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Baseball

Hampton solid but finds fault

KISSIMMEE -- Mike Hampton pitched two scoreless innings in his Atlanta debut as the Braves beat the Expos 4-3 Sunday.

Hampton, acquired from Colorado in a three-way trade during the offseason, worked out of trouble in each inning. The former Crystal River standout allowed four hits and walked one.

"Results are all right, but I'm still a little inconsistent with my arm slot on my sinker," Hampton said after throwing 33 pitches.

"I feel it when I do it. I threw some ones that felt great. I try to get it through my thick head that if you continue to throw that way, you'll be happy with yourself. It's not all that easy. I'm happy with the results but still have a ways to go."

Braves manager Bobby Cox was more pleased with Hampton's outing.

"Those guys want to be perfect all the time," Cox said. "I don't know if he was perfect, but he was good. I liked him. He was free and easy, smooth, real good outing for him."

Hampton went 22-4 for Houston in 1999 and helped pitch the Mets into the World Series the following season.

He signed a $121-million, eight-year contract with Colorado, biggest ever for a pitcher, before the 2001 season but struggled mightily in two seasons at hitter-friendly Coors Field.

With a welcome change of scenery, Hampton is hoping to regain his old form in Atlanta.

"The biggest thing is to take the positives out of this game and throw the negatives away and just keep moving forward," Hampton said. "It wasn't the greatest game in the history of the game but I did more things right."

Atlanta shortstop Rafael Furcal left in the first with a sprained ankle. The injury did not appear to be serious.

GOOD NEWS FOR L.A.: In their spring debuts, oft-injured right-handers Kevin Brown and Darren Dreifort were impressive in a 10-5 loss to the Astros.

More important, both said they felt no pain afterward.

"Brown had a very good inning, Dreifort had two very good innings," Dodgers manager Jim Tracy said. "For one day, was it a little better than I anticipated it being? Yes."

But, Tracy was quick to add, what happens in the future is much more important.

Teppei Shiokawa, the Dodgers' Japanese interpreter for pitchers Hideo Nomo and Kazuhisa Ishii, was in critical but stable condition after surgery, and pitcher Masao Kida sustained a back injury and a broken toe after the car they were in was involved in a head-on collision Saturday night about 70 miles north of Dodgertown.

Also, Los Angeles renewed the contracts of closer Eric Gagne and utility player Mike Kinkade.

ANGELS: Shortstop David Eckstein agreed to a one-year contract. He will make $425,000 this season, a raise of $145,000 from last season when he helped Anaheim win the World Series. Right-hander John Lackey and infielder-catcher Shawn Wooten had their contracts renewed.

BREWERS: Former Rays prospect Alex Sanchez, who hit .289 in 112 games as a rookie outfielder, was one of eight players who signed one-year contracts.

CUBS: Chicago agreed to contract terms with pitcher Bobby Brownlie, a first-round pick in last year's draft. The team selected the right-hander, 22, out of Rutgers with the 21st overall pick, but contract negotiations were slow.

MARINERS: Catcher Dan Wilson will be sidelined at least two weeks and probably longer with a strained stomach muscle on his left side.

PADRES: Hall of Fame outfielder and team vice president Dave Winfield returned to the field for the first time as a guest instructor. Winfield spent 30 minutes with coach Davey Lopes addressing the outfielders at the start of morning drills.

ROCKIES: Right-hander Scott Elarton, pitching for the first time since shoulder surgery last spring, pitched two hitless innings. "I'll try not to smile too much," said Elarton, competing for the fifth spot in the rotation. "It was fun again."

TWINS: Right-hander Brad Radke pitched two hitless innings in his first spring start. The former Jesuit High standout, who missed nearly half of 2002 with a pulled groin, spent extra time in the weight room over the winter hoping to prevent another injury. "I felt pretty strong today," Radke said. "I felt better than I thought I was going to feel, to tell you the truth."

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