Young sparks Twins’ 4-3 win
Delmon Young hit a two-run homer and finished with three RBI against his former team, leading the Minnesota Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Monday.
Scott Kazmir worked two innings for Tampa Bay in his Grapefruit League debut, yielding one run and three hits.
Kevin Slowey allowed two runs and four hits in 3 1/3 innings for Minnesota. He struck out four and walked none.
Twins catcher Joe Mauer has been hampered by back pain, hurting his rehab from offseason kidney surgery.
Mauer, the reigning AL batting champion, will undergo a magnetic resonance arthogram Tuesday. Doctors will inject the All-Star catcher’s back and stomach area with dye as part of the exam.
Mauer had surgery Dec. 22 to remove a blockage from one of his kidneys and had been limited to working out in the weight room and conditioning drills. He hit .328 with nine homers and 85 RBI last season.
Red Sox 15, Pirates 14: Jon Lester threw 57 pitches in his third spring training start, and a makeshift Boston lineup outslugged Pittsburgh in a 10-inning game that lasted 4 hours, 10 minutes.
Lester’s outing came one day after Yahoo.com reported he and the Red Sox had agreed to a $30 million, five-year contract extension with a $13 million club option for 2014, pending a physical Tuesday.
Lester said there was no contract agreement pending, to his knowledge, but he would welcome the stability of a long-term deal.
Lester lasted 2 1/3 innings, allowing four runs – one earned – and four hits. He struck out two and walked one.
Boston’s lineup did not include a single position player who is expected to start on opening day. The Red Sox are short-handed because of injuries and the World Baseball Classic.
Blue Jays 6, Yankees 2: Andy Pettitte felt so good in his first spring training start that the Yankees let him pitch longer than his scheduled one-inning stint.
Pettitte allowed one hit over 1 2/3 scoreless innings of the Yankees’ loss to Toronto.
Pettitte was happy that his pitching shoulder, which gave him problems during the second half last season, was not an issue.
Russ Adams and Travis Snider hit solo homers for Toronto. Rookie left-hander Brad Mills, bidding for a rotation spot, gave up two runs and four hits in 3 2/3 innings.
Reds 8, Phillies 4: Cole Hamels is right where he wants to be as he prepares to make his first opening-day start.
Hamels pitched 2 2/3 innings in his Grapefruit League debut, allowing two runs and two hits in Philadelphia’s loss to Cincinnati.
Hamels struck out three and walked none in his second exhibition start. He threw two scoreless innings in a 9-2 win over Canada Wednesday.
A-Rod surgery: Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez had arthroscopic surgery Monday to repair a torn labrum in his right hip, and his projected timetable for recovery remains six to nine weeks.
Dr. Marc Philippon performed the 1-hour, 20-minute procedure at Vail Valley Surgery Center in Colorado.
“The surgery went exactly as we planned,” Philippon said during a conference call. “No surprises.”
Other options considered were a more aggressive surgery that would have sidelined Rodriguez up to four months and a conservative approach that would have included rest and treatment.
“There is no doubt in our minds that this was the best option,” Philippon said. “This was the best option for Alex and the Yankees.”
General manager Brian Cashman expects the three-time AL MVP back on the field “sometime in May.” Rodriguez will need a more extensive operation after the season, and Philippon said Rodriguez “absolutely” will be ready for spring training in 2010.
Rodriguez was expected to be released from the hospital later Monday and to start his rehab. He was to perform range of motion drills and ride a stationary bike.