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2B Daily News – Wednesday, March 14, 2012 Manny homers, Oakland wins PHOENIX (AP) — Manny Ramirez showed he has plenty of pop left in his bat, hitting his first home run in an Oakland Athletics uniform Tues- day. While that may have been a signifi- cant milestone to some, it wasn't to Ramirez. ''I know what I can do,'' the embat- tled slugger said after helping the A's to an 8-6 victory over a Milwaukee Brew- ers split squad. Ramirez was hitless in the first eight at-bats of his comeback this spring. He snapped out of that funk with a homer to left-center against right-hander Mike Fiers in the second inning. Ramirez, who has not played in the majors since last April, drew a walk his next time up and then flied out. He had spent the past couple of days in minor league camp getting extra at-bats. ''Everyone is playing year-round and I'm trying to catch up,'' Ramirez said. ''Every time I go (to minor league camp), I love it. If you like to play, you enjoy it — because once you don't have it, you don't have it.'' Ramirez, who turns 40 in May, must serve a 50-game suspension to start the season for a second violation of baseball's drug policy. His new teammate, Yoenis Ces- pedes, went hitless for the second con- secutive game. SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — The sizzle of Carlos Zambrano finally fizzled in Chicago, and that caused the Cubs to try to find another starting pitcher. Enter Chris Volstad, acquired in a trade with the Miami Marlins in January for the more tem- peramental right-hander. Volstad describes himself as a laid-back guy who digs time on the beach back home in Florida and likes to dig his cleats into the mound and let the ball fly. From early indications this spring, the 6-foot-8 Volstad is fitting in nicely with the Cubs. On Tuesday, for the second time in as many spring starts, Vol- stad pitched three shutout innings and started a two- run inning by leading off the third with a single. The Cubs went on to hold off the San Francisco Giants 5-4. ''I felt good out there,'' Volstad said. ''I was able to attack down in the zone, pound the strike zone, get 49ERS (Continued from page 1B) million in incentives, accord- ing to a person with knowl- edge of the contract who spoke on condition of anonymity because details aren't released. There is no guaranteed money in the deal. Cox was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his apartment in Septem- ber 2010 after a night of par- tying. She became pregnant, and prosecutors said DNA tests indicated Cox was the father. Cox denied having sex with the woman, who testified that she believed she was drugged because she remembers little about what happened. ''I want to thank every- body for giving me the chance to actually express myself and go out and have dinner with the owner and the GM so they could figure out what kind of guy I am,'' Cox said. ''I've worked hard through this whole process. Like I was telling them, whatever happened, hap- pened, and I took full respon- sibility for my actions. But it will never happen again, ever again. I'm a positive guy, and if I can help in any way, I want to be there to help.'' The 25-year-old Cox did- n't play last year after the Broncos released him at the end of training camp, spend- ing time with his family in Waco, Texas, and working out with his trainer father. A capable defensive back and return man, Cox made it clear several times during a conference call that he appre- ciates the opportunity. ''First off, I never want to be in a position I was in before ever again,'' Cox said. ''That's not me. I'm not that type of guy. To prove that, I'll show the community and the coaches and the team what type of guy I am and can be. From here on out, I'll