THREE UP
Freddy Sanchez certainly looked comfortable, even if he felt a little rusty. The 2006 NL batting champion had two hits and an RBI in the Pirates’ 6-3 win over the Reds, his first game since coming off the DL. “Sanchez was missed,” manager Jim Tracy said. “He can flat hit.”
In the Cardinals’ 10-1 win over Houston, Albert Pujols hit a two-run homer. The third-inning, 410-foot shot off the Minute Maid Park railing in left-center was the slugger’s first hit of the series and it shook him out of a 1-for-17 skid. “Sometimes you see the ball well,” Pujols said.
Oh, those wild Giles brothers. After Kevin Kouzmanoff’s single ended a 2-for-20 slump and gave San Diego a 2-1, 10-inning win over Colorado, Brian Giles slammed into him. “He speared me,” the rookie said. Later, Marcus Giles smashed a shaving cream pie into his face.
THREE DOWN
Left-hander Barry Zito, the Giants’ new $126 million man, turned in another subpar outing in a 10-4 loss to the Dodgers. He gave up eight runs and nine hits in six innings. “It’s all new stimulus,” said Zito, whose deal is the richest ever by a pitcher. “The key is not to panic.”
Mets reliever Aaron Heilman gave up two runs on three doubles in the eighth to blow the save and spoil Orlando Hernandez’s stellar start in the Braves’ 3-2 win. Hernandez gave up one run on two hits in six innings. The Mets’ bullpen had not allowed a run in 13 innings.
Eric Milton, who wasn’t even on the active roster when he was booed during pregame introductions on Opening Day, fell to 16-24 with the Reds after his first start of the season. He is in the last year of the $25.5 million, three-year deal he signed as a free agent in ’04.
