April 3, 1999
SportsLine wire reports
NEW ORLEANS -- Jeff Blauser hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth as the Chicago Cubs rallied to beat the Minnesota Twins 6-3 Saturday in the opener of a two-game series in the Superdome.
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Sosa, whose 11 spring training home runs are the most in the majors, struck out in his first two at-bats and walked in the sixth before leaving. Walker was 0-for-3.
Two batters after Sosa's walk, Blauser gave Chicago a 4-3 lead with his fourth home run of the spring. The Cubs added two more in the seventh on a leadoff homer by Tyler Houston and Glenallen Hill's infield grounder.
Athletics 15, Giants 3
SAN FRANCISCO -- Shawn Estes, scheduled to start the Giants' home opener next Thursday, gave up seven runs in two innings as the Oakland Athletics defeated San Francisco 15-3 Saturday in a game shortened to 5½ innings by rain.
Matt Stairs pinch hit a three-run homer and Jason Giambi and Olmedo Saenz added three RBIs each as the A's completed a sweep of their two-game Bay Bridge Series against the Giants.
Jason McDonald, Miguel Tejada and Tim Raines added two RBIs each for the A's, who finished the spring 16-17. Tejada and Saenz hit their sixth homers of the spring, while Stairs hit his fifth.
Estes allowed six hits and three walks in his short start, and joked later that he was just trying to help out the A's on a cold, windy afternoon.
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| Nomar and the Sox came up short against Kurt Abbott's Rockies.(AP) |
Rockies 10, Red Sox 6
DENVER -- Lenny Harris, filling in for the injured Larry Walker, homered and drove in two runs as the Colorado Rockies beat the Boston Red Sox 10-6 on a chilly Saturday at Coors Field.
Snow wiped out the first game between the teams Friday, but the grounds crew cleared the field Saturday morning, allowing the Red Sox and Rockies to wrap up their spring schedule in 35-degree weather.
Harris looked relaxed after learning he would start in right field Sunday in the season opener against the San Diego Padres. He singled sharply in the first, homered into the second deck in the second and hit a sacrifice fly in the third.
Rockies starter Brian Bohanon faced the minimum through three innings before giving up two runs in the fourth and one in the fifth.
Padres 7, White Sox 4
LAS VEGAS -- Dave Magadan had three RBIs, Damian Jackson scored three runs and Stan Spencer pitched his best game of the spring Saturday as the San Diego Padres beat the Chicago White Sox 7-4 in their final exhibition game.
Magadan's two-run double highlighted a four-run fourth inning for San Diego and he added an RBI single in the seventh.
Spencer (3-1), who entered the game with a 7.32 ERA in five previous spring starts, allowed one run - unearned - and six hits in six innings. He walked four and struck out three.
Spencer, who's had a history of injuries that have stalled his career, survived a scare in the sixth when Darrin Jackson lined a ball off his left knee. Spencer finished the inning, and although the knee was bruised, he's expected to make his first regular-season start Thursday.
Brewers 12, Mariners 0
LAS VEGAS -- Rich Becker and Geoff Jenkins each homered as the Milwaukee Brewers ended spring training with a 12-0 victory against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday night.
Starter Jim Abbott and three relievers combined on the four-hitter. Abbott allowed all four hits and struck out six in 4 2-3 innings, capping a sensational exhibition season. In 21 innings this spring, the left-hander posted a 1.71 ERA, giving up four runs and 15 hits with three walks and 15 strikeouts.
Abbott and the Milwaukee bullpen received plenty of offensive support Saturday, as five Brewers had multi-hit games, led by Sean Berry, who went 3-for-3 with an RBI. Milwaukee finished with 16 hits.
Seattle left-hander Butch Henry took the loss for the Mariners, who finished the spring with a 20-12 record. Milwaukee finished at 11-20-2.