show it.'' Cespedes, the Cuban outfielder the A's signed to a four-year, $36 million deal, struck out twice and grounded out. Since he homered and had two hits in his Cactus League debut, Cespedes has gone 0 for 6 with three strikeouts. He has seen more breaking balls over the past two games. ''I feel good,'' Cespedes said through a translator. ''The last six at- bats were against different pitchers. I like that. I want to see different pitchers with different mechanics.'' Jarrod Parker, the centerpiece of the package the A's received from Arizona in the Trevor Cahill trade, pitched 3 1- 3 scoreless innings. Parker has allowed two runs in 7 1-3 innings this spring. ''I sometimes battle in the spring with the delivery,'' said Parker, who missed 2010 while recovering from Tommy John surgery. ''It's great to be healthy this year and working to get better and stronger. I'm trying to be as efficient as possible. I want to work on what I'm doing here and get ready for the season.'' The Brewers took a 4-2 lead on a three-run homer by catcher Martin Maldonado in the sixth. The A's came back and took the lead with a five-run seventh. Oakland scored the go-ahead run when Eric Sogard was awarded home plate on interference. Maldonado did- ahead of guys and to let the sinker work for me.'' Told that his demeanor appears to be the opposite of the man for whom he was traded, Volstad said, ''Yeah, that's what I hear. I still can get upset if things don't go my way. When that hap- pens, you still have to make pitches and move on as best you can.'' n't have the ball when Sogard ran into him in a rundown between third and home. Milwaukee outfielder Logan Schae- fer continued his torrid spring with three more hits. He is batting .588. Schaefer also cut down a runner at the plate on a perfect throw from left. Brewers outfielder Nyjer Morgan had two hits, including a double. He also stole two bases. NOTES: The A's claimed infielder Brandon Hicks on waivers from the Atlanta Braves.The 26-year-old Hicks batted .048 (1 for 21) during three stints in the majors last year.He is 1 for 26 in parts of the last two seasons. Hicks hit .252 with 18 homers at Triple- A. The A's placed pitcher Brett Anderson on the 60-day disabled list to make room on the 40-man roster for Hicks. ... Oakland manager Bob Melvin said any of the five pitchers in the running for the final three rotation spots — Graham Godfrey, Tommy Milone, Brad Peacock, Tyson Ross and Parker — could make the team as a long reliever. ... Hall of Fame OF Rickey Henderson arrived at A's camp. He will begin working with players in big league camp and minor league camp this week. Volstad again pitches well for Cubs in win over SF bat and his arm. DeJesus, who signed with Chicago as a free agent after spending the 2011 sea- son with Oakland, doubled in the third to send Volstad to third, setting up a run- scoring groundout by Dar- win Barney and an RBI sin- gle by Starlin Castro. In the second, DeJesus The 25-year-old Volstad pitched a combined 499 2-3 innings over the last three seasons, going 26-35. He is working on refining a four- seam fastball with new Cubs pitching coach Chris Bosio and appears to be satisfied with his progress. ''Just continue to work and locate my pitches,'' Vol- stad said. ''The infield did a great job for me today. If you can throw a quality pitch and get a ground ball, that's what you want.'' Another new Cubs play- er, right fielder David DeJe- sus, did a good job with the Cox's addition could be a sign the 49ers won't pursue re-signing cornerback Carlos Rogers, who shared the team lead with six interceptions for the NFC West champions last year. Cox could become a key special teams addition returning kicks as San Fran- cisco might not bring back Ted Ginn Jr. In a 20-17 over- time