European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 stars and stripes tuesday March 202007 catching up As Spring training moves along sluggers starting to make up ground on pitchers Spring training a pair of fans look on As Arizona diamondbacks right fielder Dee Brown is unable to reach a foul Popup by Kansas cites Reggie Sanders in the third inning of a Spring training base Ball game in Surprise Ariz saturday the diamondbacks beat the royals 63 the associated press Justin Morneau Carlos Lee and Mike Piazza All were off to fast starts this Spring they just didst have any Home runs to show for it that changed saturday Morneau went 3for3 with his first Homer of the Spring in Minnesota 73 Vic tory Over Pittsburgh the Al map is hitting 312 10for32 after batting 321 with 34 Home runs and 130 Bis last season Lee connected for his first drive in Houston 75 loss to the los Angeles dodgers and Piazza broke through with his first Homer in Oakland 114 loss to Milwaukee in the Spring i just worry about making solid Contact and having Good hitting mechanics Morneau said in Bradenton a you cant go up to the plate this Early in the year thinking about hitting a Ball out of the Park Lee went 2for2 hitting a Lead off Homer in the fourth inning Lee who signed a million six year contract with Houston in the of season also singled in a run in the first in Vero Beach a Houston scored three times in the fourth to take a 43 Lead but the dodgers tied it with a run in the sixth and scored three More in the eighth Piazza went 2for2 raising his Spring average to 520 As he shows no signs of Trou ble adjusting to his new role As designated hitter Joe Kennedy the favorite for Oakland fifth starters spot was shelled for nine runs in 2vs innings against the Brewers Hes had a track record of Success be fore manager Bob Geren said he has three More starts were staying positive the results Arent there obviously but were staying confident the Brewers had a balanced attack with 17 hits seven players driving in runs and 10 scoring runs Rickie weeks Bill Hall Johnny Estrada and Kevin Mench All drove in two runs apiece As Milwaukee jumped on Kennedy from the Start at Jupiter Fla Florida Lethander Don Trelle Willis allowed three runs in five innings of the marlins 73 loss to Baltimore the teams used designated hitters after Willis complained about his sore right thumb he expects to be Able to swing a Bat in his next Start at fort Lauderdale Fla in the other half of the orioles split squad games Erik Bedard tossed five scoreless innings in a 90 Victory Over the mets he walked two struck out six and lowered his Spring Era to 064 Baltimore got to Aaron Sele for six runs in the first inning kicks run in third keys 9274 Victory Over raptors by Brian Mahoney the associated press new York Stephen mar Bury scored 14 of his 21 Points in a dominant third Quarter and the new York kicks beat the Toron to raptors 9274 on sunday Rookie Renaldo Balkman added 15 Points and 12 rebounds As a replacement for Center Eddy Curry who battled foul trouble and was held to five Points Balkman made All seven shots he took and his rebounding and defense helped spark a 275 run that turned a two Point deficit into a 20ppint Lead the kicks managed Only 40 Points in a lacklustre first half then scored 35 in the third Quarter on the Way to avenging a loss in Toronto on wednesday the raptors had the big third period in that one outscoring new York 3518 to erase a 10point deficit this time new York shot 68 percent in the third and held Tor onto to three of 16 19 limiting the raptors to 13 Points Chris Bosh scored 21 Points for the raptors who have lost two straight after a fou game win Ning Streak to Ford added 14 Points charming Frye scored 20 Points and Nate Robinson had 12 for the kicks who Are playing without Jamal Crawford David Lee and Quentin Richardson three of their top six players Seth new York Knoks guard Steve Francis takes the Ball to the hoop against the Toronto raptors Dur ing the Knoks 9274 Victory they snapped a two game losing Streak that had dropped them into a tie for ninth place in the Eastern conference new York trailed by two Early in the third before scoring 11 straight Points to take a 5546 Lead on Balkans Layup with remaining Juan Dixon made a three Pointer for Toronto but Marbury scored seven consecutive Points finishing with a three Pointer As the kicks pushed the Lead to 6249 the kicks later had a 90 spurt that ended with another three by Marbury and made it 7151 new York beat Toronto for the first time in three meetings this season the kicks Are Only 39 against Atlantic division opponents which could be costly in a possible playoff tiebreaker Sce Nario without Billups Detroit Streak ends is Dallas the associated press Auburn Hills Mich Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 Points to help the Dallas Mavericks beat the de troit pistons 9288 sunday in a matchup of the top teams from the Eastern and Western conferences Detroit was coming off its first 50 West coast trip in 15 years but played without Allstar Point guard Chauncey Billups who sustained a Groin injury in fridays Victory at Phoenix Devin Harris added 22 for the Mavericks who avenged a 9282 Home loss to the pistons on dec 7 by ending Detroit five game winning Streak Ronald Murray scored 18 Points to Lead six Pis tons in double figures but Detroit had Only one other player score the pistons led 7369 Early in the fourth but the Mavericks answered with a 90 run that included a three Point play by former Piston Jerry stack House Detroit tied the game when Erick Dampier was called for a flagrant foul after shoving Richard Hamilton in the Back on a fast break Dunk attempt Hamilton split the free throws tying the game at 81 but Rasheed Wallace missed a three Pointer on the ensuing Possession Hamilton who entered the game shooting 871 percent from the line then missed two More free throws dropping him to 2for7 in the Quarter that let Dallas take an 8581 Lead on two Jason Terry junipers after a Detroit miss Hamilton fouled the player Detroit traded to get him and Stackhouse hit two free throws to make it a six Point game with left after Chris Webber missed a free throw on a potential three Point play Nowitzki iced the game with a Long three Pointer Duane Detroit pistons Forward Rasheed Wallace dunks Over Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry sunday but the Mavericks wound up winning the contest 9288 Detroit missed six of eight free throw attempts in the fourth Dallas was seven of nine from the line in the fourth the pistons led 5046 at the half despite failing to pull Down an offensive rebound Dallas though scored the first seven Points of the third including five from Nowitzki the teams traded the Lead until the pistons turned steals into Bac Toback fast break baskets and a 6967 Lead going into the fourth