GRAPEFRUIT LEAGUE ROUNDUP Cleveland and Pittsburgh

Astros 11, Indians 5
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Jeff Bagwell passed a limited first test. Bagwell, trying to convince the Astros -- and himself -- that he is healthy enough to be an everyday first baseman at age 37, went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter. "Hitting is no problem, the question is if I can make throws," Bagwell said. "I'll give it a try at first base in a game in about a week." Bagwell had surgery in June on his right shoulder. The team had encouraged him to retire because of the injury and filed an insurance claim in January to see if they could recoup about $15.6 million of the $17 million he is guaranteed this season on the final year of his contract. Eric Bruntlett had four RBIs, while Jason Lane hit a solo homer and drove in three runs for Houston, which pounded Indians starter C.C. Sabathia for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run homer and Ryan Mulhern a solo shot for Cleveland. Sabathia faced 14 batters and gave up seven runs, six hits and two walks. "I felt good, though," said the Indians' scheduled opening day starter. "I threw mostly fastballs. I didn't like getting hit around. Nobody likes that. But my arm felt fine." Chris Burke had an RBI triple in the Astros' three-run first off Sabathia. Lane followed with an RBI double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bruntlett. Lane drew a bases-loaded walk and Bruntlett had a three-run double in the second as Sabathia continued to struggle. Jason Michaels had an RBI single and Peralta followed with a three-run homer to right-center off Fernando Nieve in the Indians' third to make it 7-4. Lane's fourth-inning homer off Cliff Lee made it 8-4. Ryan Mulhern, who hit 32 homers in the minors in 2005, hit the first pitch he saw in the Indians' sixth for an opposite-field homer to right.
WINTER HAVEN, Fla. -- Jeff Bagwell passed a limited first test. Bagwell, trying to convince the Astros -- and himself -- that he is healthy enough to be an everyday first baseman at age 37, went 1-for-3 as the designated hitter. "Hitting is no problem, the question is if I can make throws," Bagwell said. "I'll give it a try at first base in a game in about a week." Bagwell had surgery in June on his right shoulder. The team had encouraged him to retire because of the injury and filed an insurance claim in January to see if they could recoup about $15.6 million of the $17 million he is guaranteed this season on the final year of his contract. Eric Bruntlett had four RBIs, while Jason Lane hit a solo homer and drove in three runs for Houston, which pounded Indians starter C.C. Sabathia for seven runs in 1 2/3 innings. Jhonny Peralta hit a three-run homer and Ryan Mulhern a solo shot for Cleveland. Sabathia faced 14 batters and gave up seven runs, six hits and two walks. "I felt good, though," said the Indians' scheduled opening day starter. "I threw mostly fastballs. I didn't like getting hit around. Nobody likes that. But my arm felt fine." Chris Burke had an RBI triple in the Astros' three-run first off Sabathia. Lane followed with an RBI double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Bruntlett. Lane drew a bases-loaded walk and Bruntlett had a three-run double in the second as Sabathia continued to struggle. Jason Michaels had an RBI single and Peralta followed with a three-run homer to right-center off Fernando Nieve in the Indians' third to make it 7-4. Lane's fourth-inning homer off Cliff Lee made it 8-4. Ryan Mulhern, who hit 32 homers in the minors in 2005, hit the first pitch he saw in the Indians' sixth for an opposite-field homer to right.
Pirates 6, Nationals 4
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Pittsburgh didn't get much from its prized young left-handers. Zach Duke allowed one run on two hits in two innings, while Paul Maholm allowed three runs on five hits in the next two innings. "Even though it is spring training, you're nervous to get going," Duke said. "It's natural to leave a couple pitches up." Duke, 22, is coming off a rookie season in which he went 8-2 with a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts. He could be Pittsburgh's opening day starter. Maholm, 23, went 3-1 with a 2.18 ERA in six starts down the stretch. Those two and another left-hander, Oliver Perez, are the only confirmed members of a Pittsburgh rotation that will be without Kip Wells for at least the start of the season because he has a blood clot near his right throwing arm.