loss in the NFC cham- pionship game to the eventu- al Super Bowl champion New York Giants, Kyle Williams fumbled a punt that set up Lawrence Tynes' win- ning field goal. During the trial that ended March 2 in Castle Rock, Colo., Cox's attorney, Har- vey Steinberg, disputed the DNA test results and sug- gested they may have been contaminated. He tried to paint a picture of drunken- ness and of the alleged vic- tim being able to interact with people without remem- bering. Cox had 57 solo tackles, two forced fumbles and an interception as a rookie in MLS WESTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Portland 1 0 0 3 3 1 Salt Lake 1 0 0 3 3 1 Colorado 1 0 0 3 2 0 Vancouver 1 0 0 3 2 0 FC Dallas 1 0 0 3 2 1 QUAKES 10 0 3 1 0 Seattle 0 0 0 0 0 0 Chivas USA 0 1 0 0 0 1 Galaxy 0 1 0 0 1 3 EASTERN CONFERENCE WL T Pts GF GA Houston 1 0 0 3 1 0 Kansas City 1 0 0 3 1 0 Chicago 0 0 0 0 0 0 Toronto FC 0 0 0 0 0 0 New York 0 1 0 0 1 2 D.C. 0 1 0 0 0 1 N. England 0 1 0 0 0 1 Philadelphia 0 1 0 0 1 3 Columbus 0 1 0 0 0 2 Montreal 0 1 0 0 0 2 NOTE: Three points for victory, one point for tie. —————————————————— Saturday's games Houston at San Jose, 2 p.m. Chicago at Montreal, 11 a.m. New England at Kansas City, 5:30 p.m. Portland at FC Dallas, 5:30 p.m. New York at Real Salt Lake, 7 p.m. Toronto FC at Seattle FC, 7 p.m. Vancouver at Chivas USA, 7:30 p.m. Sunday's games Colorado at Philadelphia, 1 p.m. D.C. United at Los Angeles, 4 p.m. Today's games Detroit at Sacramento, 7 p.m. Boston at Golden State, 7:30 p.m. Philadelphia at Indiana, 4 p.m. Portland at New York, 4:30 p.m. Toronto at New Jersey, 4:30 p.m. Charlotte at Houston, 5 p.m. Cleveland at Milwaukee, 5 p.m. L.A. Lakers at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Orlando at San Antonio, 5:30 p.m. Miami at Chicago, 6:30 p.m. Atlanta at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. Utah at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m. Thursday's games Washington at New Orleans, 5 p.m. Charlotte at Dallas, 5:30 p.m. Minnesota at Utah, 6 p.m. Oklahoma City at Denver, 6 p.m. Phoenix at L.A. Clippers, 7:30 p.m. hustled over toward the cor- ner to retrieve the ball, spun and threw to second, hold- ing Ryan Theriot to a single. The Giants' pitching was not as effective. Left-hander Madison Bumgarner started and was inconsistent, giving up three runs on seven hits in four innings. Setup man Ser- gio Romo gave up a two-run homer to Anthony Rizzo in the seventh. The Giants scored three times in the eighth and had the tying run at third with two outs in the ninth, but right-hander Alberto Cabrera got Gregor Blanco to fly out to end it. ''(Bumgarner) has been 2010. Playing for current 49ers defensive backs coach Ed Donatell while in Denver, he appeared in 15 games with nine starts and ranked third among 2010 rookies with 14 passes defensed. Cox isn't ready to predict himself in a starting role for 2012 in Vic Fangio's stingy defense. NBA WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division Lakers Clippers Phoenix WL Pct GB 26 16 .619 — 23 17 .575 2 19 22 .463 6.5 WARRIORS 18 21 .462 6.5 KINGS 14 28 .333 12 Southwest Division WL Pct GB San Antonio 27 13 .675 — Memphis Dallas Houston 24 17 .585 3.5 24 20 .545 5 23 20 .535 5.5 New Orleans 10 32 .238 18 Northwest Division WL Pct GB Oklahoma City 32 10 .762 — Denver Portland Minnesota 22 21 .512 10.5 Utah 20 22 .476 12 EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division Philadelphia 25 17 .595 — Boston New York Toronto Miami WL Pct GB 22 19 .537 2.5 18 24 .429 7 14 28 .333 11 New Jersey 14 29 .326 11.5 Southeast Division WL Pct GB 31 10 .756 — 28 15 .651 4 24 18 .571 7.5 Orlando Atlanta Washington 9 32 .220 22 Charlotte Central Division Chicago Indiana 35 9 .795 — 24 16 .600 9 Milwaukee 18 24 .429 16 Cleveland 16 24 .400 17 Detroit 15 27 .357 19 —————————————————— Tuesday's results Golden State 115, Sacramento 89 Dallas 107, Washington 98 Denver 118, Atlanta 117, OT Houston 104, Oklahoma City 103 Indiana 92, Portland 75 L.A. Lakers 116, Memphis 111,2OT Orlando 104, Miami 98, OT Toronto 96, Cleveland 88 NOTE: Two points for a win, one point for overtime loss. —————————————————— Tuesday's results Calgary 3, San Jose 2, OT Chicago 4, St. Louis 3, SO Dallas 1, Minnesota 0 Florida 5, Toronto 2 N.Y. Rangers 4, Carolina 2 Philadelphia 3, New Jersey 0 Tampa Bay 6, Boston 1 Washington 5, N.Y. Islanders 4, SO Detroit at Los Angeles, LATE Today's games Colorado at Buffalo, 4:30 p.m. Ottawa at Montreal, 4:30 p.m. Dallas at Winnipeg, 5:30 p.m. Columbus at Edmonton, 7 p.m. Detroit at Anaheim, 7 p.m. Phoenix at Vancouver, 7 p.m. Thursday's games Nashville at San Jose, 7:30 p.m. Colorado at New Jersey, 4 p.m. Philadelphia at N.Y. Islanders, 4 p.m. Pittsburgh at N.Y. Rangers, 4 p.m. St. Louis at Carolina, 4 p.m. Boston at Florida, 4:30 p.m. Toronto at Tampa Bay, 4:30 p.m. Phoenix at Calgary, 6 p.m. 6 34 .150 24.5 WL Pct GB EASTERN CONFERENCE Atlantic Division WL OT Pts GF GA N.Y.Rangers 44 18 7 95 192 150 Pittsburgh 42 21 5 89 219 173 Philadelphia40 22 7 87 223 197 New Jersey 40 25 5 85 195 182 N.Y. Islanders28 31 11 67 164 211 Northeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Boston 40 26 3 83 223 170 Ottawa 36 25 9 81 216 206 Buffalo 33 29 8 74 174 196 Toronto 30 32 8 68 202 217 Montreal 27 32 11 65 185 196 Southeast Division WL OT Pts GF GA Florida 33 23 13 79 171 193 Washington 36 28 6 78 189 197 Winnipeg 32 29 8 72 181 195 Tampa Bay 32 30 7 71 197 234 Carolina 26 29 15 67 183 211 24 19 .558 8.5 20 21 .488 11.5 throwing the ball well, but he was a bit wild in the strike zone today, made too many mistakes,'' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said. Bochy was a bit more upbeat when talking about center fielder Angel Pagan, who is expected to be the Giants' leadoff man after being acquired in a trade with the New York Mets for center fielder Andres Torres and reliever Ramon Ramirez. Pagan had a dou- ble and triple and drove in a run, and made a tumbling catch in left-center to rob Steve Clevenger of a hit in the second inning. ''He had a great game, swung the bat well. That's why he's the leadoff hitter. He can put the pressure on opposing teams,'' Bochy said. Bochy said Pagan likely would not play over the next few days as he recovers from surgery to remove a wisdom tooth. ''Whatever role I need to be in, I'll take full pride in it and give it my whole for the whole organization,'' he said. ''If I am (a starter), it'll be proven. But if not, I'll take the backup role, also. I'm here to prove whatever I can prove. Whatever I'm asked to do, I'm here to do it.'' NHL WESTERN CONFERENCE Pacific Division WL OT Pts GF GA Dallas 39 26 5 83 186 183 Phoenix 34 25 11 79 182 178 SHARKS 34 25 10 78 189 178 KINGS 32 25 12 76 154 152 Ducks 29 30 11 69 173 196 Central Division WL OT Pts GF GA St. Louis 45 18 8 98 186 139 Detroit 44 22 3 91 217 162 Nashville 41 21 7 89 200 179 Chicago 38 25 8 84 213 209 Columbus 22 40 7 51 161 223 Northwest Division WL OT Pts GF GA Vancouver 42 19 8 92 215 172 Calgary 33 25 12 78 176 193 Colorado 37 30 4 78 186 189 Minnesota 29 31 10 68 150 194 Edmonton 26 36 7 59 182 209 Detroit Toronto Boston A's Seattle Angels BOGUT (Continued from page 1B) lation, was reminded that he recently said he wanted to stay with the Warriors long term. ''Well, everybody says that,'' Ellis said. ''But some- times it (doesn't) always work out like that.'' The trade represents a parting of ways between the Bucks and Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft who has struggled with injuries. It also allows