For eight days the Dodgers talked about how to make Ishii more comfortable and how to get him to relax on the mound. Apparently, progress was made via the tinkering. But how much must be conquered remains uncertain.

The Dodgers, though, don't have much time. At times Ishii seemed agitated and at other times he appeared more relaxed during a four-inning stint against the Mets' Triple-A squad Monday at Dodgertown. Ishii allowed one run and five hits. He walked three and struck out three.

"If I have anxiety during the season, I won't be able to win," Ishii told the Los Angeles Daily News through interpreter Scott Akasaki. "That's one of the adjustments that I have to make pitching over here, and to make sure that anxiety is pushed out of my mind so I can win. I'm just trying to concentrate on baseball only and not worry about some of the other things that take place outside of baseball."

Florida Marlins: Catcher Charles Johnson returned to limited action Tuesday, catching and hitting for the first time in three weeks. But the two-time All-Star likely won't be ready for the season opener.

Johnson sprained his left thumb March 5 when he ran into Montreal first baseman Joe Vitiello. He wore a cast for two weeks, allowing swelling and soreness to subside, then regained strength and flexibility during the past week.

Johnson eased back into baseball activities Tuesday, catching soft toss and hitting off a tee.

It's an injury that I have to be concerned about," Johnson said. "With me being a catcher, I'm dealing with this thumb every pitch, every time a guy throws a baseball and every time I swing a bat. I have to be very careful."

That's why Johnson probably will be on the 15-day DL when the season begins April 2, leaving Mike Redmond to start the opener at Montreal, GM Larry Beinfest said.

If the Marlins place Johnson on the DL, the move would be retroactive to March 22, meaning he would be eligible to return to the lineup April 6. He might not join the team, though, until Florida's home opener two days later.

When he does return, Johnson said he will wear a protective sheath on the thumb.

Millar hits grand slam: Kevin Millar went 4-for-5 with a grand slam to lead the Florida Marlins to a 12-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday.

Millar homered off Cardinals starter Bud Smith in the second inning following singles by Luis Castillo and Preston Wilson and a walk to Mike Lowell.

Millar will likely be the Marlins' starter in right field this season because his bat has made it difficult for Marlins manager Jeff Torborg to leave him on the bench. Millar hit .314 with 20 homers and 85 RBI last season. He is hitting .295 with three homers and 16 RBI this spring.

"I still go out here every day knowing that I've got to hit," Millar said. "It's something I thrive on."

Chicago Cubs: Now this is what Moises Alou had in mind for spring training.

	Alou

Sidelined for much of the spring with a strained muscle on his left side, Alou played for the first time in more than a week Tuesday. It was only his eighth exhibition game.

"I was a little worried how I was going to feel," he said. "I think the rest gave me a little more bat speed, and I saw the ball much better today."

That he did, going 2-for-3 with an RBI to raise his spring average to .272.

"I'm feeling OK," he said. "I think I'm going to be all right. Just get in these final three or four games, and tune up for the opening of the season."

Sosa homers in loss: Miguel Tejeda's two-run homer capped a seven-run Oakland rally in the eighth inning that carried the Athletics to a 13-11 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Tuesday.

Sammy Sosa and Chris Stynes each hit two-run homers and Joe Girardi, who had four of Chicago's 21 hits, had a solo shot for the Cubs.

The A's trailed 8-6 entering the eighth before roughing up Courtney Duncan and Carlos Zambrano.

Singles by pinch-hitter Scott Hatteberg, Carlos Pena and Mike Colangelo filled the bases and finished Duncan. A walk to Jeremy Giambi forced in one run, a single by Adam Piatt drove in two runs, a single by Olmedo Saenz and an error on the relay by second baseman Bobby Hill delivered two more runs before Tejeda completed the outburst with his third spring homer.

Sosa's homer, his team-leading fifth of the exhibition season, sailed over the left-field scoreboard and triggered a five-run fifth-inning that gave Chicago a 7-6 lead.

New York Yankees: Catcher Jorge Posada was scratched from Tuesday night's game with Pittsburgh because of lower back tightness.

	Posada

Posada might return Wednesday.

"It's not something that would keep him out of the lineup in the regular season," Yankees manager Joe Torre said.

Posada has no shown no ill-effects of offseason shoulder surgery. He is hitting .277 with one homer and 7 RBI in 18 games.

"I want to be cautious," Posada said. "I don't want to blow it out. I want to take care of it now."

Yankees outfielder Rondell White went 3-for-4 in his second minor league spring training game Tuesday.

White had been out since Feb. 25 because of a left rib cage strain. He has been the DH the past two days and should play in the field by Thursday.

Cincinnati Reds: Ken Griffey Jr. hit his first spring homer, but the Minnesota Twins beat the Cincinnati Reds 12-9 Tuesday behind Dustan Mohr's grand slam and two homers by Michael Cuddyer.

	Griffey Jr.

Griffey hit a two-run shot off Twins starter Kyle Lohse, and Aaron Boone homered twice. But the Reds' concern about their pitching intensified as the Twins' homers piled up.

Fifth starter Chris Reitsma gave up Mohr's grand slam in the first inning and had to leave as a precaution after the second inning because of tightness in his right elbow. He was solid in his first three starts, giving up a total of two runs.

Reitsma said he's been bothered by a tight elbow all spring and had an MRI exam and a CT scan last week that found no serious problem.

"It's been (tight) the whole spring," he said, sitting in the clubhouse with ice on his shoulder and elbow. "Nobody knows because it's not that big of a deal. The doctors tell me it's just fine, there's no reason to worry."

