Detroit Tigers: Steve Avery, trying to revive his career after two years out of baseball, threw two scoreless innings against his former team and got the win as the Tigers beat the Atlanta Braves 6-4 Saturday.

Brandon Inge, Dmitri Young and Damion Easley homered for Detroit. Gary Sheffield, who entered hitting .345, homered, singled and scored twice in three at-bats for the Braves.

Avery, released by the Braves after spring training in 2001, allowed only a single by ex-Tiger Robert Fick. Matt Anderson struck out one during a perfect ninth for his first save.

"I've been pitching since mid-December and I haven't gotten tired yet,'' Avery said. "You don't know what a great feeling that is, compared to where I was when I quit. My main thing is just mechanics right now.''

Rookie left-hander Horacio Ramirez, bidding for the fifth spot in Atlanta's rotation, held the Tigers to just one run on seven hits during a four-inning outing.

"I didn't have my best stuff out there today,'' Ramirez said. "The only good thing was that I battled. I kept my team in the game.''

New York Mets: David Cone's perfect spring disappeared in the thin air of Mexico City.

Cone started with a 1-2-3 inning Saturday against the Los Angeles Dodgers, then was hit hard. He lasted 2 1-3 innings, giving up six runs in the Mets' 16-11 win in 11 innings.

He was most disappointed in his performance after loading the bases with one out. He got a strikeout, then gave up a three-run double off the top of the fence to Ching-Feng Chen.

"A 1-0 fastball down the middle -- don't even know his name. Feng shui or something,'' Cone said, using the words for the Chinese philosophy of balancing energy in a space. "I thought I was going to get out of it.''

The 40-year-old right-hander, trying to earn a job with the Mets after sitting out the 2002 season, had retired all nine batters he faced over three innings coming into Saturday.

After another perfect inning, he was no better than most of the pitchers who got roughed up in this one.

"It was disappointing not to be able to work out of that jam,'' Cone said. "That was the first jam I've had all spring.''

Mets manager Art Howe attributed part of the problem to Cone's walk and hit batter. On a day when the wind was blowing the thin air out, pitchers were punished.

"You didn't want to put men on base because it's tough to get through unscathed,'' Howe said. "This is Coors Field with mid-sized dimensions. It's very hitter friendly.''

Tampa Bay Devil Rays: A big inning against Pedro Martinez didn't ease Lou Piniella's concerns about Tampa Bay's struggling offense.

The weak-hitting Devil Rays took advantage of a bizarre play that turned their fortune against the Boston ace Saturday and scored three third-inning runs en route to a 3-2 victory over the Red Sox.

"It's nice to win a ballgame,'' said Piniella, whose team won for just the fourth time in 17 games (4-12-1).

"But you'd sure like to see the offense progress. ... All in all, most of our pitchers have thrown the ball pretty well. I'd like to see us (score) double digits some time. Right now, we'd settle for five or six.''

Martinez breezed through the first two innings, allowing only a two-out infield single to Jared Sandberg in the second. He got Toby Hall to lead off the third with a grounder to third base, but the ball skipped off the heel of Shea Hillenbrand's glove and into his jersey for an error.

The runner was also awarded second base because the ball remained lodged in his shirt.

"I've never seen anything like that. That was weird. But that's part of the game. That's the way the game is,'' Martinez said. "You never know what's going to happen.''

New York Yankees: Yankees reliever Chris Hammond, slowed by discomfort behind his left shoulder, is scheduled to throw off a bullpen mound Sunday.

Hammond was scratched from his relief appearance Friday and underwent an MRI exam later in the day, which was negative. He is taking anti-inflammatory medication.

"I feel much better,'' Hammond said Saturday. "It might just be inflammation.''

Right-hander Steve Karsay, who hasn't pitched since March 3 because of right shoulder soreness, reported no problems one day after a bullpen session. He is scheduled to pitch one inning Sunday against the Houston Astros.

Hammond felt an aching behind his shoulder while shagging balls in batting practice Friday.

"It's just a matter of being comfortable,'' Yankees manager Joe Torre said. "Everything was normal. That's good news. If he throws tomorrow and feels fine, he's back on schedule.''

Should the bullpen session go well, Hammond hopes to pitch in a game sometime in the following three or four days.

