Yankees Sting Rays 10-1

The Tampa Devil Rays gave the Yankees fits last season, but were no match in today's exhibition game in St. Petersburg, Florida. Alex Rodriguez homered and Derek Jeter and Gary Sheffield drove in two runs each as the Yankees improved to 12-13 in the spring.

Johnny Damon, who returned to center field, lead off the ballgame with a walk against Rays starter Edwin Jackson and scored on a triple by Jeter. Jason Giambi followed with an RBI single for a 2-0 lead. Rodriguez homered off of Jackson in the third to extend the lead to 3-0, before the Yankees broke it open in the 4th.

After the Yankees loaded the bases with none out, Jeter drove in his second run with a sacrifice fly to deep center. Giambi walked to load them again and two batters later, Sheffield hit a frozen rope that missed clearing the left field wall by a foot. Two runs came in on the play and Sheffield pulled into second with a double.

Matt Childers was oustanding in making his first start for the Bombers. Childers pitched three shutout innings and has not been scored upon in 6 2-3 innings this spring. Colter Bean allowed the only Rays run when he gave up a solo shot to Travis Lee in the 4th. Lefty Matt Smith threw a pair of scoreless innings before Ramiro Mendoza, Mark Corey, and Frank Brooks threw a shutout inning apiece.

Kevin Thompson continued to make a push for a call-up during the season, delivering an RBI single in his only at-bat. Thompson is now hitting .391 in the spring.

Notes

Mike Mussina threw 92 pitches in a minor league outing against he Ray's Triple-A Durham team. Mussina went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out three.

Jaret Wright threw 34 pitches in a bullpen session, splitting them between the rubber and halfway up the mound. Wright will have one more bullpen session and hopes to start on Thursday.

Aaron Small, nursing a bad hamstring, threw a session from halfway up the mound.

Carl Pavano was to throw batting practice on Saturday, but that was canceled when temperatures dropped in the 50s. Pavano will have a side session on Sunday instead and then will pitch in relief on Thursday.

Octavio Dotel is expected to throw batting practice sometime next week. Scott Erickson, recovering from a bad back, also threw in the bullpen on Saturday.