Ludwick, Bard help lift Indians; Pirates' offense pounds Phillies

Bobby Higginson appears to be on his way out in Detroit.
LAKELAND, Fla. (AP) -- Don't count out Bobby Higginson just yet.
Ryan Ludwick and Josh Bard homered to lead the Cleveland Indians to a 7-4 win over Detroit on Saturday, but Higginson's performance gave the Tigers something to think about during the final week of camp.
Higginson had two hits, giving him seven this spring. He doubled in the second and hit his second homer, a two-run shot off Matt Miller in the seventh.
Citing anonymous sources, several reports have said the Tigers plan to release Higginson, a 10-year veteran batting .189 in 14 games.
Higginson said if he is released, he wants to play for a team with a real shot at contending for a pennant.
"If it's going to happen, I'd like to be sooner rather than later," Higginson said.
Ludwick gave the Indians a 2-0 lead in the first with a two-run homer, his third of the spring. Ivan Rodriguez responded with an RBI triple in the bottom half.
Cleveland starter Steve Watkins, likely to begin the season at Triple-A Buffalo, held the Tigers to two runs and five hits in three innings.
Cliff Bartosh worked the ninth for his second save.
Pirates 9, Phillies 7
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pittsburgh chose its No. 5 starter, then roughed up the pitcher recently picked to be Philadelphia's fifth starter.
Phillies rookie right-hander Gavin Floyd, impressive in camp until now, yielded Jose Castillo's three-run homer while giving up eight runs and nine hits in three innings.
Backup catcher Humberto Cota hit two solo homers and Ty Wigginton had a three-run shot for the Pirates, who lead the NL with 34 homers this spring -- a surprising development for a team that was only 12th in the league last season.
"I just got behind batters, and I feel like I lost focus," said Floyd, who gave up four runs each in the second and third innings. "When you're focused, you throw more strikes."
Pirates right-hander Ryan Vogelsong learned he lost out to left-hander Dave Williams for the No. 5 starter's job, then gave up three homers in four relief innings. Vogelsong spent most of last season in the rotation, but was only 6-13 with a 6.50 ERA. He has a 4.82 ERA this spring.
"He's got to throw strikes, that's the key to him having success," general manager Dave Littlefield said. "He's got the velocity and the stuff, but strikes are the key regardless of what role he's pitching in."
Manager Lloyd McClendon wasn't happy that Vogelsong gave up three homers on poorly located fastballs to known fastball hitters. Tomas Perez had two homers and Bobby Abreu added a solo shot against Vogelsong, who inherited an 8-4 lead from Kip Wells.
"He needs to make the right pitch at the right time," McClendon said. "Pitch selection is part of that."
Wells wasn't sharp while giving up four runs, two earned, in four innings. He prevented a below-average outing from becoming a terrible one by allowing only one run in the first, when the Phillies loaded the bases with none out.
Wells has a 4.90 ERA as he recovers from the elbow injury that forced him to miss all but one start over the final two months last season.
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