Iwakuma 00740314

March 7, 2008
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Houston 0 2 0 0 2 1 2 0 2 9 12 3
NY Yankees 0 2 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 5 13 1

Box score >
03/07/2008 4:09 PM ET
Short dose of Yankees highlights
Rivera makes first spring appearance, striking out two
By Dawn Klemish / Special to MLB.com






ASTROS 9, YANKEES 5
at Tampa, Fla.
Friday, March 7
Astros at the plate: Victor Diaz blasted an 0-1 offering from starter Andy Pettitte out of the park to put the Astros up 2-0 in the first inning. Houston would strike twice more in the fifth, on a groundout from Jose Cruz Jr. and a single off the bat of Hunter Pence. Lance Niekro scurried home on a fielder's choice for the Astros' seventh run.

Yankees at the plate: Alex Rodriguez's sore shoulder didn't hold the designated hitter back from drilling a double to left for the first hit of the game in the second inning. Jason Lane and Brett Gardner also doubled in the frame to tie the game at 2. Gardner added a leadoff triple in the fifth to finish perfect (2-for-2) at the plate. Wilson Betemit smacked his second homer of the year in the sixth inning to tie the game at 5.

Astros on the mound: Starter Shawn Chacon kept his former team grounded in his first inning of work, but he surrendered three doubles in the second inning, which, combined with a follow-up single, allowed the Yankees to score twice. Righty Chris Sampson relieved Chacon in the fourth and scattered five hits over the next three innings, allowing three earned runs and fanning two to hit the showers with a no-decision.

Yankees on the mound: Steven White took the loss after he allowed three runs (two earned) over the sixth and seventh innings, walked two and fanned one. Mariano Rivera worked an inning for the first time this spring and did it with pizzazz. The closer retired the side on just eight pitches in the third inning, which included a first-pitch groundout sandwiched between two punch outs. In his second start, Pettitte sat the Astros down in order in the first frame, but he hit Geoff Blum with a pitch to start the second and served up a homer to Diaz two pitches later to dig himself a hole. Pettitte earned a no-decision, and he was hooked in favor of Edwar Ramirez after he reached his pitch count midway through the second.

Grapefruit League records: Astros 4-6, Yankees 3-3.

Up next: The Yankees remain at Legends Field, where they'll face the Rays in a Saturday matchup at 1:15 p.m. ET. Right-hander Mike Mussina (0-0, 18.00 ERA) is scheduled to toe the bump for New York, and Tampa Bay will counter with righty Matt Garza (0-0, 10.80).

The Astros have a split-squad day on Saturday. Righty Felipe Paulino (0-0, 0.00) will lead Houston's charge at home against Washington at 12:05 p.m. CT. Southpaw Wandy Rodriguez (0-0, 8.31) and the remaining Astros will hit the road to take on the Braves at 12:05 p.m. at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.


Dawn Klemish is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

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Houston AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Bourn, DH 3 2 2 0 0 1 0 .333
a-House, PH-DH 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .125
Cruz, CF 3 0 1 1 1 0 1 .375
1-Ramirez, Y, PR-RF 1 1 0 0 0 1 1 .000
Pence, RF 4 0 2 1 0 0 2 .333
Abercrombie, CF 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 .235
Blum, 3B 2 1 0 0 1 0 3 .222
2-Manzella, PR-SS 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .308
Diaz, V, LF 4 1 1 2 0 2 3 .188
Gorneault, LF 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 .600
Niekro, 1B 5 1 2 2 0 0 1 .118
Newhan, 2B 5 0 1 2 0 2 2 .316
Perez, T, SS-3B 5 0 1 0 0 0 2 .200
Quintero, H, C 3 1 1 0 0 1 1 .462
Towles, C 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 .538
Totals 40 9 12 9 2 8 19

a-Flied out for Bourn in the 8th.
1-Ran for Cruz in the 7th. 2-Ran for Blum in the 7th.

BATTING
2B: Bourn 2 (2, Hawkins, White), Niekro (1, White), Perez, T (3, Phillips).
3B: Newhan (2, Veras).
HR: Diaz, V (1, 2nd inning off Pettitte, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Bourn 4; Cruz; Pence 2; Abercrombie; Diaz, V 4; Niekro 3; Newhan 3; Perez, T 2; Quintero, H.
RBI: Diaz, V 2 (2), Cruz (6), Pence (5), Newhan 2 (4), Niekro 2 (3), Gorneault (3).
2-out RBI: Pence; Niekro 2; Newhan.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Blum; Quintero, H; Newhan 2; Ramirez, Y; Perez, T.
S: Bourn.
Team LOB: 8.

