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Area camps

By STEVE LEE and Times wires
© St. Petersburg Times
published March 16, 2002

Soriano's surge continues in win

TAMPA -- What a difference a spring makes for Alfonso Soriano.

Last year at this time, the Yankees second baseman was being shuffled from the infield to the outfield while trying to become a starter.

Now, Soriano's position is uncontested, he is brimming with confidence and is hitting well. In Friday's 10-6 win over Kansas City, Soriano sandwiched a single around a pair of three-run home runs -- his first and second -- and drove in six runs.

"I had my best swings today," said Soriano, who entered the game leading the Yankees in batting average (among players with at least 20 at-bats), hits and doubles, and was tied for first in runs scored and triples.

"Last year, I was swinging at everything at the plate. Now, I wait for my pitch."

Though he made two fielding errors after a nice diving play to his left on Carlos Beltran's first-inning grounder, Soriano is confident in his fielding ability.

"He just seems to know that he fits here," manager Joe Torre said. "He's been as exciting to watch as any player I've ever seen in spring training."

MIXED RESULTS: Starter Mike Mussina threw 39 of 63 pitches for strikes, allowing three runs on four hits in four innings.

"I had a pretty good change (and) a pretty good cutter," Mussina said. "You just have to keep working on everything, because it comes and goes."

Left-hander Andy Pettitte may not have been as encouraged in a minor-league intrasquad game. Scheduled to throw 40 pitches in working back from a strained left elbow, he made it halfway there.

Torre said the number, or lack of, pitches "wasn't the concern. ... He's not trying to make a team. Today was a good step."

WATSON RETIRES: Another left-hander trying to overcome a shoulder injury did not make it back and Allen Watson said he saw his release coming.

"It hurts, because of all the work I did for two years," said Watson, 31, who announced his retirement. "Sometimes your shoulder can only take so much. It's the same spot and I can't recover."

As for what the future holds, Watson said, "Hopefully, maybe coach somewhere down the line ... maybe play a little softball."

SPLIT TIME: The Yankees have split-squad games today against the Dodgers at Vero Beach and against the Red Sox in Fort Myers. Sterling Hitchcock (1-1) starts against Los Angeles' Kazuhisa Ishii (1-0) at 1:05 p.m. Orlando Hernandez (2-0) starts against Pedro Martinez (1-0) at 1:05.

PORT CHARLOTTE -- Vicente Padilla, competing for the No. 5 starter spot, struck out Alex Rodriguez and Juan Gonzalez twice in Philadelphia's 8-3 victory against the Rangers. Rodriguez and Gonzalez ended the fourth with called third strikes, then Rafael Palmeiro struck out looking to start the fifth.

Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins had a pair of two-run singles. The second one, with two outs in the seventh, broke a 2-2 tie and put the Phillies ahead to stay.

Padilla, in his third spring start, came out after he struck out Rodriguez and Gonzalez in order again with two runners on in the sixth. He allowed six hits in 52/3 innings and walked none.

A reliever the first part of last season for Philadelphia, Padilla was sent down to Triple-A Scranton on June 26 to make room on the roster for Nelson Figueroa.

Padilla has 12 strikeouts and no walks in 132/3 innings this spring. His ERA is 1.98.

FORT MYERS -- Toronto starter Scott Eyre arrived at the ballpark to face the Twins and learned his equipment bag had been left in Dunedin. Eyre, making his first start of the spring, drove directly to Fort Myers from his home in Bradenton, and admitted the error was his fault.

"I had my own stuff after the first inning, when my bag got here," Eyre said. "It wasn't the gear that gave up four runs -- actually, (Pedro) Borbon's cleats are pretty comfortable."

Eyre allowed four runs and six hits in four innings. He struck out four and walked one.

Vernon Wells hit a go-ahead two-run double in the ninth and Toronto overcame four errors for a 7-5 victory.

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