TRIBE/BUCS Astros' Oswalt keeps Indians in check, 3-2

The Pirates and Red Sox played to an 8-8 deadlock.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- Roy Oswalt finished strong in his final spring start. Milton Bradley didn't even finish for the Indians.
Oswalt pitched seven innings and the Houston Astros beat Cleveland 3-2 Wednesday, but Bradley was removed by manager Eric Wedge for not running hard on a second-inning popup that dropped in for a single.
The temperamental center fielder dressed quickly and left the ballpark in a cab before the game was over. He was unavailable for comment, but told a team spokesman that he had a tight groin.
"I didn't like the way he ran on that popup," Wedge said. "He said he was tight so I felt it best to get him out of there."
Bradley missed some time this spring with a slight groin injury. He's had previous trouble with the Indians, and the club had been hoping he'd matured.
Bradley promised this spring not to be a distraction. In February, he was sentenced to three days in jail for driving away from police after being stopped for speeding.
Wedge wouldn't say if there was a confrontation when Bradley came back into the dugout Wednesday.
"I'm not going to get into that," Wedge said. "I'll leave it where we're at. I'll talk to him tomorrow."
Sabathia goes seven innings
C.C. Sabathia, who will be the Indians' opening day starter for the second straight year, held Houston in check until the fourth inning, when he walked two batters and yielded a two-run double by Mike Lamb and an RBI single by Raul Chavez for a 3-1 Astros lead.
Sabathia pitched seven innings, allowing three hits and three earned runs.
Pirates 8, Red Sox 8
FORT MYERS, Fla. -- For at least one day, the Boston Red Sox had plenty of offense without Nomar Garciaparra. Just not enough to win.
David Ortiz, the Red Sox's cleanup hitter until Garciaparra mends from a right Achilles' tendon injury, hit a wind-blown two-run single ahead of Ellis Burks' two-run homer in a tie called by mutual consent.
With both teams nearly down to their opening day rosters and not carrying the extra pitchers they did earlier this spring, they chose not to play extra innings.
"You can tell everybody is getting anxious to get this over with," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. "I'm sure when we get to Atlanta [Friday for two exhibition games], our feet will feel a little lighter."
The Red Sox learned earlier in the day that Garciaparra will be out at least three weeks -- a period in which they play the AL East rival Yankees seven times. Until now, Garciaparra had not been expected to be sidelined so long.