the Bucks to rid themselves of Jackson, who had fallen out of favor with coach Scott Skiles and now gets to rejoin his former team. The players won't be sep- arated from their respective former teams for very long, as the Warriors host the Bucks on Friday night. Bogut fractured his left ankle Jan. 25 against Hous- ton when he landed awk- wardly, and it's not clear if he'll be able to return this season. The original timetable for his recovery was eight to 12 weeks. It's one of several significant injuries that have plagued Bogut throughout his career. Bogut missed the end of the 2009-10 season when he dislocated his right elbow, sprained his right wrist and broke his right hand in a hard fall to the floor. The injury bothered him for much of last season. Bogut also missed signif- icant time with an injured lower back in the 2008-09 season. When Bogut has played, he has played well. In 408 career games, he is averag- ing 12.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocked shots. The Bucks struggled in February without Bogut, but have won four of their last five to chase down the strug- gling New York Knicks in a race for what would be the No. 8 playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Jackson, meanwhile, has- MLB Spring Training AMERICAN LEAGUE WL Pct 7 1 .875 9 2 .818 7 2 .778 93 .750 9 3 .750 6 4 .600 Kansas City 6 5 .545 Baltimore Minnesota New York Texas Cleveland 4 4 .500 6 6 .500 5 7 .417 3 6.333 3 7 .300 Tampa Bay 3 7 .300 Chicago 2 8 .200 NATIONAL LEAGUE WL Pct Dodgers GIANTS Miami Chicago Houston 6 2 .750 84 .667 5 3 .625 6 4 .600 6 4 .600 Washington 5 4 .556 St. Louis Cincinnati 4 4 .500 5 6 .455 Philadelphia 5 6 .455 Colorado Milwaukee 4 6 .400 Padres New York Arizona Pittsburgh Atlanta 4 6 .400 4 7 .364 3 6 .333 3 7 .300 3 7 .300 1 10 .091 NOTE: Split-squad games count in the standings; games against non-major league teams do not. —————————————————— Tuesday's results Chicago Cubs 5, San Francisco 4 Oakland 8, Milwaukee (ss) 6 Baltimore 7, Tampa Bay 7, tie, 10 innings Boston 1, N.Y.Yankees 0 Cleveland 8, Texas 8, tie, 10 innings Colorado 5, L.A. Dodgers 2 Detroit 6, Washington 3 Houston 6, Philadelphia 5, 10 innings Kansas City 7, Cincinnati 5 L.A. Angels 3, Arizona 0 Miami 2, Atlanta 2, tie, 10 innings San Diego 6, Chicago White Sox 3 Seattle 7, Milwaukee (ss) 4 St. Louis 7, N.Y.Mets 1 Toronto 8, Minnesota 2 Today's Grapefruit League games Minnesota vs. Philadelphia, 10:05 a.m. Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore, 10:05 a.m. N.Y.Yankees vs. Toronto, 10:05 a.m. Houston vs. St. Louis, 10:05 a.m. N.Y. Mets vs. Detroit, 10:05 a.m. Miami vs. Tampa Bay, 10:05 a.m. Washington vs. Atlanta, 3:05 p.m. Today's Cactus League games Cleveland vs. San Francisco, 1:05 p.m. San Diego vs. Cincinnati, 1:05 p.m. Colorado (ss) vs. Texas, 1:05 p.m. Milwaukee vs. Chicago Cubs, 1:05 p.m. L.A. Angels vs. Chicago White Sox, 1:05 p.m. San Diego vs. Arizona (ss), 1:10 p.m. Kansas City vs. Seattle, 7:05 p.m. L.A. Dodgers vs. Cincinnati, 7:05 p.m. Arizona (ss) vs. Colorado (ss), 7:10 p.m. n't played since Feb. 19, recently sitting out with what the team has described as a hamstring injury. Skiles benched him for a game in January after he missed a shootaround, he was sus- pended one game by the NBA for verbally abusing an official and his playing time has been limited ever since. The deal brings the enig- matic ''Captain Jack'' back to the Bay Area. He helped lead the team's only playoff run since 1994, a surprising trip to the second round in 2007. In October 2009, the disgruntled Golden State star asked to relinquish his cap- tain title during a meeting with then-Warriors coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley. He was traded to Charlotte the next month. Ellis has been the