PHOENIX (AP) -- Ryan Braun homered in his first at-bat of spring training and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Oakland Athletics 2-1 Saturday in a spring opener.
Braun will soon be leaving the club to prepare for the World Baseball Classic with Team USA. The former NL MVP hit a solo shot with two outs in the first inning off Jesse Chavez.
Mike Fiers, in the mix for a spot in Milwaukee's starting rotation despite a late-season fade in 2012, allowed two hits and a walk in two scoreless innings and struck out one.
Brewers closer John Axford added a scoreless third inning.
Oakland shortstop Hiroyuki Nakajima, who signed a two-year, $6.5 million contract in the offseason, made his debut. The 30-year-old walked and popped out in his two plate appearances.
MARINERS 8, PADRES 6
PEORIA, Ariz. (AP) -- Jason Bay and Justin Smoak hit two-run home runs for the Mariners in Saturday's 8-6 victory over the San Diego Padres.
Bay hit a line shot beyond the left-field wall in his first at-bat, a welcome start to an exhibition season in which he must earn a spot on the opening day roster. He walked twice in three turns at the plate, once driven home in the fifth inning by another Mariner in need of a good start.
Smoak, the switch-hitting cleanup hitter who underwhelmed with a .217 average in 2012, hit a home run to right field from the left side of the plate that gave Seattle a 4-0 lead.
The Padres scored once on Jeudy Valdez's RBI double in the fifth.
Padres starter Tyson Ross pitched two innings in the loss and gave up Bay's home run. Blake Beavan started for Seattle and pitched two scoreless innings.
ROYALS 4, RANGERS 2
SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) -- Brandon Wood hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Kansas City Royals a 4-2 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday.
Wood, who hit 43 home runs in the minors in 2005, sent a one-out drive to the back of the left-field bullpen off Jake Brigham, the seventh Rangers pitcher.
Ian Kinsler had an RBI double and scored a run for the Rangers. Randy Wells, attempting to earn a spot in Texas' rotation after having elbow surgery last year, allowed one run and three hits in two innings.
Royals rookie left-handed reliever Donnie Joseph struck out all three batters he faced in his debut. Ryan Verdugo worked around two walks in the ninth to earn the win.
ROCKIES 11, DIAMONDBACKS 2
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Troy Tulowitzki got a hit in his first game since having groin surgery and Drew Pomeranz gave up two runs on three hits in the Rockies' 11-2 win over the Diamondbacks on Saturday.
Josh Rutledge went 3-for-3 with four RBIs and scored twice for Colorado.
Rutledge had a two run single in the second and doubled in two runs during a three-run fourth. Rockies Tim Wheeler and Kent Matthes each hit solo homers and Jonathan Herrera added three hits.
Diamondbacks top prospect Tyler Skaggs allowed four runs, two of which were earned, on four hits and struck out two in 1 2-3 innings.
WHITE SOX 9, DODGERS 0
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) -- Clayton Kershaw got off to a shaky start in his spring debut for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 9-0 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
The 2011 NL Cy Young winner allowed two runs and four hits in two innings. The Dodgers' opening day starter also made a wild pickoff throw.
Alejandro De Aza hit a leadoff single in the Chicago first and later scored on the first of two doubles by Alex Rios.
In the White Sox second, Alexei Ramirez singled and scored on a double by Gordon Beckham.
INDIANS 13, REDS 10
GOODYEAR, Ariz. (AP) -- Ryan Raburn helped his chances to make Cleveland's roster by hitting two more homers and the Indians outlasted the Cincinnati Reds 13-10 on Saturday in an exhibition game.
Raburn also homered in Friday's opener. He was released by Detroit in November following a disappointing season. He opened as the Tigers' starting second baseman, but batted just .171 in 66 games and was demoted to the minor leagues. Indians manager Terry Francona targeted him after he was hired by Cleveland, and the club signed Raburn to a free-agent contract last month.
The 31-year-old is attempting to make the Indians as a utility player.
Shin-Soo Choo singled and scored twice for the Reds. The center fielder will bat leadoff for Cincinnati, which had the NL's lowest on-base percentage from the top spot.
CUBS 11, ANGELS 2
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) -- Luis Valbuena got off to a great start in his bid to win more playing time with the Cubs, hitting a home run that helped Chicago beat a Los Angeles Angels split squad 11-2 Saturday in the spring training opener for both teams.
Cubs left-hander Travis Wood and Angels right-hander Jerome Williams each went two innings. Both pitchers are trying to win a rotation spot.
Brett Jackson tripled twice for the Cubs.
Valbuena, one of three players in the running for the team's starting third base position, homered to the opposite field off Williams in the second inning. Valbuena also went deep in an intrasquad game Friday.
Valbuena hit .219 with four homers and 28 RBIs in 265 at-bats for the Cubs last season.
