Indians launch Grapefruit season with 12-2 victory

Young players helped the Tribe overwhelm the Astros in chilly Florida weather.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — The air was chilled, though it didn’t have the same sting as October to the Cleveland Indians.

In atypical Florida weather, the Indians returned to the field for the first time since losing Game 7 of the AL championship series in Boston, and opened their final Grapefruit League season with a 12-2 thumping of the Houston Astros Thursday.

Cleveland manager Eric Wedge only played his regulars for a few innings, but it was the Indians’ youngsters who spoiled Houston manager Cecil Cooper’s spring debut.

Trevor Crowe drove in three runs, Andy Gonzalez and Wyatt Toregas had two RBIs apiece and Danny Sandoval homered for the Indians, who busted open a scoreless game with three runs in the fifth and four in the sixth.

Another Indians up-and-comer, first baseman Michael Aubrey, a former first-round pick who has battled injuries, had two hits and an RBI.

INDIANS 12, ASTROS 2

HOUSTONCLEVELAND

abrhbiabrhbi

Bourn cf2110Sizemore cf1010

Niekro 1b2000Tyner cf1411

Loretta ss3011Michaels lf2000

Newhan 2b1110Crowe lf3123

Pence rf2000Hafner dh1000

Gorneault lf1011Gimenez ph-dh3121

Wigginton 3b3000Martinez c2000

Manzella ss1000Toregas c2212

Blum 1b2000Camacaro ph-c2011

Ramirez rf1000Garko 1b2000

Erstad lf2000Aubrey 1b3021

Abercrombie cf2010Blake 3b2000

Cruz dh2000Gonzelez 3b2122

Diaz ph-dh2000Francisco rf2000

Towles c2000Snyder ph-rf2000

House 3b0000Barfield 2b2010

TPerez 2b2000Chaves ss1100

Quintero c1010Sandoval5221

Totals31262Totals38121512

Houston000001010—2

Cleveland00003414x—12

E—Abercrombie, House. DP—Cleveland 2. LOB—Houston 8, Cleveland 13. 2B—Tyner, Crowe, Gimenez. 3B—Newhan. HR—Sandoval. SB—Tyner, Bourn.

IPHRERBBSO

Houston

Rodriguez210003

McLemore210040

Paronto, L123320

Geary164411

Wright121111

Randolph2-334321

Reineke1-300000

Cleveland

Harris100000

Elarton100011

Lewis100011

Julio100010

Bauer, W100001

Ginter121100

Lofgren110021

Martin121100

Santos110010

HBP—by Paronto (Gimenez). T—3:03. A—3,460.

Pirates 11, Phillies 6

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Ryan Howard hit his first home run this spring, but Adam LaRoche’s shot off Kyle Kendrick helped Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia.

Howard drove Brian Bullington’s pitch over the right-field fence for a three-run homer in the third inning.

Philadelphia rookie left-handers Joe Savery and Josh Outman had forgettable outings, however. The duo yielded a combined nine earned runs in 22⁄3 innings.

Phil Dumatrait, forced to start when Tom Gorzelanny was scratched with left shoulder tightness, threw two scoreless innings.

PITTSBURGHPHILADELPHIA

abrhbiabrhbi

McLouth cf4113Rollins ss2011

McCutchen cf1111Donald ss2110

Morgan lf4010Taguchi cf2100

Thompson lf2001Bruntlett cf2011

Nady rf2000Utley 2b3121

Mientkiewicz rf3000Olmedo 2b2000

Doumit dh2110Howard 1b3113

Walker ph-dh1000Tracy 1b0000

LaRoche 1b2221Feliz 3b3020

Pearce ph-1b2110Cervenak 3b1000

Paulino c3000Jenkins rf3000

MHernandez c2011Pascucci rf1000

Gomez 3b1210Werth lf2000

Velandia 3b2000Watson lf1000

Bixler ss3000Dobbs dh2110

Cruz ss2120Snelling ph-dh2000

Wilson 2b3123Ruiz c2110

Rivas 2b1110Jaramillo c1000

Totals40111410Totals346106

Pittsburgh010501130—11

Philadelphia005000001—6

E—Gomez, Donald. DP—Pittsburgh 3, Philadelphia 2. LOB—Pittsburgh 10, Philadelphia 6. 2B—Wilson, Rivas, Cruz, Ruiz, Utley 2, Feliz, Donald. 3B—Pearce, Bruntlett. HR—LaRoche, McLouth, Howard. SB—Gomez, Rollins.

IPHRERBBSO

Pittsburgh

Dumatrait210012

Bullington, W155420

Belisario110001

Capps110000

Grabow100001

Wright100010

JPerez100011

RSanchez121100

Philadelphia

Kendrick331101

Savery, L145512

Rosario211123

Outman1 2-354402

Holdzkom1 1-310031

HBP—by Kendrick (Nady) by Holdzkom (Pearce). WP—Holdzkom. T—2:53. A—4,052.