Spring Training roundup: Cespedes homers in debut

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

PHOENIX — Cuban defector Yoenis Cespedes homered, walked and singled in his first major league game, leading the Oakland Athletics to a 6-3 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday.

Manny Ramirez went 0 for 3 in his return to the lineup after missing a few days because of lower-back stiffness.

Bartolo Colon pitched four innings, allowing one run on four hits in his second spring start. He struck out four.

Cueto, the Reds opening day starter, allowed three runs and five hits — two earned — in two innings.

MARLINS 3, CARDINALS 1

JUPITER, Fla. (AP) — Josh Johnson got another good look at St. Louis, pitching 2 1-3 scoreless innings for Miami.

Still working his way back from shoulder issues that limited him to just nine starts last year, Johnson allowed one hit, struck out three and threw 52 pitches. He also faced the Cardinals in his first spring start on Monday, giving up two hits in 1 2-3 scoreless innings.

Johnson is in line to start the season opener against the Cardinals at new Marlins Park in Miami on April 4.

Omar Infante homered for the Marlins off Kyle Lohse, who allowed a run on two hits in three innings.

ORIOLES 1, PHILLIES 0

CLEARWATER, Fla. (AP) — Brian Matusz bounced back from a shaky spring debut, pitching four sharp innings as Baltimore beat Philadelphia.

Matusz went 1-9 with a 10.69 ERA in 2011. He struggled in his first exhibition outing this year, giving up three runs and six hits in two innings to Pittsburgh.

Against Philadelphia, Matusz allowed three hits without a walk while striking out four.

Joe Blanton pitched three scoreless innings for the Phillies. The 31-year-old righty was limited to eight starts last year because of an elbow injury.

Blanton allowed four hits, struck out three and walked one.

TWINS 4, PIRATES 2

BRADENTON, Fla. (AP) — Danny Valencia hit a three-run homer among his two hits as Minnesota broke out of a hitting funk and beat Pittsburgh.

Valencia doubled in the fifth inning and homered in the sixth. It was the Twins’ first extra-base hit in six games.

The Twins did all their scoring off reliever Jo-Jo Reyes, who allowed four hits and a walk in two innings.

Erik Bedard tossed three scoreless innings and gave up one hit for Pittsburgh. Casey McGehee went 3 for 3 with one RBI and Nate McLouth went 2 for 2.

NATIONALS (SS) 8, METS 2

VIERA, Fla. (AP) — Ryan Zimmerman hit two doubles and drove in two runs as a split squad of Washington Nationals beat R.A. Dickey and the New York Mets.

Dickey had a rough outing, giving up five runs and eight hits in three innings. Adam LaRoche made his spring debut and hit an RBI single off the Mets knuckleballer.

Chien-Ming Wang, a candidate for the fifth spot in the Nationals’ rotation, allowed two runs and three hits in two innings in his first spring outing. He threw 43 pitches, 26 for strikes.

Ike Davis and Omar Quintanilla each had two hits for the Mets.

TIGERS 5, NATIONALS (SS) 5

LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) — Jose Valverde and Joaquin Benoit allowed home runs after Justin Verlander scattered three hits over four innings and a Washington Nationals split squad tied the Detroit Tigers in a game that ended 5-5 after 10 innings.

Corey Brown and Andres Blanco homered off Valverde, the Tigers closer, and Benoit, the setup man.

Brandon Inge and Brennan Boesch each homered for Detroit.

Tigers Catcher Alex Avila threw out two of the Nationals who reached on base hits trying to steal.

Washington starter John Lannan went two innings, giving up two runs on four hits, including Inge’s home run.

YANKEES 8, BRAVES 3

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — Starters Jair Jurrjens and Michael Pineda both had trouble finding the plate and were pulled in the third inning as the New York Yankees beat Atlanta.

Jurrjens walked six in 2 1-3 innings for the Braves. He allowed five hits and three runs in his second spring start.

