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CLEARWATER, Fla. — Eventually the work Ryan Howard put in during the offseason, which included losing at least 15 pounds, was going to pay off.
Howard hit his first home run of the exhibition season, and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 Friday.
“I’m just going to go out there and do what I can do,” Howard said. “The approach is try to put a good swing on the ball. If I can get extra-base hits, home runs, whatever I can do to try to help get those guys in, we’ve been doing a great job of being able to go out and execute.”
Phillies second baseman Chase Utley made his spring training debut after missing 10 games because of a sprained right ankle sustained in January. Batting third as the designated hitter, he struck out in his first at-bat and singled off Chris Archer leading off the fourth.
Utley said he wants to play in the field soon, but he will likely be a DH at least once more before getting to play defense.
“It feels pretty good,” Utley said of his ankle. “Still making a little progress on it. It’s not perfect yet, but we’re moving in the right direction.”
Howard followed Utley and sent Archer’s next pitch, a changeup, over the right-field wall for a 2-1 lead in the fourth, only the Phillies’ third home run of spring training.
Twins 8, Pirates 3
BRADENTON, Fla. — Casey Sadler’s strong start to spring training ended when the Minnesota Twins got to him for four runs and five hits in 2 1/3 innings in a win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sadler had pitched five hitless, scoreless innings before Danny Santana doubled leading off the game, and Santana scored when second baseman Neil Walker threw wide of first on Jordan Schafer’s grounder for an error. One out later, Kennys Vargas sent a low sinker over the wall in left-center for a 3-0 lead.
Vargas was 3 for 3 with two RBIs and two runs.
Twins starter Ervin Santana allowed two hits in two scoreless innings, walked two and struck out two.
Schafer’s walk and singles by Vargas and Kurt Suzuki chased Sadler in the third, and Oswaldo Arcia singled off Wilfredo Boscan for a 4-0 lead. Minnesota’s Eddie Rosario capped a three-run fifth with a two-run homer off Jared Hughes.
Steve Lombardozzi scored on a wild pitch in the sixth by Logan Darnell, who allowed Tony Sanchez’s RBI double and Gorkys Hernandez’s run-scoring single.
Indians 7, Cubs 4
MESA, Ariz. — Cubs starter Tsuyoshi Wada left his start with left groin tightness after getting just two outs, and the Cleveland Indians’ T.J. House allowed two hits over 4 2/3 innings for a split squad in a victory over Chicago.
Wada had given up a homer to Yan Gomes and reached a 3-1 count on Jesus Aguilar before the trainers came out to the mound. Wada was taken for an MRI during the game for precautionary reasons.
Indians (ss) 6, Diamondbacks 2
GOODYEAR, Ariz. — Jason Kipnis doubled twice, and Jose Ramirez and Michael Bourn showed some power to rough up Jeremy Hellickson and the split-squad Cleveland Indians beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-2 on Friday.
Hellickson, slated for the Diamondbacks’ rotation, failed to complete the second inning. He came to Arizona in a trade with Tampa Bay in November.
Royals 8, Athletics (ss) 4
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Edinson Volquez had a shaky start, but Salvador Perez hit a three-run homer to offset a two-run double by former teammate Billy Butler and the Kansas City Royals beat an Oakland Athletics split squad.
Perez homered to left in the four-run first with Eric Hosmer and Kendrys Morales aboard. Lorenzo Cain doubled and scored on Hosmer’s single.
Padres 7, Angels 3
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Tyson Ross rebounded from a tough first spring start with three good innings Friday and the San Diego Padres beat the Los Angeles Angels.
Ross gave up one run and two hits. An All-Star last year, he allowed two runs in an inning against Colorado last weekend.
Rockies 5, White Sox 2
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jose Quintana helped his chances to start on opening day for the Chicago White Sox, allowing only an infield hit while getting eight outs in a loss to the Colorado Rockies.
Manager Robin Ventura announced this week that ace Chris Sale won’t recover from a broken right foot in time to start April 6 in Kansas City. That leaves Quintana and Jeff Samardzija competing for the ball in the opener.
Rangers 3, Giants 0
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Jake Peavy pitched four innings, allowing a three-run home run to Texas’ top prospect Joey Gallo, and the Rangers beat the San Francisco Giants.
Nick Martinez, in the mix for a spot in the starting rotation, allowed two hits over 2 2/3 innings. He struck out four without walking a batter.
Tigers 12, Braves (ss) 2
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — Shane Greene pitched three perfect innings in his second start for the Detroit Tigers, a win over the split-squad Atlanta Braves.
Greene, obtained from the New York Yankees in a three-team trade over the winter, struck out two. He threw 23 strikes in 32 pitches.
Mets 13, Braves (SS) 2
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Wilmer Flores was had three hits, including a three-run homer, and the New York Mets routed an Atlanta Braves’ split squad.
Flores doubled, scored three runs and raised his average to .455.
Mets starter Jon Niese allowed three hits in 3 2/3 scoreless innings, struck out three and walked one.
Astros 6, Nationals 6
VIERA, Fla. — George Springer hit a pair of solo home runs and the Houston Astros tied the Washington Nationals.
Springer was having a breakout rookie year with 20 home runs for Houston before a strained left quadriceps muscle ended his season last July.
Marlins 6, Cardinals 3
JUPITER, Fla. — Mat Latos allowed two hits over three scoreless innings in his first appearance in a Miami Marlins’ uniform, a win over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Acquired from Cincinnati in an offseason trade, Latos angered the Reds when he told Fox during spring training that the Reds rushed him back from knee and elbow injuries last season.
Blue Jays 5, Orioles 3
DUNEDIN, Fla. — Ubaldo Jimenez, who is competing for the fifth spot in Baltimore’s rotation, allowed three runs in four innings as the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Orioles.
Jimenez signed a four-year, $50 million contract a year ago and had a troubled 2014. With six starters vying for five spots, Jimenez will have to definitively show manager Buck Showalter he’s worthy of a spot.