Baseball

Sturtze encouraged by debut

DUNEDIN -- Tanyon Sturtze, coming off a nightmare season in Tampa Bay, pitched well in his first game as a Blue Jay.

The right-hander started and gave up one hit in two shutout innings during a 10-9 win over the Pirates on Tuesday. He threw 24 of 33 pitches for strikes.

He said pitching for his new team gives him some closure from last season, when he went 4-18 with a 5.18 ERA.

"I'm starting to get over that, and today was a good start," he said. "Going out in a different uniform with a different team helps out a lot.

"I felt good, I'm starting to feel a little bit stronger. We've been doing a lot of work in the morning. Things are starting to feel a little bit easier."

BETTER THAN IT LOOKS: The side of his face still swollen and his left eye blackened, Mike Moriarty looked more like the latest Roy Jones Jr. victim than a baseball player.

But there was Moriarty standing in the clubhouse talking about playing baseball again, as early as this weekend if he gets his way.

"It hurts, but I can play with it," the nonroster infielder said. "I just have to get the okay from the doctor. I don't care how I look. I'm just feeling very fortunate. If I got hit 3 or 4 inches higher it would probably have lost my eye."

Moriarty, 29, took a 95-mph fastball from Rays rookie Seth McClung flush on his left cheek in the Jays' first Grapefruit League game. The pitch fractured a cheek and orbital bone.

TROOP MOVEMENT: Two top prospects, right-hander Jason Arnold and outfielder John-Ford Griffin, were the first re-assigned to minor-league camp.

-- MIKE GANTER, TIMES WIRES

Wells plans to stay put

TAMPA -- David Wells won't waive the no-trade clause in his contract if the Yankees attempt to deal him after embarrassing revelations in his new book.

"I can say yes, but I'm not a fool. I'm not waiving it," he said before the team left to play Boston at Fort Myers. "I don't want to go anywhere else, obviously."

Wells has a complete no-trade clause in the $7-million, two-year contract he agreed to before the 2002 season. The New York Post reported Tuesday that Wells, after details of his book became known, had told the team he would waive the no-trade clause if the team wanted to get rid of him.

The left-hander, 39, could be punished by the team for an autobiography that general manager Brian Cashman said "tarnishes the Yankees image." Wells apologized to Cashman on Saturday and addressed his teammates Sunday about the book, Perfect I'm Not! Boomer on Beer, Brawls, Backaches & Baseball.

STILL STRUGGLING: Cuban defector Jose Contreras struggled for the second time, allowing three runs on four hits in three innings in New York's 7-4 win. "I threw more breaking balls because I didn't feel I had a strong fastball," he said through an interpreter.

In his first spring training outing, he allowed five runs in the first inning of a 9-3 loss to Cincinnati.

A NEW STANDARD: The Yankees became the first team with a $150-million payroll when they renewed the contract of second baseman Alfonso Soriano at $800,000. The payroll is $150,360,993 for 24 players likely to be on the opening day roster plus pitcher Jon Lieber, who will be on the disabled list.

-- TIMES WIRES

Duckworth still unscathed

CLEARWATER -- Right-hander Brandon Duckworth, battling for a rotation spot after a difficult 2002, turned in his second straight strong outing, allowing one hit while running his scoreless innings streak to six in a 2-1 loss to the Astros.

"You can't get too excited yet," said Duckworth, who was 8-9 with a 5.41 ERA in his first full season. "It's too early."

Closer Jose Mesa allowed homers to Alan Zinter and Brian Hunter in the eighth. Mesa, who blew a major league-high nine saves last season, has blown two leads this spring.

-- TIMES WIRES

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