BASERUNNING
SB: Abercrombie (3, 2nd base off Veras/Pilittere), Newhan (3, 2nd base off White/Pilittere), Gorneault (1, 2nd base off Veras/Pilittere), Bourn (2, 3rd base off White/Pilittere).

FIELDING
E: Quintero, H (2, throw), Blum 2 (3, fielding, fielding).
DP: 2 (Perez, T-Niekro, Niekro-Manzella-Houston).


NY Yankees AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Cabrera, CF 2 1 1 1 1 0 0 .400
Jackson, A, CF 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 .143
Jeter, SS 3 0 0 0 0 0 4 .273
Gonzalez, SS 2 0 1 0 0 0 3 .250
Cano, 2B 3 0 1 1 0 0 0 .615
Woodward, 2B 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .500
Rodriguez, A, DH 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 .375
a-Posada, PH-DH 3 0 0 0 0 0 3 .000
Duncan, 1B 3 0 0 0 0 1 2 .500
Ensberg, 1B 2 0 1 0 0 0 1 .417
Betemit, 3B 3 1 1 1 0 0 1 .250
Ransom, 3B 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 .222
Lane, RF 3 1 1 1 0 1 0 .286
Curtis, RF 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 .250
Molina, C 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 .100
Pilittere, C 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000
Gardner, B, LF 2 1 2 0 0 0 0 .364
b-Porter, PH-LF 2 0 2 0 0 0 0 .375
Totals 40 5 13 5 1 3 17

a-Flied out for Rodriguez, A in the 5th. b-Singled for Gardner, B in the 6th.

BATTING
2B: Rodriguez, A (1, Chacon), Lane (1, Chacon), Gardner, B (1, Chacon), Cabrera (2, Sampson), Ensberg (3, Houston), Porter (1, Geary).
3B: Gardner, B (1, Sampson).
HR: Betemit (2, 6th inning off Sampson, 0 on, 0 out).
TB: Cabrera 2; Gonzalez; Cano; Woodward; Rodriguez, A 2; Ensberg 2; Betemit 4; Lane 2; Molina; Gardner, B 5; Porter 3.
RBI: Lane (3), Molina (1), Cabrera (3), Cano (4), Betemit (4).
2-out RBI: Lane; Molina.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Jeter 2; Duncan; Ransom; Jackson, A; Ensberg.
GIDP: Gonzalez; Posada.
Team LOB: 9.

BASERUNNING
SB: Cano (1, 2nd base off Sampson/Quintero, H).

FIELDING
E: Duncan (1, fielding).
PB: Pilittere (1).
Outfield assists: Gardner, B (Quintero, H at home).




Houston IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Chacon 3.0 4 2 2 1 0 0 7.20
Sampson (W, 1-0) 3.0 5 3 3 0 2 1 10.80
Houston (H, 1) 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Geary (H, 1) 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8.44
Hines 1.0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0.00
NY Yankees IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Pettitte 2.2 3 2 2 0 2 1 3.86
Ramirez 0.1 1 0 0 0 0 0 11.57
Rivera 1.0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0.00
Hawkins 1.0 2 2 0 0 0 0 0.00
White (L, 0-1) 1.1 2 3 2 2 1 0 18.00
Bruney 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 13.50
Phillips 1.1 1 0 0 0 1 0 0.00
Veras 1.0 2 2 2 0 1 0 9.00


WP: Veras.
HBP: Blum (by Pettitte).
Ground outs-fly outs: Chacon 8-1, Sampson 4-3, Houston 2-0, Geary 1-2, Hines 3-0, Pettitte 3-2, Ramirez 0-1, Rivera 1-0, Hawkins 3-0, White 1-2, Bruney 0-0, Phillips 2-1, Veras 2-0.
Batters faced: Chacon 14, Sampson 15, Houston 4, Geary 4, Hines 4, Pettitte 11, Ramirez 2, Rivera 3, Hawkins 6, White 9, Bruney 2, Phillips 5, Veras 6.
Inherited runners-scored: Ramirez 1-0, Bruney 3-2, Phillips 2-0.
Umpires: HP: Eric Cooper. 1B: Mark Carlson. 2B: Dan Iassogna. 3B: Adrian Johnson.
Weather: 79 degrees, partly cloudy.
Wind: 12 mph, Out to CF.
T: 2:49.
Att: 10,542.

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner