European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 20, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 and stripes tuesday March 202007 catching up As Spring training moves along sluggers starting to make up ground on pitchers Spring training Tony Gutierrezar 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 Fla you cant go up to the plate this Early in the year thinking about hitting a Ball out of the Park Lee went2for2 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 Fla 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 2va 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 20point 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 kicks guard Steve Francis takes the Ball to the hoop against the Toronto raptors Dur ing the kicks 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 lost in shuffle Beckett May end up being red sox rotations wild card by Sean Mcadam the Providence journal port St Lucie Fla he Doest have 3000 career strike outs he want the subject of a fierce International bidding War last Winter Hes not undertaking the Transi Tion from the bullpen to the Start ing rotation but the Case could be made that Josh Beckett holds the key to the Boston red sox starting rotation this season if Hes As Good As the red sox believe he can be they too will be very Good beginning his second season with the sox however Beckett still has plenty to prove his 17victory season last year want a bad american league debut but his inflated Era 501 indicates that Beckett want nearly As consistent As he would have liked on five occasions Beckett failed to get past the fifth inning such truncated starts serve to run Down a bullpen and dont do much to inspire Confidence from teammates worse there were seven times that Beckett was lit up for seven runs or More to put that in perspective Al most exactly one of every five starts was a Stinker that too Many for a Pitcher of becketts Tal ent level from Start to Start last season the red sox were never sure which Josh Beckett would be taking the Mound i want to stay consistent no Julie Josh Beckett won 17 games for Boston last year but must improve his unsightly 501 Era doubt about it said Beckett after allowing two earned runs in five innings in a 41 loss to the new York mets thursday night youre going to have starts when you dont feel Good but you have to pitch through that Beckett said earlier this Spring that the adjustment coming from the National league to the Ameri can league was bigger than he expected As much As he was told to expect deeper lineups and fewer easy innings the difference sur prised Beckett by his own admission Beckett was sometimes guilty of Over throwing leaving Little separation Between his fastball and his change up when challenged Beckett often resorted to a Texas gunslinger mentality the result fastballs up in the strike zone that flattened out of Fering inviting targets for opposing hitters i just  throw my break ing Ball for strikes he said when you eliminate a pitch in the first inning its Tough hitters sat on his fastball or waited for his overheated change up and took batting practice new pitching coach John far Rell made it a Point to visit Beck Ett in Texas this Winter trying to establish an Early rapport after studying video from the 2006 sea son Farrell made a few suggestions about becketts delivery imploring him to slow Down to make sure i get to my loading Point according to Beckett so far so Good but this is Spring training Beckett needs to take the lessons into the regular season and be the Pitcher the sox lusted after following the 2005 season the same one who beat the Yankees in Yankee stadium to Clinch a championship for the marlins and win a world series map All at age 23 Beckett established career highs in innings pitched and games started last year erasing doubts about his durability but now he must do More than take the Ball every five Days the red sox know to some de Gree what they will get out of Curt Schilling Daisuke Matsuzaka Jonathan Papelbon and the Vener Able Tim Wakefield Beckett however is a wild card