Texas Rangers: Ruben Rivera will get a tryout with the Texas Rangers after being released by the New York Yankees for stealing a bat and glove from teammate Derek Jeter's locker.

Texas general manager John Hart said Sunday that the Rangers planned to evaluate Rivera for 10 days before determining whether to offer the troubled outfielder a minor league contract.

Rivera, 28, was in the Rangers' minor league camp Sunday.

Rivera was released March 11 by the Yankees after stealing Jeter's glove and bat from his locker and selling the items to a memorabilia dealer.

"Leave it to John Hart," Yankees owner George Steinbrenner said. "If there's a guy who would do it, it's going to be him. ... You would expect John Hart to do that, which is OK."

Once one of the most promising prospects in baseball, Rivera has spent parts of five seasons in the major leagues with the Yankees, San Diego and Cincinnati. In 562 games, he has a career batting average of .218 with 58 home runs and 185 RBI.

In eight games with the Yankees this spring, Rivera hit .350 with two homers and eight RBI.

"I hope he has a good career," Steinbrenner said. "I feel sorry."

The Cleveland Indians last week decided against pursing a deal with Rivera, after he met with their team psychologist.

But Hart has never been one to avoid players who have had trouble in the past.

In two of his biggest moves since becoming the Texas GM last November, Hart traded for John Rocker and Carl Everett, players known as much for their tempers as their outstanding play.

Everett was suspended three times in his two seasons at Boston for an outburst with an umpire and constant arguments with managers Jimy Williams and Joe Kerrigan.

Rocker had a troubled relationship with teammates in Atlanta and Cleveland after his disparaging remarks about gays, minorities and others in a Sports Illustrated interview before the 2000 season.

Burba homers: Maybe if Dave Burba isn't the Texas Rangers' No. 5 starter, he can win another job -- as their designated hitter.

Burba homered and doubled before leaving with a hamstring injury in the fourth inning and the Rangers worked over five Pittsburgh pitchers for 15 hits in an 11-2 victory Sunday.

Juan Gonzalez hit his second long homer against the Pirates in as many games, Alex Rodriguez drove in three runs with a pair of RBI singles and Carl Everett was 3-for-3, including two doubles, with two RBIs.

Burba allowed two unearned runs when Gonzalez dropped Armando Rios' fly ball in the first inning, but followed with two scoreless innings. Burba didn't come out for the fourth after feeling tightness in his right hamstring while pulling into second base on a double in the top of the inning.

Cincinnati Reds: They came to see Junior and Larkin and Casey. Instead, they got Clark and Castro and Jennings.

The Cincinnati Reds left all of their starters behind for a 5-0 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Sunday, violating a directive from the commissioner's office.

Teams are required to bring at least four starters to each spring training game, so fans don't come away feeling cheated.

Sandy Alderson, executive vice president of baseball operations in the commissioner's office, said Sunday that it's unusual for a team to violate the long-standing order.

"The purpose is to protect the fans who pay good money to come to spring training games," Alderson said in a phone interview.

He wasn't aware of the Reds' decision to leave their starters behind. If the Indians complain, the commissioner's office will look into the matter.

The Indians were disappointed that their players didn't get to test themselves against front-line major leaguers, but didn't plan to contact the commissioner's office.

"It's disappointing because it doesn't give us a chance to see our players so we can prepare for the season," general manager Mark Shapiro said. "But I don't think it's appropriate to do anything to formally protest."

The 6,803 fans saw the Reds' patchwork lineup manage only five singles and a triple by shortstop Juan Castro as they were shut out for the first time since their spring opener.

The regulars who stayed behind had reason to be glad they missed the two-hour trip: The team bus broke down on the way back to Sarasota after the game.

The bus made it only a few miles outside Winter Haven before transmission problems brought it to a halt. Players milled in the grassy divider, some of them swinging bats to pass the time. Writers who cover the team stopped and offered rides back to Sarasota.

After a one-hour wait, another bus arrived to complete the trip.

Five non-roster players who made the trip were assigned to the Reds' minor league camp before they got on the team bus after the game. Two of them started the game -- designated hitter Raul Gonzalez and left fielder Anthony Sanders.

Asked if he thought Cleveland would be insulted that the Reds didn't bring any regulars, manager Bob Boone said, "I'm certainly not trying to be insulting. There's definitely reasons for it."

Seattle Mariners: James Baldwin gave up three runs in six innings and Ichiro Suzuki stole three bases as the Seattle Mariners beat the Chicago Cubs 6-3 Sunday.

The Mariners tagged Kerry Wood with his third defeat in four decisions this spring, scoring three runs on six hits in three innings.

Baldwin, signed as a free agent on Jan. 30 to replace the departed Aaron Sele in Seattle's rotation, gave up seven hits, while walking one and striking out one.

He allowed a home run to Roosevelt Brown to lead off the Cubs' fourth.

"I was pretty happy that I was able to keep my ball down and I was able to use all my pitches," Baldwin said. "The performance was good, but I was worried more about my location."

Baldwin, Seattle's No. 4 starter, is scheduled to pitch Friday in an exhibition game in Portland, Ore., against the San Diego Padres. He will make his first regular season start for Seattle on April 4 in Oakland.

Manager Lou Piniella came out to the mound to talk to Baldwin in the sixth inning, when the Cubs got RBI doubles from Todd Hundley and Julio Zuleta. He quickly went back to the dugout and Baldwin got Chris Stynes to fly out to end the inning.

"He asked me if I was tired. I told him I was fine and I wanted to stay out there," Baldwin said. "I'm happy. This is one of the best springs I've ever had because I'm usually pretty mediocre in spring training."

In the first, Suzuki singled, stole second and third and scored on Bret Boone's double. He also singled and scored a run in the fifth and, walked and stole a base in the sixth.

Houston Astros: Roy Oswalt struck out 10 and allowed just three hits in six innings Sunday as the Houston Astros beat the Detroit Tigers 9-1.

	Oswalt

Houston's Brian Hunter hit two home runs against his former team.

Oswalt, who finished second last year in the National League Rookie of the Year voting, has allowed one earned run and struck out 31 in 24 innings this spring.

"All of my pitches, I can place them where I want to, which is unusual in the spring," said Oswalt. "Usually, you're a little bit erratic."

Oswalt, who was 14-3 with the Astros last season, started the game by allowing two singles, then retired the next 13 batters.

"We just didn't hit the guy, and our guys have been swinging the bats pretty good," Tigers manager Phil Garner said.

Jacob Cruz's single in the fifth was the only hit off Oswalt after the first two singles in the first.

New York Mets: Mets catcher Mike Piazza won't travel with the team Monday as he recovers from a bruised left hip.

Piazza left Saturday's game in the first inning when he was hit in the hip by a pitch from Britt Reames. Piazza had a slight limp Sunday and is not on Monday's travel squad for the Mets trip to Lakeland to play the Tigers.

Piazza said if he was needed he could have played in Sunday's game, but the Mets are being cautious in their approach.