Mondesi staying put: Despite months of trade speculation, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman expects Raul Mondesi to be the team's opening day right fielder.

"My expectation is, and has been, that he will be our everyday right fielder,'' Cashman said Saturday before the Yankees played the Toronto Blue Jays. "It doesn't mean that we can't listen to any ideas. I don't anticipate us moving him.''

Mondesi, acquired from the Blue Jays last season, hit .232 with 26 homers and 88 RBI overall. He is in the last year of a contract that paid him $11 million last season, and he could make as much as $13 million this year.

Cashman said he is still looking at ways to cut the Yankees' payroll, which is projected to be around $150 million based on the current roster. He has turned down some offers this spring.

Colorado Rockies: Todd Helton had three hits and three RBI to lift the Rockies to an 11-2 win over Arizona on Saturday, snapping the Diamondbacks' eight-game winning streak.

Colorado right-hander Jason Jennings turned in his best start of the spring. The NL Rookie of the Year pitched five scoreless innings, allowing four hits.

In his spring debut March 5 against Kansas City, Jennings was touched for six runs, four earned, in two innings.

"It was just a matter of continuing to throw,'' Jennings said. "This year it took me a little longer than normal to get into a rhythm.''

Chris Stynes added three hits and two RBI for the Rockies. Stynes, vying to be Colorado's starting third baseman, has hit safely in his last seven games and is batting .440 in 25 at-bats.

Neagle's MRI negative: The results of an MRI taken Friday on Denny Neagle's left elbow came back negative Saturday afternoon.

"There was nothing new that showed in the MRI,'' Colorado head trainer Tom Probst said. "Everything he has is the elbow of somebody who has pitched as long as he has. There's some soreness in (the flexor area) but there's no inflammation that shows up the MRI, so that's good news.''

Probst said that the plan is to calm the area down before Neagle plays catch or throws a side session. A missed start remains a possibility.

Probst said the soreness could be due to a changed arm slot or adhesions that are popping in Neagle's elbow.

Neagle, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his throwing arm after the 2002 season, left a game Friday against minor leaguers on the back field at Hi Corbett complaining of the tightness in his left elbow. He allowed four runs -- including a homer -- on seven hits in three-plus innings.

The left-hander reported no discomfort in his first three innings but he couldn't loosen up when he threw warm-up pitches in the fourth. He faced one batter before leaving the mound and left for the hospital soon after without talking to reporters.

Neagle left his prior outing on March 9 against Seattle after three innings when he reported feeling a slight tweak in his elbow after throwing a slider to Ichiro Suzuki.

"It was just tight and I couldn't get loose,'' Neagle said of Friday's outing. "I couldn't get anything on the ball so I didn't want to take a chance again. It was in different areas too. Last time it was in the back. This time it was kind of on the side.''

Seattle Mariners: Seattle closer Kazuhiro Sasaki had no problem pitching a perfect inning after his grueling workouts earlier in the week, striking out two in the Mariners' 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants in a split-squad game Saturday.

Giants starter Jason Schmidt allowed one run in five innings in his best spring start.

Minor leaguer Branden Florence hit a two-run double off Tim Hamulack with one out in the bottom of the ninth to win it for San Francisco. It was the first spring training at-bat ever for Florence, called up from the minors to play in the split-squad game.

"I don't know if I'll ever be back up here, so I'm just trying to enjoy it,'' he said.

Ryan Franklin pitched six sharp innings for Seattle, and Sasaki breezed through the seventh.

Sasaki, who underwent elbow surgery after last season, had pitched only twice this spring. But on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, he threw 100 pitches all out in the bullpen -- a much longer workout than his brief game appearances provide.

"I feel really good right now,'' Sasaki said through an interpreter. "My fastball was where it needs to be.''

Cleveland Indians: Bill Selby hit a three-run double in a five-run 10th inning helping the Indians to an 8-4 victory over the Houston Astros Saturday.

Trailing 3-2 in the ninth, Cleveland tied the game on an RBI single by Coco Crisp before rallying against Ken Vining (2-1) in the 10th. Alex Escobar started the rally with a solo homer and Jason Boyd had an RBI double prior to Selby's hit.

