TWINS-CARDINALS

Martinez, Gibson solid

JUPITER, Fla. - St. Louis’ Carlos Martinez and Minnesota’s Kyle Gibson enhanced their chances of earning a spot in their team’s rotation with solid outings, and the Cardinals beat the Twins 3-1 on Wednesday.

Martinez cruised into the fifth, holding the Twins to one hit, but Jason Bartlett had an RBI single to right-center in the sixth that ended the right-hander’s scoreless string at 14 innings.

For Bartlett, the hit was his first of the spring in 27 at-bats.

Making his fourth appearance, and his second start, Gibson limited the Cardinals to Matt Adams’ second home run of spring training in 4 1/3 innings. Gibson allowed four hits.

Peter Bourjos doubled and scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch by Samuel Deduno in the eighth inning.

ANGELS-WHITE SOX

Trout hits home run

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Albert Pujols doubled twice, Mike Trout hit a home run and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Chicago White Sox 14-10 on Wednesday.

Jordan Danks hit his fifth home run of spring training for the White Sox. Matt Davidson hit a three-run shot, and Adam Eaton doubled twice to raise his average to .343.

Tyler Skaggs, the Angels’ likely No. 5 starter, gave up 5 runs and 7 hits in 4 1/3 innings.

White Sox pitcher Erik Johnson, a contender for a rotation spot, gave up 8 runs - 7 earned - in 4 innings.

Howie Kendrick went 3 for 3 for the Angels to raise his average to .441.

PHILLIES-BLUE JAYS Bautista bails out Jays

DUNEDIN, Fla. - J.A. Happ gave up 3 runs, 3 hits and 4 walks over 2 2/3 innings, but Jose Bautista bailed him out by hitting two home runs to lead the Toronto Blue Jays over the Philadelphia Phillies 11-6 on Wednesday.

Bautista hit a two-run home run off starter Roberto Hernandez during a four-run third and added a two-run shot against Brad Lincoln in the sixth.

Happ, slowed by back inflammation, struck out two during a 71-pitch outing in his first major-league spring training start since March 3. The left-hander gave up 1 hit, walked 1 and struck out 2 in 3 scoreless innings in a minor-league game Friday.

Ben Revere hit a three-run double off Happ in the second.

Phillies closer Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect fifth. In his previous four appearances, he allowed 7 runs - 2 earned - and 8 hits in 4 innings.

YANKEES-BRAVES Nova allows 2 hits

KISSIMMEE, Fla. - Ivan Nova pitched two-hit ball while working into the seventh inning for the first time this spring, and the New York Yankees beat the Atlanta Braves 7-0 on Wednesday.

Nova struck out 5 in 6 1/3 innings and lowered his ERA to 3.66 in his fifth start. Carlos Beltran had three hits and drove in two runs, and Adonis Garcia raised his spring batting average to .423 with two RBI.

David Hale went 4 1/3 innings, allowing 3 runs and walking 3. With injuries to several starters, Hale is in the mix for one of the final two spots in the rotation. He has a spring ERA of 5.11.

ATHLETICS-INDIANS Fuld leads A’s

GOODYEAR, Ariz. - Sam Fuld scored two runs on two singles and a walk, leading the Oakland Athletics over the Cleveland Indians 13-3 on Wednesday.

The center fielder has scored 13 runs in 12 games as the A’s lead off hitter.

Yoenis Cespedes, who snapped an 0-for-23 slump Monday, drove in a run in Oakland’s two-run fifth inning against Carlos Carrasco, who is trying to earn the final opening in the Indians’ rotation.

Carrasco followed starter Danny Salazar and inherited a 3-0 lead. Carrasco 2 gave up 8 runs - 5 earned - in 2 /3 innings.

Top shortstop prospect Francisco Lindor doubled and scored in the third and contributed a run-scoring single as the Indians built a 3-0 lead against A’s starter Dan Straily.

Infielder Nate Frieman hit a three-run home run for Oakland off minor leaguer Shawn Armstrong to break open the game in the eighth.

BREWERS-MARINERS Cano back, goes 1 for 4

PEORIA, Ariz. - Mark Reynolds homered Wednesday for the second consecutive day and was one of five Milwaukee Brewers to connect in a 9-7 victory over the Seattle Mariners, who got Robinson Cano back after a five-day absence.

Cano, who left the team late last week to attend to personal business in the Dominican Republic, went 1 for 4 with 2 RBI. Cano has a hit in 9 of 10 spring training games and is batting .556.

Starting pitcher Wily Peralta hit a tworun drive and Logan Schafer, Khris Davis and Juan Francisco also hit home runs for Milwaukee. Reynolds and Francisco hit theirs back to back in the fourth inning against Mariners starter Blake Beavan.

Beavan and Peralta had their struggles on the mound. Beavan allowed 7 runs on 8 hits in 5 2/3 innings, his longest and least effective outing of spring training. Peralta gave up 5 runs on 8 hits and worked 6 innings in his fourth spring training start.

RANGERS Maddux to throw first pitch

ARLINGTON, Texas - Greg Maddux will throw the ceremonial first pitch before the Texas Rangers season opener.

Maddux, a special assistant to the Rangers general manager, will be inducted into baseball’s Hall of Fame later this year after the pitcher was a first-ballot selection. His first pitch March 31 will be caught by his brother, Texas pitching coach Mike Maddux.

The team on Wednesday announced details of pregame ceremonies for the opener against Philadelphia.

For the first regular-season game at The Ballpark in Arlington in 1994, the national anthem was performed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra accompanied by Fort Worth resident and award-winning classical pianist, the late Van Cliburn. The Fort Worth orchestra will return 20 years later to perform “The Star-Spangled Banner” again.

Exhibition scores All times Central

WEDNESDAY’S GAMES St. Louis 3, Minnesota 1 Tampa Bay 7, Baltimore 4 Toronto 11, Philadelphia 6 NY Yankees 7, Atlanta 0 Oakland 13, Cleveland 3 LA Angels 14, Chicago White Sox 10 Milwaukee 9, Seattle 7 Houston 2, Washington 0 Pittsburgh 4, Boston 2 Kansas City 6, Cincinnati 3, 6 innings Colorado 9, Chicago Cubs 6

TODAY’S GAMES All times Central

Toronto vs. Philadelphia (ss) at Clearwater, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Philadelphia (ss) vs. Houston at Kissimmee, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Detroit vs. Wash. at Viera, Fla., 12:05 p.m. St. Louis vs. Miami at Jupiter, Fla., 12:05 p.m. Atlanta vs. NY Mets at Port St. Lucie, Fla., 12:10 p.m. Texas vs. Cincinnati at Goodyear, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. Seattle vs. Chi. Cubs at Mesa, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. LA Angels vs. Kan. City at Surprise, Ariz., 3:05 p.m. Milwaukee vs. Coloroado at Scottsdale, Ariz., 3:10 p.m. Minnesota vs. Tampa Bay at Port Charlotte, Fla., 6:05 p.m. Baltimore vs. Pitt. at Bradenton, Fla., 6:05 p.m. NY Yankees vs. Boston at Fort Myers, Fla., 6:05 p.m. San Francisco vs. San Diego at Peoria, Ariz., 9:05 p.m.

Sports, Pages 26 on 03/20/2014