The eighth-largest crowd in the Disney World ballpark history (11,049) was on hand as Atlanta lost their second Grapefruit League game losing to the Yankees 5-3.

Judging by the noise and the number of fans wearing Yankees' clothing, two-thirds of the fans attending were for the Bronx Bombers.

The game was tied 3-3 going into the 10th inning when Josh Phelps hit a two-out RBI single off reliever Steve Colyer driving in what proved to be the game-winning run. In the eighth inning, Phelps provided a go-ahead sacrifice fly.

With his dad in the other dugout serving as New York's first-base coach, Tony Pena, Jr. delivered a game-tying RBI triple off Chris Britton with two outs in the ninth sending the game into extra innings.

First baseman Jason Giambi homered (a long opposite field shot) off Braves starter Tim Hudson to begin the second inning. Hudson, who allowed two runs (one earned) and four hits, ended his four-inning outing by retiring the final six batters that he faced.

Jeff Francoeur homered off NY starter Mike Mussina to begin the bottom of the second inning. Right fielder Bronson Sardhina leaped high and nearly made the catch.

Mussina, who allowed two earned runs and four hits, retired the final five batters he faced in his three-inning outing.

Making his Atlanta debut, right hander Rafael Soriano pitched two scoreless innings in which he allowed three hits and registered a strikeout. Soriano came to the Braves in a trade that sent Horacio Ramiriez to Seattle.

Chuck James will start for the Braves in Friday afternoon's game against the Pirates at Bradenton at 1:05.

Mike Hampton

Just three days before he was going to test his surgically-repaired left elbow, Hampton suffered a left oblique strain that certainly erases his availability for the start of the regular season and likely from the Braves' rotation through at least mid-May.

The veteran left-hander, who hasn't pitched since having Tommy John elbow surgery 17 months ago, had produced two consecutive encouraging bullpen sessions and was set to pitch an inning against the Blue Jays on Saturday.

But all of this encouragement and optimism was erased when Hampton took a painful swing during batting practice Wednesday that felled him. With his left elbow still feeling strong, he was now faced to feel the effects of this painful and debilitating oblique strain.

All current indications are that he won't be able to play catch for the next month. If this best-case scenario proves true, he'd likely still need at least another month to prepare for his first regular-season start.

Barring any setbacks and assuming that it will take just a month for the oblique muscle to heal, the middle portion of May seems to be the earliest that Hampton would be able to join the Braves' rotation.

Early Thursday morning, Hampton found that X-rays proved that he hadn't suffered a broken rib, like he originally feared. But one Braves official indicated that a broken bone might have actually healed faster and been less of a nagging injury than the oblique strain.

Hampton's injury woes are beginning to be financially taxing to the Braves. Insurance covered most of his salary in 2006, but they are still responsible for the $19.5 million that he's owed over the final two years of the eight-year, $121 million contract he signed with the Rockies before the start of the 2001 season.

With Hampton out for an undetermined amount of time, the Braves join the long list of teams looking to trade for starting pitchers. Lance Cormier and Kyle Davies were battling for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. As of now, it appears that they'll both begin the regular season in the rotation.
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Adapted from articles on the Major League Baseball website.

Yankees starting pitcher Mike Mussina. Click to enlarge photo.
- Photo2 by Tim Evearitt