CARDINALS-TIGERS
Cabrera hits two home runs
JUPITER, Fla. - Two-time AL MVP Miguel Cabrera hit his first two home runs of spring training and AL Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer struck out five in 4 2/3 scoreless innings Monday during the Detroit Tigers’ 17-5 romp over the St. Louis Cardinals.
Cabrera hit a go-ahead, two-run home run off Shelby Miller in a seven-run third inning and another two-run drive against Keith Butler in an eight-run fourth as Detroit built a 15-0 lead. The Tigers made 17-0 on Steven Moya’s two-run double in the eighth.
“You feel like this could happen every day,” Detroit Manager Brad Ausmus said. “Obviously it won’t, but it could.”
Scherzer allowed two hits and a walk.
“Right now I’m very sharp,” Scherzer said. “Usually it takes a while to get all the pitches going. Right now I feel very good about where all my pitches are at - all four. I was generating swings and misses on all four of them.”
St. Louis pitchers allowed double-digit runs for the second consecutive day and 22 hits.
Nick Castellanos hit a three-run home run for the Tigers in the fourth. Prospect Stephen Piscotty hit a three-run home run in the seventh for the Cardinals, his first of spring training.
REDS-RANGERS Darvish solid
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Yu Darvish pitched five innings and Jurickson Profar homered as the Texas Rangers beat the Cincinnati Reds 8-2 Monday.
Darvish allowed 2 runs and 5 hits, striking out 1 without a walk. He yielded RBI doubles to Jay Bruce in the fourth and Ramon Santiago in the fifth.
Profar homered off Reds starter Homer Bailey in the third and ranks second in the Cactus League with 11 RBI.
ROYALS-MARINERS Cano returns
PEORIA, Ariz. - Robinson Cano returned from a four-game absence after a root canal procedure and went 3 for 3 as a split squad of Seattle Mariners lost to the Kansas City Royals 8-2 Monday.
Cano missed four games following the dental work. He singled twice off James Shields, already picked to start on opening day. The Royals ace later picked off Cano at third base.
The new Mariners second baseman also started a double play to end the first.
Mike Moustakas singled twice and drove in two runs for the Royals. Billy Butler doubled, singled and scored twice.
Alex Gordon doubled in two runs during a fiverun third for the Royals.
Kansas City catcher Salvador Perez left after two innings with a bruise on his left palm after being hit with a foul tip.
Preliminary X-rays did not show any further damage and Manager Ned Yost said the injury wasn’t serious.
BRAVES-PHILLIES Beachy leaves start
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brandon Beachy became the second consecutive Atlanta starting pitcher to leave early because of an arm problem, exiting the Braves’ 8-1 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday because of tightness around his right elbow.
After pitching two innings instead of a scheduled four, Beachy sounded optimistic.
“I’m not worried about it at all,” the right-hander said. “I’ve seen the doctors and they’ve done everything. My ligament is fine. I’ve got some inflammation in there and it got a little too tight in my bicep. It was just a little unproductive to keep pushing it.”
Beachy gave up two hits and two walks.
Beachy, 27, has been limited to 18 starts in the last two seasons while battling elbow ailments.
- The Associated Press
Scores
MONDAY’S GAMES Boston 6, Tampa Bay 2 Detroit 17, St. Louis 5 Baltimore 7, Pittsburgh 6 Atlanta 8, Philadelphia 1 Miami 11, NY Mets 1 Chicago Cubs 3, San Francisco 2 Kansas City 8, Seattle (ss) 2 LA Angels 8, Cleveland 3 Chicago White Sox 6, Milwaukee 3 LA Dodgers 8, Oakland 8, tie Texas 8, Cincinnati 2 San Diego 5, Colorado 0 Houston vs. Washington at Viera, Fla., (n) Seattle (ss) vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., (n)
TODAY’S GAMES
All times Central
Toronto vs. Detroit at Lakeland, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
NY Yankees vs. Washington at Viera, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Minn. vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Miami vs. Boston (ss) at Fort Myers, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Phila. vs. Atlanta at Kissimmee, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Boston (ss) vs. Baltimore at Sarasota, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
NY Mets vs. St. Louis at Jupiter, Fla., 12:05 p.m.
Seattle vs. LA Angels at Tempe, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
LA Dodgers vs. Kan. City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Colorado vs. Chi. Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Oakland vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Texas vs. Chi. White Sox at Glendale, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
San Fran. vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m.
Cleveland vs. Arizona at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m.
Sports, Pages 18 on 03/11/2014