Pineda gave up one run on four hits, three walks and a wild pitch in 2 2-3 innings.

Alex Rodriguez doubled and drove in two runs.

Michael Bourn doubled and singled for Atlanta.

ROYALS 5, ROCKIES 2

SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — Billy Butler hit a two-run homer and Luis Mendoza worked four scoreless innings as Kansas City beat Colorado.

Butler, who is 7 for 15 in six spring training games, homered in the fifth with Eric Hosmer aboard.

Mendoza, the 2011 Pacific Coast League pitcher of the year, gave up just two hits, both to Brandon Wood, and struck out three.

Rockies right-hander Jhoulys Chacin allowed one run on three hits, while striking out three, in three innings. Wood had three of the Rockies’ nine hits, who have lost five straight.

GIANTS (SS) 13, BREWERS (SS) 3

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Pablo Sandoval homered and doubled during San Francisco’s seven-run third-inning, and the Giants beat Milwaukee in a game between split squads.

Giants prospect Tommy Joseph hit two home runs, and Barry Zito pitched three scoreless innings. The embattled left-hander allowed one hit and hit a batter.

Milwaukee’s Mat Gamel, taking over at first this season after the departure of Prince Fielder, hit his third homer of the spring, a three-run drive in the fourth inning.

CUBS 6, BREWERS (SS) 1

PHOENIX (AP) — Starlin Castro homered, Ryan Dempster pitched three scoreless innings and the Chicago Cubs beat a Milwaukee split squad.

Dempster allowed two hits and walked two in his second spring start.

Darwin Barney added an RBI triple and Ian Stewart had two hits and scored a run for the Cubs, who have won four of five.

Milwaukee starter Chris Narveson gave up one run — Castro’s third-inning homer — and two hits in 3 2-3 innings.

Brewers closer John Axford threw a perfect sixth inning and Alex Gonzalez homered for Milwaukee.

MARINERS (SS), 5, DODGERS (SS) 5

PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) — Hisashi Iwakuma pitched four innings in his second spring start for Seattle, and the Mariners and Los Angeles Dodgers tied in a split-squad game stopped after the ninth.

Iwakuma allowed two runs and four hits. He walked one, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch as part of his 52 total pitches.

Matt Treanor hit a solo home run and starter Nathan Eovaldi tossed three shutout innings for the Dodgers.

ANGELS 9, GIANTS (SS) 5

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — C.J. Wilson pitched three scoreless innings in his second spring outing and the Los Angeles Angels beat a San Francisco split-squad.

The left-hander allowed one hit, struck out two and walked one.

Mark Trumbo, the Angels’ leader in homers (29) and RBI (87) last season, hit his first spring homer and made a splendid diving grab to his left on Joaquin Arias’ line drive to third in the second, robbing him of a single.

Giants right-hander Shane Loux pitched 2 1-3 innings and was charged with three runs, two earned, and four hits.

PADRES 5, INDIANS 2

GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) — Dustin Moseley worked three scoreless innings and Will Venable had three hits to help San Diego beat Cleveland.

Shin-Soo Choo hit his second home run and doubled for Cleveland. Russ Canzler added an RBI double in the seventh off new Padres closer Huston Street.

Moseley, coming back from shoulder surgery on Aug. 3, gave up one hit and struck out three in his second spring outing.

Indians starter Justin Masterson struck out four and gave up one run and four hits over three innings.

WHITE SOX (SS) 3, RANGERS 2

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Colby Lewis pitched four perfect innings for Texas in a loss to a Chicago White Sox split squad.

Lewis, the Rangers expected opening day starter, struck out five and threw 36 pitches. He struck out Paul Konerko, Adam Dunn and A.J. Pierzynski in the second inning.

Konerko ended the perfect game with a leadoff single in the fifth off Scott Feldman.

Dylan Axelrod, who is vying for a spot in Chicago’s bullpen, allowed a run and three hits, struck out one and walked two in two innings.