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TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jim Thome hit two of Chicago's four home runs off an ineffective Ben Sheets, but the Milwaukee Brewers rallied for a 12-10 victory against the White Sox on Wednesday.
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Beaten out for the starting second base job, Chicago utility man Alexei Ramirez helped his bid to play center field on opening day by hitting a grand slam off Sheets.
The right-hander gave up nine runs and eight hits in five innings. His next start is Monday in the season opener against the Chicago Cubs.
None of the homers Sheets yielded were cheap, although the windy conditions didn't help.
"Thome's would have gone 450 (feet) instead of 550," Sheets said. "The homers really didn't matter to me."
Despite the rough outing, he said he's prepared for opening day.
Thome has six homers this spring and nine hits in his last 24 at-bats. Ramirez's second homer of the spring gave him 17 RBI. Full story
Diamondbacks 11, Rockies 8
TUCSON, Ariz. -- Jeff Francis pitched five innings, allowed two earned runs and five hits with two walks while striking out five against the division-rival Arizona Diamondbacks.
The D-backs scored nine runs after Francis left the game and won.
Francis sailed through the first four innings and got two quick outs in the fifth before allowing three consecutive Diamondbacks hits capped by a two-RBI triple by second baseman Orlando Hudson.
He left with a 4-2 lead after five innings, bringing a smile to his manager's face.
Rangers 12, Padres 7
PEORIA, Ariz. -- Jake Peavy allowed four runs on four hits over three innings in a loss to the Texas Rangers. He struck out five and walked one. He hit a solo home run in the third inning.
Peavy said the 50-pitch outing was his best of the spring. He's scheduled to start against the Houston Astros at Petco Park on Monday night.
Peavy went 19-7 with a 2.54 ERA and 240 strikeouts in unanimously winning the Cy Young last year.
San Diego's Brian Giles hit a 430-foot homer and singled, and Kevin Kouzmanoff and Khalil Greene each had two hits.
Mariners 8, Royals 5
SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Erik Bedard was not sharp even though he got the victory in his final spring training start as the Seattle Mariners defeated the Kansas City Royals.
Bedard, who was acquired in a six-player trade on Feb. 8 from the Baltimore Orioles, has been selected as the Mariners' opening day starter against the Texas Rangers on Monday.
Would Bedard like to take his same stuff today against the Rangers?
Bedard had an 8.63 ERA in six starts, allowing 35 hits, including nine home runs, in 24 innings.
Cubs 7, Angels 5
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Probable opening day starter Jered Weaver appears ready to start the season for the Los Angeles Angels. Closer Francisco Rodriguez is another story.
After Weaver held the Chicago Cubs to six hits and one run in six innings to lower his spring ERA to 1.67, Rodriguez allowed five runs in the seventh in a loss to the Chicago Cubs.
Closer Kerry Wood pitched 1 2/3 hitless innings for the Cubs, walking none and striking out two.
Ronny Cedeno's two-run single highlighted the rally that gave the Cubs a one-run lead.
Fresno 4, Giants 3
FRESNO, Calif. -- Barry Zito had another encouraging outing in his final start before opening day. Never mind that it came against minor leaguers.
The left-hander pitched into the seventh inning and the San Francisco Giants lost 4-3 to their Triple-A farm team, the Fresno Grizzlies.
Zito entered with a 10.31 ERA in five exhibition starts, though he did pitch 5 2/3 scoreless innings in his previous outing against the Chicago White Sox -- with his first four strikeouts of the spring.
This time, he yielded four runs, three earned, and eight hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out four, walked two and gave up Ivan Ochoa's go-ahead double in the seventh.
His next start will come Monday in San Francisco's season opener at Dodger Stadium. The 2002 AL Cy Young Award winner with Oakland, Zito is beginning the second season of a $126 million, seven-year contract with the Giants. He struggled through his first season in the National League, going 11-13 with a 4.53 ERA.