War- riors' main offensive threat, averaging 21.9 points. Ellis signed a six-year, $66 million contract in July 2008, then injured his left ankle in August in a low- speed mo-ped crash — an offseason activity prohibited in his deal as is a standard provision for contracts around the league. It cost him a 30-game suspension without pay. Udoh is averaging 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 21.8 minutes for the War- riors, who were set to play at Sacramento on Tuesday night. Udoh is an athletic power forward who was Golden State's sixth pick in the 2010 draft out of Baylor. The Warriors hoped he would become a reliable defender, rebounder and shot blocker. Brown, a former No. 1 pick, is likely out for the sea- son with a chest injury. NCAA NCAA Tournament FIRST ROUND At UD Arena Dayton, Ohio Tuesday's results 16) Western Kentucky 59, 16) MVSU 58 14) BYU 78, 14) Iona 72 Today's games 16) Lamar vs. 16) Vermont, 3:40 p.m. 12) California vs. 12) South Florida, after SECOND ROUND EAST REGIONAL Thursday's games At The CONSOL Energy Center Pittsburgh 8) Kansas St. vs. 9) Southern Miss, 9:40 a.m. 1) Syracuse vs. 16) UNC Asheville, after 7) Gonzaga vs. 10) West Virginia, 4:20 p.m. 2) Ohio State vs. 15) Loyola (Md.), after At The Pit Albuquerque, N.M. 4) Wisconsin vs. 13) Montana, 11:10 a.m. 5) Vanderbilt vs. 12) Harvard, after Friday's games At Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tenn. 6) Cincinnati vs. 11) Texas, 9:15 a.m. 3) Florida State vs. 14) St. Bonaventure, after SOUTH REGIONAL Thursday's games At The KFC Yum! Center Louisville, Ky. 1)Kentucky vs. 16) W.Kentucky, 3:50 p.m. 8) Iowa State vs. 9) UConn, after At The Pit Albuquerque, N.M. 3) Baylor vs. 14) South Dakota St., 4:27 p.m. 6) UNLV vs. 11) Colorado, after At The Rose Garden Portland, Ore. 5) Wichita State vs. 12) VCU, 4:15 p.m. 4) Indiana vs. 13) New Mexico State, after Friday, March 16 At Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, N.C. 2) Duke vs. 15) Lehigh, 4:15 p.m. 7) Notre Dame vs. 10) Xavier, after MIDWEST REGIONAL Friday's games At Greensboro Coliseum Greensboro, N.C. 8) Creighton vs. 9) Alabama, late 1) North Carolina vs. 16) TBD, after At Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio 6) San Diego St. vs.11) N.C.State, 9:40 a.m. 3) Georgetown vs. 14) Belmont, after At Bridgestone Arena Nashville, Tenn. 4) Michigan vs. 13) Ohio, 4:20 p.m. 5) Temple vs. 12) TBD, after At CenturyLink Center Omaha, Neb. 7) Saint Mary's vs. 10) Purdue, 4:27 p.m. 2) Kansas vs. 15) Detroit, after WEST REGIONAL Thursday's games At The KFC Yum! Center Louisville, Ky. 6) Murray St. vs. 11) Colorado St., 9:15 a.m. 3) Marquette vs. 14) BYU, after At The Rose Garden Portland, Ore. 4) Louisville vs. 13) Davidson, 10:40 a.m. 5) New Mexico vs. 12) Long Beach St., after Friday's games At Nationwide Arena Columbus, Ohio 8) Memphis vs. 9) Saint Louis, 3:50 p.m. 1) Michigan State vs. 16) LIU, after At CenturyLink Center Omaha, Neb. 7) Florida vs. 10) Virginia, 11:10 a.m. 2) Missouri vs. 15) Norfolk State, after Dallas Seavey wins Iditarod NOME, Alaska (AP) — Dallas Seavey won the Iditar- od Trail Sled Dog Race Tuesday, becoming the youngest musher to win the nearly 1,000 mile race across Alaska. Seavey, who turned 25 on March 4, the day the race officially started north of Anchorage, was the first musher to reach Nome, coming into to the Bering Sea coastal community at 7:29 p.m. Tuesday. The previous youngest winner was the race's only five- time champion, who won his first Iditarod at age 26 in 1977. Rick Swenson, now 61, is in this year's race, and was running in the middle of the pack. It's a family affair for the Seaveys. Dallas's father, Mitch, 52, won the race in 2004. This year, Dallas' 74- year-old grandfather, Dan, is running in his fifth Iditarod.