New York Yankees’ Jamie Hoffmann slides in safely with a stolen base ahead of a tag by Detroit Tigers second baseman Brent Dlugach during the fourth inning of a spring training game Friday.
AP PHOTO
TAMPA, Fla. — Alex Rodriguez hit a long solo homer, CC Sabathia allowed two runs in 5 1-3 innings and the New York Yankees beat the Detroit Tigers 6-2 in a split-squad game on Friday.
Rodriguez hit his first homer, a towering drive over the scoreboard in left in the third off Rick Porcello, who was charged with four runs — one earned — and four hits over three innings.
Sabathia, lined up to pitch the regular season opener April 4 at Boston, gave up four hits, two walks and struck out eight. He left in the sixth with two on — both reaching on walks — and one out. One of the baserunners scored later in the inning.
Porcello had his string of 10 consecutive shutout innings end in the second when the Yankees scored three unearned runs with two outs.
Twins 7, Mets 3
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Johan Santana lasted 3 1-3 innings, allowing nine hits and five runs against his former team.
Santana struck out three and walked one. Twins third baseman Danny Valencia and catcher Wilson Ramos both hit second-inning home runs off Santana.
Twins starter Kevin Slowey allowed one run on three hits in three innings, striking out two and walking two. Mets catcher Omir Santos hit a homer for the lone run surrendered by Slowey.
Pirates 9, Red Sox 7
BRADENTON, Fla. — Josh Beckett pitched 3 1-3 innings after missing his last start because of flu-like symptoms, allowing four runs on six hits in the loss.
Pirates left-hander Paul Maholm worked four innings and gave up three runs, two of them unearned. David Ortiz hit a two-run homer off Maholm in the first inning.
Delwyn Young knocked Beckett out of the game with a two-run home run, and Garrett Jones and Steve Pearce also hit two-run homers for the Pirates.
Marlins 7, Cardinals 6
JUPITER, Fla. — Albert Pujols hit his first home run of the spring, but right-hander Chris Carpenter was pounded for seven runs in the loss.
Carpenter gave up six runs on seven hits in the first inning. He threw 21 of his 29 pitches in the first inning for strikes, and the Marlins didn’t miss. Eleven batters came to the plate, with Chris Coghlan singling twice in the inning.
Anibal Sanchez two runs on four hits in five innings for Florida.
Astros 2, Blue Jays 0
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Fill-in starter Josh Banks pitched three innings in place of Bud Norris, who was sick with the flu, and Houston threw its third shutout in 15 spring games.
Toronto’s Brandon Morrow also was scratched after feeling soreness in his right shoulder while warming up.
Cory Sullivan homered and potential Astros closer Matt Lindstrom struck out two in an inning. He has pitched 5 2-3 scoreless innings in five appearances.
Cubs 8, White Sox 4
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Derrek Lee and Alfonso Soriano each hit two-run homers for the Cubs.
Cubs shortstop Ryan Theriot was 2 for 3, upping his spring average to .536. Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady hit solo home runs for the Cubs, and Kosuke f*ckudome had an RBI triple and scored in the first.
Gordon Beckham drove in a run with a double for the White Sox in the third inning, the second baseman’s fourth double of spring training. Key relievers Scott Linebrink and J.J. Putz each gave up a home run.
Indians (ss) 12, Rangers 2
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Aaron Laffey scattered four hits over four strong innings to lead a Cleveland split-squad.
Laffey, one of three pitchers fighting for the last two spots in the Indians’ rotation, walked one, hit a batter and struck out three.
Texas starter Brandon McCarthy needed 42 pitches to get through the first inning. He allowed five runs on five hits and three walks with four strikeouts over four innings.
Vladimir Guerrero made his first appearance in right field for the Rangers and finished 1 for 2 with a double and a run scored.
Royals 24, Diamondbacks 9
TUCSON, Ariz. — Brian Anderson went 5 for 5 with seven RBIs and hit for the cycle. Anderson, a Tucson native, hit a two-run triple in the first inning, a double in the second, a two-run single in the third, and a two-run homer in the fourth. He doubled in the fifth.
The Royals finished with 27 hits while the Diamondbacks had 12.
Royals starter Brian Bannister threw four shutout innings, striking out three and walking one.
The Diamondbacks’ Billy Buckner allowed eight runs and nine hits in two innings. He struck out three and walked one.
Angels 10, Brewers 5
PHOENIX — Jeff Suppan allowed six hits and five earned runs with three walks and four strikeouts for Milwaukee. After allowing six of the first seven batters he faced to reach base, Suppan retired eight of his last 11.
Kendry Morales reached base in his first three at-bats, including a fifth-inning home run.
Rockies 10, Athletics 4
TUCSON, Ariz. — Greg Smith gave up three hits and a run while striking out six and walking one in five innings.
A’s starter Trevor Cahill allowed five hits and one run in five innings, throwing 68 pitches, 45 strikes, in his longest outing of the spring.
Giants 7, Indians (ss) 6
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Buster Posey hit a run-scoring double with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to lift the Giants.
Aubrey Huff hit a two-run double off Indians right-hander Justin Masterson in the first inning.
Masterson, the likely No. 3 man in the rotation, gave up six runs on nine hits in 3 1-3 innings.
Tigers 4, Braves 4, 10 innings
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Johnny Damon hit a long home run and added a single, and Detroit and Atlanta played to a tie after 10 innings.
Damon, who matched his career high with 24 homers last season for the New York Yankees, connected in the fifth inning off Braves starter Kenshin Kawakami.
Jeff Larish homered in the fourth off Kawakami, who allowed six hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked none.
Jeremy Bonderman worked three innings, allowing two runs on four hits with two walks and a hit batter. Bonderman gave up RBI doubles to Chipper Jones and Brian McCann in the first inning but worked out of jams in each of the next two frames thanks to double plays.
Jones was 2 for 2 with a walk for the Braves, who tied the game in the ninth inning on a single by Gregor Blanco.
