Met’s Santana ready for regular season

Posted Mar 24, 2010 by TBO.com

Updated Mar 25, 2010 at 10:28 AM

PORT ST. LUCIE — Johan Santana looks ready for the regular season.

The left-hander gave up two runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, stretching beyond the fourth for the first time this spring, and the New York Mets beat the Houston Astros 5-2 Wednesday.

It was Santana’s fourth appearance since undergoing elbow surgery to remove bone spurs in September. He threw 93 pitches, struck out two and walked one. Astros third baseman Chris Johnson homered off Santana with two outs in the fourth. Jeff Keppinger drove in a run in the fifth.

Mets first baseman Daniel Murphy, who is batting just .167 this spring, had two hits, including a two-run homer off Tim Byrdak.

Rays 5, Blue Jays 3

PORT CHARLOTTE — Jason Bartlett hit a pair of solo homers and Jeff Niemann pitched five solid innings for Tampa Bay.

Niemann allowed two runs and seven hits. He walked one and struck three in the longest of his five outings this spring.

Lyle Overbay went 3 for 3 and had an RBI single and run-scoring double, and Alex Gonzalez hit a solo homer for Toronto.

Cardinals 4, Orioles 2

JUPITER — Albert Pujols returned to the lineup Wednesday, but St. Louis lost All-Star catcher Yadier Molina to an oblique injury in the win.

Molina left the game in the second inning with a strained right oblique and will be reevaluated on Thursday.

Pujols was 0 for 3 with a walk, but David Freese went 3 for 4 and drove in three runs for the Cardinals. Rich Hill allowed two earned runs on four hits in three innings.

Red Sox 6, Pirates 4

BRADENTON — Victor Martinez, Bill Hall and Mike Cameron each homered to lead Boston.

Josh Beckett racked up nine strikeouts in five innings, fanning seven of nine batters in one stretch. He gave up three hits and two walks.

Minor leaguer Jeremy Farrell and Delwyn Young homered off Boston’s Fernando Cabrera in the ninth.

Twins 4, Marlins 1

FORT MYERS — Jacque Jones hit a two-run home run and Justin Morneau hit a solo shot for Minnesota.

Twins starter Kevin Slowey struck out five without a walk while giving up three hits in five scoreless innings.

Marlins starter Anibal Sanchez gave up the homers to Jones and Morneau, completing six innings while allowing eight hits.

Braves 8, Phillies 0

KISSIMMEE — Tim Hudson pitched six scoreless innings and Brian McCann hit two home runs to lead Atlanta.

Hudson is 3-1 with a 1.35 ERA in five starts this spring. All three of the hits off the veteran right-hander were singles, and he had four strikeouts with two walks.

J.A. Happ also allowed a home run to Martin Prado in his five-inning outing. The left-hander allowed six hits and four runs, walking three and striking out three.

Yankees 3, Nationals 1

TAMPA — Javier Vazquez allowed one run and four hits over six-plus innings, striking out six in a 77-pitch outing for New York.

Alex Rodriguez hit an RBI triple in the fourth and added a run-scoring single for the Yankees in the sixth.

Livan Hernandez, bidding for one of the final two spots in the Washington rotation, gave up one run and three hits in five innings. The right-hander struck out three and walked two.
-The Associated Press