MORNEAU PRIMED FOR OPENER (11:43 p.m. ET)
Justin Morneau wrapped up a big spring, doubling and driving in three runs Saturday as the Minnesota Twins
beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-6.
The former AL MVP hit .394 with three home runs in 14 exhibition
games for the Twins. He also went 4-for-9 for Canada in the World
Baseball Classic.
Morneau showed no ill effects from the back soreness that
hampered him this past week. He hit .300 with a team-high 23 home
runs and 129 RBIs last season.
"No, not at all," Morneau said when asked if his back still
troubled him. "I'm good to go."
METS FALL TO BOSOX IN FINAL TUNEUP (9:35 p.m. ET)
Citi Field will be neither a pitchers' nor a hitters' park if no one throws strikes.
Oliver Perez made his first appearance at the New York Mets' new
home and was as inconsistent as he was at Shea Stadium.
The left-hander failed to make it out of the first inning,
walking four and giving up a grand slam to Jed Lowrie in a 9-3 loss
to the Boston Red Sox on Saturday that completed a two-game
exhibition series.
The Red Sox, who also got Jason Varitek's fifth spring training
homer, headed home after the game for Monday's opener at Fenway
Park against AL champion Tampa Bay
New York planned to work out at Citi Field on Sunday before
flying to Cincinnati for the traditional NL opener Monday. The Mets
don't return home until the ballpark's official opener against San
Diego on April 13.
CONTRERAS, COLON DAZZLE AGAIN (9:02 p.m. ET)
Jose Contreras threw four shutout innings and
Bartolo Colon followed with five more, leading the Chicago White
Sox over the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 on Saturday at Chase Field.
Contreras gave up one single while throwing 55 pitches, and
Colon gave up three singles and walked one while throwing 72
pitches. Question marks entering the spring, the two have made
Chicago's starting rotation behind Mark Buehrle, Gavin Floyd and
John Danks.
Contreras, who underwent surgery after suffering a season-ending
Achilles' injury Aug. 8, was 3-0 with a 5.82 ERA in 17 innings.
Colon (0-2, 6.60) hasn't pitched a full season since winning 21
games and the AL Cy Young Award in 2005 because of shoulder, elbow
and oblique muscle injuries. He had surgery to remove bone chips in
the offseason.
Manager Ozzie Guillen hasn't yet determined the order of his rotation, other than Mark Buehrle being the opening-day starter.
"I want to check out the matchups when we get to Chicago [on Sunday]," Guillen said. "That way, I'll have a better idea. I want to see who they are going to face if they go '4' and '5.' No matter who is '4' or' 5,' I really don't care. You are No. 1 when you are on the mound. ... The way they threw made a lot of people in this locker room very excited."
ROYALS TRIM FOUR PLAYERS (6:56 p.m. ET)
The Kansas City Royals trimmed four players off their roster Saturday, leaving them one move to make.
The Royals reassigned left-handed pitcher Tim Hamulack and righties Roman Colon and Brandon Duckworth to Triple-A Omaha. The club also optioned outfielder Mitch Maier to Omaha after its game Saturday against the Texas Rangers.
Kansas City still have 26 players on their roster and need to have it down to 25 by Sunday afternoon. Royals manager Trey Hillman said outfielder Shane Costa and catcher Brayan Pena are battling for the final roster spot.
NATIONALS SET UP ROSTER (5:58 p.m. ET)
The Washington Nationals optioned right-handers Jason Bergmann and Garrett Mock to Triple-A Syracuse, part of a series of moves to set their 25-man active roster.
The Nationals also reassigned right-handers Jesus Colome and Jordan Zimmermann and infielder Alex Cintron to minor league camp. Zimmermann earned a spot in the Nationals' rotation, but they won't need a fifth starter until April 19, so he opens the season at Triple-A Syracuse.
Earning roster spots: right-hander Julian Tavarez, left-hander Wil Ledezma and catcher Josh Bard, whose contracts were selected Saturday.
The moves mean Washington will have three lefty relievers (Ledezma, Mike Hinckley, Joe Beimel) and three catchers (starter Jesus Flores, Wil Nieves and Bard).
BURRELL TAKES HAMELS DEEP (5:33 p.m. ET)
Pat Burrell hit his first homer at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia since he left the Phillies in the offseason, and Carlos Pena also went deep to lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a 9-7 victory on Saturday.
Rays manager Joe Maddon put Burrell in the leadoff spot to get him an at-bat and took him out after his first-inning homer off ace Cole Hamels. Pena also hit a three-run drive in the first.
Raul Ibanez, Greg Dobbs and Jason Donald homered for the Phillies.
JOBA WORKS OUT AT MINOR LEAGUE CAMP (2:42 p.m. ET)
Joba Chamberlain worked out at the Yankees' minor league complex Saturday, one day before his final spring training start.
New York's No. 5 starter flew to Florida after watching the Yankees play their first game -- an exhibition matchup with the Chicago Cubs -- at the new Yankee Stadium on Friday night.
Chamberlain says he will throw five innings or 75 pitches in Sunday's camp game between Triple-A Scranton/Wikes-Barre and Double-A Trenton. The right-hander is scheduled to make his first start of the regular season April 12 at Kansas City.
Also, Jason Johnson, who had treatment for a cancerous tumor behind his right eye in February, gave up two hits over 5 2/3 scoreless innings in a minor league spring training game Saturday.
BUCHHOLZ SENT DOWN; 5 PUT ON DL (2:38 p.m. ET)
The Boston Red Sox have optioned right-hander Clay Buchholz to Triple-A Pawtucket and placed five players on the 15-day disabled list.
Right-hander John Smoltz (right shoulder surgery), outfielder Mark Kotsay (right elbow), shortstop Julio Lugo (right knee surgery), outfielder Jonathan Van Every (right ankle sprain) and right-hander Miguel Gonzalez (right elbow surgery) all went on the DL on Saturday retroactive to March 27.
Boston must make at least one more move by Sunday to get down to the 25-man active limit.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