Pittsburgh Pirates: Kris Benson gave up a run and three hits in his second outing against minor leaguers Tuesday. To the rehabilitating Pittsburgh Pirates starter, though, it was a perfect game.

	Benson

"I threw all my pitches, with good results, good location and good velocity," said Benson, who had reconstructive elbow surgery 10 months ago. "Right now, everything is going perfect so far."

After facing Class-A players in his first spring outing last week, Benson struck out five in 2 2/3 innings against Baltimore's Triple-A Rochester farm club Tuesday. The only run came on a double steal following two bloop hits, one that fell among three infielders.

What impressed manager Lloyd McClendon and pitching coach Spin Williams was that Benson had no trouble throwing any of his pitches.

"He was up in the (strike) zone a little bit, but he started loosening up well the last inning and popped the ball pretty well," McClendon said.

Hermanson injured: Outfielder Chad Hermansen, one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' most productive players this spring, pulled a buttocks muscle Tuesday night and is day to day.

Hermansen was 2-for-2 with an RBI before getting hurt while trying to advance on a passed ball during an 11-5 loss to the Yankees. He also had the same injury late last season with Triple-A Nashville.

The injury is a setback as Hermansen (.382, three homers, seven RBI) tries to make the opening-day roster.

"I'm swinging the bat well, but other things seem to go wrong this spring," said Hermansen, who was sidelined for several days with the flu until returning Sunday.

Also, third baseman Aramis Ramirez (sore quadriceps) was scratched for precautionary reasons. Manager Lloyd McClendon said he probably won't play Wednesday, either.

Houston Astros: Dave Mlicki looked sharp for 5 2/3 innings and Lance Berkman hit a grand slam off Bartolo Colon as the Houston Astros won their eighth in a row, 5-4 Tuesday over the Cleveland Indians in Kissimmee, Fla.

Mlicki (3-1) allowed two hits -- one a long homer to Jim Thome -- in his final start in Florida this spring. He walked three, struck out four and got nine of his outs on grounders.

"I felt great," Mlicki said. "My control is bugging me a little bit. I'm just missing, but they aren't fishing for it. I feel like I'm right where I need to be."

Boston Red Sox: In one corner of the clubhouse in Fort Myers, Fla., pitcher John Burkett was talking about disappointment over an injury than will sideline him for the start of the season.

A few lockers down, pitcher Willie Banks was thankful to be getting a second chance because of that injury.

Manager Grady Little told Banks he had made the team Tuesday. Banks probably would have been the last pitcher released if Burkett hadn't gotten hurt.

"My hands are shaking right now," Banks said with a smile after meeting with Little.

"I've been sent down (to the minor leagues) the last day a couple times," he said. "For him to tell me I made the team, I don't know what's better, graduation day, winning the championship or making this club right now. I worked hard and it all paid off."

Banks, a first-round draft choice in 1987, missed the entire 1996 season with severe nerve damage in his right shoulder that caused the muscle to deteriorate.

He came back for brief stops with the New York Yankees in 1997 and 1998 before beginning an exile that took him through the minor leagues and Japan. He landed in Boston at the end of last season.

Burkett, meanwhile, was resigning himself to a longer stay at Boston's training camp in Florida because of shoulder tendinitis that hasn't gotten better.

Shoulder soreness is normal for him during spring time, Burkett said. The difference this year is that instead of gradually getting better, it got worse.

"We've been trying everything to try to get it to calm down, but nothing's worked," he said.

Texas Rangers: Right-hander Ismael Valdes returned to Florida on Tuesday night after an exam showed no ligament damage in his right elbow.

	Valdes

But the Rangers placed closer Jeff Zimmerman on the 15-day disabled list Tuesday with tendinitis in his right elbow.

Zimmerman, who hasn't pitched since March 6, was examined by Rangers team orthopedist Dr. John Conway on Monday, and then flew to Los Angeles for a second opinion. His injury won't require surgery, but he has been told to rest the arm. The right-hander probably won't pitch again until May.

Valdes returned to Texas to be examined by Conway after complaining of elbow stiffness Monday. An MRI exam determined that there was some irritation but no damage in the ligament.

The Rangers haven't made a decision on the status of Valdes, who was scheduled to start the team's home opener April 5 against Anaheim. He will be evaluated in the next few days.

Rocker rocked: One day after inheriting the closer's job for the Rangers, John Rocker allowed five hits and four runs in one inning during an 11-8 loss Tuesday to the Boston Red Sox.

Rocker walked Rickey Henderson. Johnny Damon followed with a single. Nomar Garciaparra then hit a two-run triple and Manny Ramirez doubled to right. Shea Hillenbrand singled to left, and an error by left fielder Frank Catalanotto allowed Ramirez to score.

"I need to make a few more quality pitches. I did some good things, and I'm trying to focus on them," said Rocker, who is scheduled to close because of an elbow injury to Jeff Zimmerman.

San Francisco Giants: Rookie right-hander Kurt Ainsworth left in the third inning with a strained groin and his San Francisco Giants went on to beat the San Diego Padres 7-2 Tuesday in their final Arizona exhibition game.

Ainsworth allowed two runs, five hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings before leaving because of tightness in his right groin muscle.

"It's not that serious an injury that it should cost me anything," Ainsworth said.

Ainsworth (2-0) gave up a two-run double to Mark Kotsay in the second inning. Otherwise, the Padres wasted scoring opportunities against six pitchers. San Diego failed to score after loading the bases in the first, fifth and eighth innings.