The score was tied 2-2 when starters Jason Davis for Cleveland and Jeriome Robertson for Houston, left the game. Both pitchers are battling for the No. 5 spot in their teams' rotations.

"I'm just trying to get that last spot,'' Davis said. "I think I did well, but what I think doesn't matter. All I can do is go out and compete and give it everything I have. It's hard not to think about it, but I do that when I'm not pitching.''

Davis pitched five innings. He allowed six hits, three earned runs and had five strikeouts and no walks.

San Francisco Giants: Livan Hernandez pitched five innings in his longest outing of the spring as a Giants' split squad beat the San Diego Padres 9-3 Saturday.

The right-hander allowed three runs, seven hits and two walks while striking out two. He held the Padres to one run and four hits through four innings before tiring in the fifth.

Mark Kotsay homered for the second straight game, a solo shot off Hernandez with two outs in the bottom of the first. San Diego rookies Tagg Bozied and Xavier Nady hit RBI doubles off Hernandez in the fifth.

The Giants didn't send any starting position players to the game, but their patchwork lineup pounded Padres starter Francisco Cordova for eight runs (seven earned), eight hits and four walks in 3 1-3 innings.

Cordova hasn't pitched in the big leagues since 2000 because of elbow surgery and is attempting to win a job as the Padres' fifth starter. He is 1-1 with a 13.03 ERA in four games this spring. Saturday was his first start.

Cordova has allowed 18 runs (14 earned), 17 hits and seven walks in 9 2/3 innings. Batters are hitting .472 against him.

Pittsburgh Pirates: Craig Wilson, trying to find a place in Pittsburgh's lineup now that he's no longer platooning, hit a tiebreaking home run in the eighth inning of a 5-4 victory Saturday over the Philadelphia Phillies.

Wilson's solo shot off Rheal Cormier gave him four homers and 10 RBI this spring. He was expected to split time in right field with Matt Stairs, but those plans changed Friday when the Pirates signed center fielder Kenny Lofton and moved Reggie Sanders to right.

Wilson now seems likely to be the backup catcher, and hopes to get at-bats at first base and right field.

"If I have to back up somewhere for us to win, I'll do it,'' Wilson said. "Whatever it takes.''

Abraham Nunez homered and tripled as the Pirates beat Philadelphia for the second straight day, despite an effective outing by Phillies starter Joe Roa. He gave up four hits and one run, Nunez's homer in the third.

Cincinnati Reds: Ryan Dempster pitched six scoreless innings, allowing only three hits as the Reds beat the Minnesota Twins 6-1 Saturday.

Dempster improved to 3-0 this spring, striking out five. Three times he fanned Twins leadoff man Jacque Jones, who came into the game batting .452.

"The changeup was tremendous today, I was spotting my fastball pretty much where I wanted to put it and there was nothing but positive things,'' said Dempster, who only threw 67 pitches. "It's just confidence, and my confidence a lot of times last year wasn't very strong.''

Brandon Larson homered and drove in three runs. Jacob Cruz went 2-for-2 and scored twice after coming in to pinch-run for Adam Dunn in the top of the fifth.

Twins' All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter committed his first error of the spring in the second inning and it led to Cincinnati's first run. Hunter called off shortstop Cristian Guzman on a blooper hit by Reggie Taylor and tried to backhand it, but the ball hit the heel of his glove and bounced away.

Chicago White Sox: Mark Buehrle threw four shutout innings and Carlos Lee hit a grand slam as the White Sox battered a split squad of Milwaukee Brewers 8-1 Saturday.

A first-inning throwing error by Milwaukee third baseman Wes Helms led to five unearned runs, giving Buehrle all the support he needed. The left-hander improved to 3-0 with a 1.13 ERA this spring.

Not bad for an outing in which Buehrle said he didn't have his best stuff.

"I told (pitching coach Don Cooper) in the bullpen that I didn't have it,'' said Buehrle, adding he thought his pregame hesitancy might be due to the usual "dead arm'' period most pitchers go through in the spring.

"I'm not really worried about it,'' said Buehrle, the team's opening day starter.

Lee hit a 1-2 pitch from Francisco Campos over the left-field wall in the first inning. Tony Graffanino added a solo shot to put the White Sox ahead 5-0.