TRIBE/BUCS Strong sinker drops Houston

Jason Giambi returned to action as the Yankees tied Pittsburgh, 2-2 .
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Travis Hafner hit a two-run homer and Jake Westbrook pitched two sharp innings, leading the Cleveland Indians to a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Thursday.
Westbrook struck out two using the biting sinkerball that helped the right-hander move into the Indians' starting rotation and become an All-Star last season.
"The sinker was good, I was pleased with that, but I struggled a little with my first-pitch command," said Westbrook, who went 14-9 with a 3.38 ERA -- third lowest in the AL last season.
The 27-year-old was rewarded with a multiyear contract and came to spring training for the first time with a secure feeling that comes from having a roster spot.
"It's not as stressful," said Westbrook, the No. 2 starter behind left-hander C.C. Sabathia.
The Indians scored three quick runs in the first off Astros starter Pete Munro, capped by Hafner's two-run homer far over the right-field wall.
"It was a terrible curveball and he did what he's supposed to do with it," said Munro, who gave up five hits and three runs over two innings. "My next inning was a lot better, so I take that as encouraging."
Munro, who went 4-7 with a 5.15 ERA last year, is battling right-handers Tim Redding and Ezequiel Astacio, and lefty Carlos Hernandez for the fifth spot in Houston's rotation.
Redding and Hernandez each gave up three hits and two runs in their two innings of work. Hernandez yielded a pinch-hit homer to minor leaguer John Rodriguez.
"There's no evaluation on the first day for these guys," Astros manager Phil Garner said. "The silver lining is that Carlos threw strikes and our two relievers did a good job."
Brad Ausmus went 3-for-3 for the Astros. Hafner, Coco Crisp and Casey Blake each had two of Cleveland's 11 hits.
Pirates 2, Yankees 2
TAMPA, Fla. -- For Jason Giambi, a pair of walks were the first step.
Giambi returned to the major leagues after an offseason filled with accusations of steroid use, walking twice and grounding out Thursday as New York opened the exhibition season with a tie against Pittsburgh.
"This is fun, a set of little hurdles -- the intrasquads, get a chance to play in a real game," Giambi said. "I'm excited to get out there, getting a chance to play and have positive at-bats. That's the biggest thing, tracking the ball well. And when you start doing that, you can start getting pitches to hit and hitting them hard and go from there."
Giambi took six pitches from Kip Wells in the first inning and walked on a 3-2 pitch. He grounded to first on his first pitch from Brian Mallette in the third inning. Then in the sixth, he worked out an eight-pitch walk after fouling off a pair of two-strike pitches from left-hander Mike Gonzalez.
Fans in the sellout crowd of 10,041 cheered Giambi on the cool, gray afternoon.
"They've been unbelievably supportive, so that's exciting," Giambi said.
After playing on a bad knee for the second half of the 2003 season, Giambi's year was wrecked in 2004 by a sprained right ankle, an intestinal parasite and a benign pituitary tumor. He hit just .077 with one homer and five RBIs in 52 at-bats after the All-Star break, too weak to come back and contribute in the stretch run.
Copyright 2005 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.