Wohlers makes another pitch to be closer
SportsLine wire reports
ATLANTA -- After pitching a perfect ninth for his second save this spring, Mark Wohlers said he was satisfied with his comeback.
"I just want to pitch," said Wohlers, who has a good chance to regain his former role as the team's closer. "I want the ball in the ninth, obviously. My pitching is going to dictate how I'm used."
Nine of Wohlers' 15 pitches were for strikes.
He struck out Richie Sexson on four pitches, got Alex Ramirez to ground out after fouling off a 3-2 pitch and ended the game by retiring David Justice on a flyout with a 2-1 count.
"Mark has earned a place on this team," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "A bunch of guys out there can pitch the ninth inning. I'm going to use different people."
"I was nervous," Wohlers said of Saturday's outing. "I hadn't pitched very well in Atlanta in a long time. It's refreshing what I've done this offseason. I just want to stay on top of things. I've had some good outings this spring."
Cardinals 2, Expos 1
WASHINGTON -- Washington Mayor Anthony Williams threw out the ceremonial first pitch and spent the game in the St. Louis dugout as the Cardinals beat the Expos 2-1 Saturday before 30,112 at RFK Stadium, completing a two-game exhibition series in a city trying to lure a major league team.
Both Cardinals runs were scored by the son of a former Washington Senators player. David Howard, whose father, Bruce, pitched for the Senators in 1968, went 3-for-4 with a third-inning homer off loser Miguel Batista. Howard, who went 5-for-7 in the two games, also scored in the first on Mark McGwire's single off the left-field wall.
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| Fernando Tatis tries to break up a double play by Orlando Cabrera.(AP) |
McGwire hit an incredible home run off the roof during batting practice Friday but failed to reached the back of the upper deck with his BP swings Saturday.
Dodgers 5, Yankees 4
LOS ANGELES -- Paul LoDuca, trying to earn the backup catcher's job with the Los Angeles Dodgers, drove in the winning run with a two-out single in the sixth inning Saturday night in a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees.
LoDuca, a rookie hitting .333 this spring (13-of-39) with eight RBIs, came through against Jeff Nelson, who walked two batters earlier in the inning.
Jeff Kubenka, another rookie fighting for a roster spot, pitched two shutout innings to earn the win, and Jeff Shaw pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the spring.
Phillies 8, Orioles 7
HOOVER, Ala. -- Marlon Anderson, playing in his home state for the first time as a major leaguer, capped an impressive spring with a double, triple and two RBIs Saturday as the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-7.
Anderson grew up in Prattville, Ala., about 70 miles away from The Hoover Met, site of Saturday's game. He estimated 50 friends and family members were in the stands Saturday, and drew a standing ovation from them after his RBI triple in the first.
"It's a little weird being here as a pro," said the rookie, who played at South Alabama. "It's always nice to have family here - I got to have breakfast with my dad - and see familiar faces. That's special, but at the same time its a little stressful."
Mets 6, Rangers 4
ARLINGTON, Texas -- Robin Ventura was 2-for-4 with a home run and John Olerud drove in two runs Saturday, leading the New York Mets over the Texas Rangers 6-4
Ventura hit his first home run of the spring on Rangers reliever Esteban Loaiza's second pitch in the fifth. Olerud had run-scoring singles in the third and fourth innings.
John Burkett, who lost for the third time in four spring decisions, allowed four runs and four hits in the fourth.
Rickey Henderson and Olerud had run-scoring singles and Brian McRae hit a sacrifice fly.
Astros 8, Tigers 3
SAN ANTONIO -- Jeff Bagwell and Richard Hidalgo homered, and Jose Lima allowed one run in seven innings Saturday as the Houston Astros beat the Detroit Tigers 8-3 in the first major league game in San Antonio in 21 years.
"It was a really lively crowd, more so than some of our crowds in Houston, which tend to be like theater crowds because of the Astrodome," Astros manager Larry Dierker said.
It was the first major league game in San Antonio since the Astros and Tigers played on April 3, 1978.
Hidalgo hit a two-run homer, his third of the spring, in the second inning against Beiker Graterol, who already had been assigned to the Tigers' minor league camp.
Blue Jays 11, Royals 7
HAINES CITY, Fla. -- Jose Cruz Jr. hit a two-run, two-out double in the ninth inning double in the ninth inning Saturday as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Kansas City Royals 11-7.
Despite the loss, the Royals finished with a 22-9 spring record, the best in the major leagues. Cruz drove in three runs, raising his RBIs total to 20 in 27 games.
Royals starter Jeff Suppan was pounded for six runs and 13 hits in six innings. Loser Matt Whisenant gave up five runs, three hits, two walks and a hit batter in the ninth.
Devil Rays 8, Pirates 4
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Bobby Witt showed why he won a spot in Tampa Bay's starting rotation, pitching five strong innings Saturday in the Devil Rays' 8-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The right-hander, coming off a season in which he went 9-9 with a 6.57 ERA for Texas and St. Louis, allowed two runs and seven hits, struck out six and walked two.
Witt (3-1) showed steady improvement in six spring appearances and is scheduled to make his first start of the regular season Thursday night at Baltimore.
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