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| Saturday, March 3 | |||||
| Sanders goes 0-for-4 for Reds | |||||
| FORT MYERS, Fla. – Deion Sanders' return to his hometown
was a forgettable one.
Sanders, who grew up in North Fort Myers, went 0-for-4 with a
pair of strikeouts Friday night in the Cincinnati Reds' 7-2
split-squad victory over the Minnesota Twins.
Sanders, also a member of the NFL's Washington Redskins, is
trying to revive his two-sport career. Sanders, who hasn't played
at the major league level since '97, signed a minor league contract
Feb. 19 and is in Reds camp as a nonroster invitee.
Twins starter Matt Kinney, who fanned Sanders to start the game,
didn't know what to think about Sanders' comeback.
"It's only one at-bat," Kinney said. "But just from what I've
seen in the past, he's got some ability."
The Reds did all their hitting early against Kinney (0-1) and
J.C. Romero, two candidates to be the Twins' fifth starter this
season. Pokey Reese, 2-for-3 with two runs scored, homered in the
first. Alex Ochoa, who played for Minnesota in 1998, followed a
third-inning single by Reese with a two-run shot against Romero to
make it 3-1.
Larkin on shelf with strained groin Reds shortstop Barry Larkin didn't play Friday and is expected to miss another game or two with a mildly strained right groin, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Manager Bob Boone said Larkin felt the injury while performing calisthenics and during Wednesday's exhibition at Rollins College. Larkin played Thursday against Cleveland, homering and lining out twice, though he iced his groin afterward. Larkin noted after the game that the infield dirt was sandy, causing his feet to slide a little more than he wanted. "It's one of those things where he could play, but he doesn't want to take the risk," Boone said. Clemens looks good in first outing TAMPA, Fla. – On a staff with four No. 1 starters, Roger Clemens pitched like an ace in his spring opener. Clemens struck out four and allowed just one runner in two innings, and the New York Yankees beat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-0 Friday. "I just went with a good fastball, a good slider and the spilt was moving pretty well too," Clemens said. "I'm pleased with that. Hopefully, I'll repeat that time and time again down here." Six New York pitchers held the Blue Jays to three hits. Toronto didn't get its first hit until Vernon Wells doubled with two outs in the sixth. "I was just glad to see the pitching. If we're going to be successful, we need to pitch," New York manager Joe Torre said. "Roger was great. Everybody was great." A five-time Cy Young Award winner, Clemens threw 20 of 26 pitches for strikes. The only runner to reach off him came on his own error. "All you're really looking to do is be sharp with your pitches" said Clemens, likely to be given the opening-day start over Mike Mussina, Orlando Hernandez and Andy Pettitte. Bowa makes Phillies debut CLEARWATER, Fla. – The Phillies were different in their spring training opener under new manager Larry Bowa: They won. Bobby Abreu and Scott Rolen hit back-to-back homers in the first, and Robert Person and Omar Daal each threw two scoreless innings Friday as Philadelphia routed the Kansas City Royals 11-1. "That was pretty much as scripted," Bowa said after his Phillies managing debut. "They played hard. They've done everything I asked." With the Phillies coming off a 65-97 season, Bowa spoke frequently about attitude during the first two weeks of spring training. He said he wanted his team to compete during the exhibition season, not just go out and get work in. Philadelphia outhit the Royals 17-4. "Let's not forget it's spring training," Bowa said. "But any kind of positive – hopefully, it will carry over." Nagy impressive in comeback KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Charles Nagy, trying to save his career after elbow surgery and an injury-plagued 2000 season, pitched two scoreless innings for a Cleveland split squad Friday in a 1-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves. Howard Battle's two-out infield single off Jerry Spradlin scored Marcus Giles from second base in the eighth inning with the only run and players made postgame golf plans after needing just 1 hour, 48 minutes to play nine. Atlanta starter John Burkett and reliever Jason Marquis each allowed one hit as five Braves pitchers combined on a two-hitter. Damian Moss got the win in relief and Odalis Perez, who hasn't pitched in the majors since July of 1999, worked two hitless innings for the Braves. Bartolo Colon, the Indians' No. 1 starter this season, struck out three in two innings but it was Nagy's performance that had Cleveland coach Grady Little smiling. "The whole spring has been an upswing for Charlie and today just continued that," Little said. "He's getting better." McGwire flies out in first spring at-bat JUPITER, Fla. – Mark McGwire flied out in his first at-bat following knee surgery, and the St. Louis Cardinals beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Friday in their spring opener. A day after agreeing to a $30 million, two-year extension, McGwire flied out against Sidney Ponson leading off the second inning. It was his only at-bat. McGwire, who missed most of the second half of last season, had surgery Oct. 21 to remove the diseased portion of the patella tendon in his right knee. He says he is fully fit this spring. Dustin Hermanson, the newest member of the St. Louis rotation, pitched three shutout innings. "I felt good and all my pitches were working," said Hermanson, who gave up two hits. "After I got over the jitters, after the third inning, I was ready to go the whole game."  Send this story to a friend | Most sent stories | |||||