Dodgers deafet Cardinals, 3-2

By R.B. FALLSTROM

AP Sports Writer

JUPITER (AP) – A day after dropping his trade request, Gary Sheffield got his first hit of the spring.

Sheffield snapped an 0-for-10 slump by tripling in the fourth inning as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 3-1 Sunday.

“I’m not a politician or anything like that,” Sheffield said. “I’m just a baseball player and a family man, and I’m going to get back to doing those two things.”

Sheffield got his first hit off Cardinals prospect Jason Karnuth in the fourth and scored on a single by Chris Donnels. Sheffield said he’ll make the best of his situation.

“I know guys respect me in this locker room and we have a mutual love for each other and mutual respect,” Sheffield said. “I said what I said and I’m happy with it and we can move on and try to win a championship.”

He didn’t want to talk about what changed his mind.

“I’m going to leave that where it is,” he said, “and just focus on baseball.”

Sheffield was booed before each of his three at-bats, not that it bothered him.

“I felt relaxed,” he said. “I’m just letting my ability take over again. My bat speed feels like it’s back and I see the ball real big because I’m just relaxed up there.”

Center field Jim Edmonds missed on an over-the-shoulder catch on the play as the ball glanced off his wrist. Edmonds, a four-time Gold Glove winner, indicated he was in spring training form in the field.

“That’s a ball I’m expected to catch,” Edmonds said. “He hit it hard but it died in the wind.”

Edmonds caught Sheffield’s liner to end the fifth, a play he said was perhaps more difficult.

Dodgers starter Andy Ashby allowed a run on five hits in four innings. The Cardinals scored in the second on singles by Mark McGwire, Ray Lankford and J.D. Drew and a double play ball.

The Cardinals’ Matt Morris worked three innings in his second spring start, allowing a run on two hits. The Dodgers loaded the bases with none out in the second but Morris got Paul Lo Duca on a double play grounder.

Morris is due to return to the rotation for the first time since 1998, when he underwent elbow surgery. He’s allowed three runs in five innings, but is happy with his progress.

“I threw the ball where I wanted,” Morris said. “The more you focus and you get things going in the right direction, it seems like the game’s slower.”