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TEMPE, Ariz. -- Cubs sluggers Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez each had three hits and two RBI, leading Chicago to an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Angels.
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Angels left-hander Joe Saunders allowed eight hits and seven runs, six earned, in six innings. With Bartolo Colon and Jered Weaver opening the season on the disabled list, Saunders will fill a vacant spot in Los Angeles' rotation.
"There were a few bleeders and a few bad pitches," Saunders said.
It was his first ineffective outing of the spring.
"He threw a lot better than his linescore," Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. "Some of the hits were seeing-eye hits and I think there were four broken-bat hits." Full story
Giants 3, White Sox 2
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Cain went six innings, catcher Bengie Molina worked nine and closer Armando Benitez got an impressive four-out save.
For the San Francisco Giants, the victory over the Chicago White Sox was about as close to a real game as they've played all spring.
They ended a six-game skid, too -- the club's longest in exhibition play since losing seven straight in March 2001.
Benitez, booed almost every time he pitched during an injury-shortened 2006 season, pumped his fist in celebration and received a hug and a handshake from Molina after Tadahito Iguchi struck out on a slider to end it. Iguchi already had homered, tripled and singled in the game.
Rangers 10, Mariners 6
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- The final decision on the Texas Rangers' No. 5 starter won't come until Wednesday, but Jamey Wright seems to be the choice.
"I haven't been told anything yet," said Wright after the right-handed free agent worked 5 1/3 as Texas beat the Seattle Mariners. "I've been doing this a long time. I know it is out of my hands, so I don't worry about it."
Wright, who has a clause in his contract that he has to be told by March 28 if he has made the club, gave up six hits, five runs, a pair of solo home runs and walked one.
"I left a couple of pitches up and still need to iron out some things, but I thought I made good adjustments out there," said Wright, who lasted only 3 1/3 in his last start.
Athletics 6, Rockies 3
PHOENIX -- Even though Chad Gaudin will be a reliever for Oakland this season, the Athletics wanted to see how he would fare as a starter.
Gaudin allowed one hit and struck out four in three scoreless innings and the Oakland Athletics beat the Colorado Rockies.
While Gaudin will mostly pitch in the seventh and eighth innings, the A's now know he could make a rare start if needed.
Mike Piazza hit an opposite-field double and Eric Chavez homered to right to give Oakland a 3-0 lead in the first. Nick Swisher added his fifth homer of the spring and Milton Bradley also went deep.
Brewers 9, Diamondbacks 2
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jose Valverde was the Arizona Diamondbacks' closer at the beginning and the end of last season.
In between, he spent six weeks at Triple-A Tucson.
Valverde will open this season as the Diamondbacks' bullpen ace again. If he pitches the way he has this spring, he has probably made his last appearance of the year in Tucson.
Valverde struck out one in a perfect seventh inning in the Diamondbacks' loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. He faced former teammate Claudio Vargas, the Brewers' starting pitcher, and a pair of minor leaguers.
Royals 5, Padres 2
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Coming off a season shortened by injury, Khalil Greene is having great spring.
The Padres' shortstop went 2-for-3 with a pair of singles and a stolen base in a loss to the Kansas City Royals.
Greene raised his average to .440 to go along with five home runs and 16 RBI in 17 games. He hit .245 last season, with 15 homers and 55 RBI in 121 games before a strained ligament in his middle finger on Aug. 3 limited him for the rest of the year. Thus far the finger is good and so is Greene. But he's not putting any stock in his spring training statistics.
"This has probably been my best spring, but on the flip side I've had two springs before this where I really felt like I struggled," Greene said. "It's just a matter of getting everything in order and feeling comfortable where you're at."
