless in two at-bats in his return to the Pittsburgh Pirates' lineup, and Steve Pearce hit a home run against his former team to lead the Baltimore Orioles over Pittsburgh 9-2 on Tuesday.
McCutchen, the 2013 NL MVP, was out 10 days with lower body soreness. He has a .143 batting average in six spring training games.
Orioles starter Ubaldo Jiminez had his best outing of spring, striking out 3 and allowing 4 hits in 5 scoreless innings.
The Orioles scored five runs in the fourth inning off reliever Jared Hughes.
Pearce led off with a long home run to left field, Jimmy Paredes doubled, and Delmon Young, Chris Davis, Everth Cabrera and Ryan Flaherty singled to chase Hughes after seven batters and just one out.
Right-hander Radhames Liz, who the Pirates intend to use as a long reliever this season, allowed four hits in three innings. He induced three double-play grounders.
PHILLIES-BRAVES
HRs lift Phillies
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Ryan Howard hit his third home run of the spring and Darin Ruff also connected, helping the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 6-3 on Tuesday.
Howard, who arrived at spring training in excellent shape after slumping to a .223 with 23 home runs last year, went 1 for 4 and is hitting .217.
Ruff followed Howard in the third inning with another home run off Atlanta starter Mike Foltynewicz, who allowed three runs in 2 2/3 innings.
Foltynewicz is fighting for one of the final spots in the Braves' rotation but has allowed runs in each of his four starts. He has a 7.04 ERA this spring.
Severino Gonzalez started for the Phillies and allowed four hits in three scoreless innings. He hasn't pitched at the major league level, but he is considered one of Philadelphia's best prospects.
ROCKIES-WHITE SOX
Errors cost Sox
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jose Abreu connected for his first spring home run, but Chicago White Sox left fielder Melky Cabrera committed two errors in Colorado's six-run fifth inning and the Rockies went on to a 7-6 victory on Tuesday.
Cabrera, who signed a $42 million, three-year contract with Chicago over the winter, misplayed Matt McBride's single, allowing the Rockies to tie it 5-5. Then he dropped Rafael Ynoa's fly ball near the line for a two-base error as McBride scored.
Christian Bergmann finished the game with four scoreless innings for Colorado.
Rockies starter Jordan Lyles hit 3 batters, walked 2 and was charged with 5 unearned runs in four innings.
Abreu hit a drive to center off Jairo Diaz in the fifth inning. He is batting .459 (17 for 37) this spring.
RANGERS-ANGELS
Angels routed
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Albert Pujols homered and Mike Trout hit an RBI triple, but the Texas Rangers tagged Los Angeles Angels closer Huston Street for six runs Tuesday in a 15-8 victory.
Trout, last year’s AL MVP, leads the Cactus League with a .462 batting average after extending his hitting streak to nine games. An avid Philadelphia Eagles fan, he chatted with Eagles Coach Chip Kelly in the clubhouse after leaving the game.
Pujols, a three-time NL MVP, led off the fourth with his third home run on a 2-2 pitch from Nick Tepesch. Pujols also drove in Trout with a first-inning sacrifice fly.
Touted prospect Andrew Heaney, competing for the final spot in the Angels’ rotation, gave up home runs to Elvis Andrus and Adam Rosales in the fifth.
ATHLETICS-CUBS
A’s rough up Jackson
MESA, Ariz. — Cubs prospect Kris Bryant hit his ninth home run of the spring, but the Oakland Athletics roughed up a late-arriving Edwin Jackson in a 14-2 victory over Chicago on Tuesday.
Billy Butler and Stephen Vogt each hit two-run home runs for Oakland.
Jackson was scratched from his start when he drove to the A’s old spring training home and then was stuck in traffic. He arrived in time to pitch second and allowed nine hits — six for extra bases — eight runs in 1 2/3 innings.
Sports on 03/25/2015