Colorado Rockies: Colorado's Denny Neagle had no trouble with his sore left elbow in a bullpen session Saturday, but his status as Opening Day starter remains unclear.

Neagle threw for nearly 10 minutes, working his way through all of his pitches without pain in his second bullpen session in three days.

"He threw all of his pitches, his breaking pitches and changeups, and he came away feeling very, very encouraged by it,'' Rockies pitching coach Bob Apodaca said. "A little reluctance at the start because he remembered where the bite would come in certain pitches, but he realized there was nothing there.''

But even with the progress, the Rockies might hold Neagle back from his scheduled start on opening day to give him more time to heal and build his strength back.

"We want to make sure we have no sense of urgency with his recovery,'' Rockies manager Clint Hurdle said. "If we are getting to the point we are feeling confident his recovery is secure and complete, we might backload him to the end, to the back of the rotation.''

Neagle, who had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in the offseason, threw Thursday for the first time since taking himself out one batter into the fourth inning against minor leaguers on March 14. He also had elbow pain against Seattle on March 9.

Neagle had no trouble with a bullpen session Thursday and is expected to throw again on Monday. Without any setbacks, he will either start against the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday or pitch a simulated game.

Either way, he isn't likely to throw many pitches.

"He 'll go approximately two innings and around 35-40 pitches maximum because we don't want to get back to square one,'' Apodaca said. "I think what is probably most affected at this point is his stamina. We have to do a slow process with him as far as building back that strength.''

Philadelphia Phillies: David Bell hit three home runs, two off struggling Casey Fossum, and had five RBI Saturday as the Phillies beat the Boston Red Sox 11-6.

Bell hit a three-run homer in the first and a solo shot in third off Fossum, who gave up three homers and seven runs in four innings. Jimmy Rollins hit a two-run homer in the fourth, and Bell hit a solo homer in the Brandon Lyon in the seventh.

Bell said it was his first three-homer game at any level.

"It is spring training, but you're working every day to get comfortable, get in the groove, especially now,'' Bell said. "We're getting close to the season starting and all that. It's a good thing to feel good at the plate.''

Rollins had three RBI for the Phillies, and Brett Myers gave up one run in five innings. Shea Hillenbrand had two hits for Boston to keep his spring average at .500.

Little gave Fossum a vote of confidence, saying he threw well and has a starting spot no matter what.

"He's one of our starting pitchers,'' Little said.

Detroit Tigers: Rookie Jeremy Bonderman picked the right time to have his worst outing this spring.

Bonderman was given a spot in Detroit's starting rotation and then gave up four home runs in four innings Saturday in a 10-3 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

Milton Bradley homered twice, and Karim Garcia and Matt Lawton connected off Bonderman. Ellis Burks hit Cleveland's fifth homer, a solo shot off Steve Sparks.

After allowing eight runs and nine hits in four innings, the 20-year-old Bonderman, who hasn't pitched above Class A ball, was told by first-year Detroit manager Alan Trammell that he had won a starting job.

"He got roughed up, but I don't care,'' said Trammell, who made up his mind before Bonderman pitched. "I think he can handle this. I'm going to stick to my decision.''

Trammell, who's trying to turn around a team that lost 106 games in 2002, also selected Omar Infante as his starting shortstop and gave the second-base job to Ramon Santiago.

That leaves Damion Easley as the odd-man out. The 33-year-old Easley, who has been with the Tigers since 1996, is guaranteed $6.5 million in each of the next two seasons plus a $1.3 million of an $8 million team option for 2005. However, Trammell hinted that Easley might not even make Detroit's 25-man roster.

"Nobody is guaranteed anything at this point in time,'' Trammell said. "We're trying something different. Right now, it's the way I want to go. How well can they handle it? I don't know.''

Atlanta Braves: Mike Hampton found his groove Saturday against one of his former teams.

Making his fourth start of spring training, Hampton pitched six scoreless innings as the Atlanta Braves beat the New York Mets 4-1.

He gave up three hits, walked two and threw 79 pitches, lowering his spring ERA from 7.07 to 4.95.

"I felt I pitched good facing a quality lineup,'' said Hampton, who helped the Mets reach the World Series in 2000.

Two of the three hits were doubles, including one leading off the sixth by Russ Johnson. But Hampton got out of the jam by retiring three straight, including a strikeout of Mo Vaughn with a backdoor sinker.

"It feels great. All the work seems to paying off,'' Hampton said. "I'm moving in the right direction.''

Baltimore Orioles: Orioles manager Mike Hargrove is putting Jason Johnson in the starting rotation, leaving Rick Helling and Pat Hentgen to compete for the final slot.

Johnson joins Opening Day starter Rodrigo Lopez, Omar Daal and Sidney Ponson in the five-man rotation.

Orioles manager Mike Hargrove made the announcement Saturday before the 6-foot-6 right-hander yielded seven runs and nine hits over five innings in the Orioles' 8-1 loss to Florida.

After the game, the manager softened his endorsement, saying, "As of now, he's in the rotation.''

Johnson gave up six first-inning runs, walking the first two batters and allowing five hits before retiring the side. He settled down, but the poor outing raised his ERA this spring from 3.27 to 6.19.

"Before this game I felt like I was ready to start the season today,'' Johnson said.

Cleveland Indians: Bob Wickman's elbow has been rebuilt. Next is his career.

The Indians' closer, who underwent offseason reconstructive surgery on his right elbow in August, threw a baseball for the first time since the operation on Saturday.

Wickman made 40 tosses -- with a baseball weighing 2 ounces less than the regulation ball -- at a distance of about 20 feet to Jim Mehalik, a member of the club's medical staff.

As game's of catch go, this one was special.

"It went well, no pain,'' said Wickman, who was then asked if he would pitch this season.

"Oh, yeah,'' he said. "Definitely in September. I can't say definitely, but according to the program we have, yes.''

Pittsburgh Pirates: The last time Dennys Reyes was on the Progress Energy Park mound, he was as scared as a pitcher can be.

On March 12, the Pittsburgh pitcher was struck in the head by a line drive off the bat of the Devil Rays' Aubrey Huff. Reyes sat dazed on the mound for five minutes, never losing his consciousness but temporarily losing his sight.

Tests revealed no skull fracture or concussion, and Reyes was pitching again a week later. On Saturday, he was back on the same mound where he was hurt, and Pirates manager Lloyd McClendon couldn't be happier with how he handled the experience.

Reyes gave up two runs and two hits in his only inning of work in the Devil Rays' 8-2 victory. But if he showed any tentativeness or fear, McClendon didn't detect it.

"He did all right,'' McClendon said. "It was good to get him back out there, and I like how he handled it. He may have thrown one or two many breaking balls, but if he had the yips or was shell shocked, he didn't show it.''

It was merely coincidental Reyes pitched again in St. Petersburg, but McClendon liked how the schedule fell the way it did.

"I thought he handled it all right,'' McClendon said. "I'm not disappointed.''

Reyes remains in the running for one of the Pirates' bullpen jobs despite his 7.37 ERA in 7 1-3 innings this spring.

Chicago Cubs: Troy O'Leary went 4-for-4 with three RBI as the Chicago Cubs rallied from a six-run deficit Saturday and played a 6-6, 11-inning tie against the San Francisco Giants.

Giants starter Kurt Ainsworth struck out seven in six innings, allowing one run, four hits and two walks. Rich Aurilia had two RBI for San Francisco.

Chicago starter Alan Benes allowed four runs in the first inning, giving up RBI singles to Aurilia and Andres Galarraga, and a two-run single to Carlos Mendoza.

Benes didn't allow any more runs, lasting four innings and allowing five hits.