Sizemore's 5 RBIs leads Tribe past Houston, 21-4
Pirates outfielder Jason Bay will miss a week with an injured wrist.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KISSIMMEE, Fla. -- The Cleveland Indians made sure the back end of the Houston Astros' rotation remained in disarray.
Top prospect Grady Sizemore, competing with former AL MVP Juan Gonzalez for a spot in Cleveland's outfield, led the Indians with five RBIs in a 21-4 rout of the Astros on Tuesday.
Jeff Liefer went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and Josh Bard went 3-for-3 and scored four runs for the Indians, who took advantage of another round of ineffective performances by Houston pitchers. The Astros have allowed 40 runs in their past three exhibition games -- all losses.
The Astros' failure to find a fifth starter and a bullpen -- that wasted leads in five postseason games -- ultimately doomed them against St. Louis in the NLCS last year. It doesn't look like much has changed.
"If this doesn't start to straighten out," Astros manager Phil Garner said, "then it'll be a little bit more of a problem."
A day after Houston's pitching trio of Carlos Hernandez, Pete Munro and Tim Redding were roughed up against Philadelphia, Houston starter Dave Burba had another woeful performance.
He allowed six hits and eight runs before being chased in the bottom of the third. In his spring debut against Cleveland on Friday, Burba gave up four runs on six hits, including two homers.
Veteran relievers John Franco and Turk Wendell, both acquired in the offseason to strengthen Houston's inexperienced bullpen, also had poor outings.
Franco gave up six runs in the fourth, including four walks, before being pulled for Wendell, who allowed four runs on four hits in his 11/3 innings. By the time they were done, Cleveland was ahead 18-1.
Reds 10, Pirates 4
BRADENTON, Fla. -- NL Rookie of the Year Jason Bay will miss at least a week after he jammed his left wrist diving for a flyball in the fifth inning.
Bay was injured when he attempted to make a diving catch on Adam Dunn's drive near the left-field line. He immediately clutched his wrist and was removed after manager Lloyd McClendon conferred with trainer Brad Henderson.
He was taken to Manatee Memorial Hospital, where X-rays and an MRI showed Bay had a bone bruise in his left wrist. He is week to week but should be ready for opening day, team spokesman Jim Trdinich said.
"I think Jason was scared more than anything," McClendon said. "When we were coming in, he didn't say anything bad at all. He wanted to stay in the game, but at this point you want to make sure everything is OK."
Bay has gotten off to a slow start since becoming the first Pirates player to be selected the NL's top rookie. He went 0-for-2 Tuesday and has one hit in 15 at-bats this spring.
Jacob Cruz helped the Reds build a 6-1 lead with a three-run homer off Mark Redman in the third inning. Robert Stratton added a solo shot, his third homer against the Pirates in two days.
Ryan Doumit hit a three-run homer for the Pirates and Craig Wilson homered for the second consecutive day.
Freddy Sanchez and Jose Castillo each went 2-for-3.