The Associated Press

Free agent closer Ugueth Urbina and the Detroit Tigers reached agreement on a $3.5 million, one-year deal Friday that reunited him with former Florida catcher Ivan Rodriguez.

Cut loose by the Marlins after they won the World Series, Urbina took his time choosing a new team. Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Montreal, Minnesota and San Francisco were among several clubs that talked to him, and he also attracted interest in Japan.

Urbina will get $3 million this season. There is a club option for $4 million in 2005 with a $500,000 buyout. He made about $4.5 million last year.

CARDINALS: Tony Womack made the most of his debut.

Womack, acquired Sunday from Boston, had two hits and reached base four times in the Cardinals' 3-0 win over the Tigers.

Womack, 34, is among a group of players competing for the starting job at second base. In addition to a pair of singles, he reached twice on errors, scored a run and stole two bases.

"Oh boy, he was exciting," manager Tony La Russa said. "He had terrific at-bats; his blades (legs) looked like they were on fire. He was exciting to watch."

ASTROS: Reliever Dave Veres was released, ending his bid to rejoin the team for which he was a bullpen mainstay in 1995.

He played for the Chicago Cubs last season. He appeared in 31 games and had a 2-1 record with one save and a 4.68 ERA.

The 37-year-old Veres pitched eight innings this spring and had a 2.25 ERA with four walks and two strikeouts.

SHORT HOPS: Left-hander Matt Riley helped his chances of earning the fifth spot in the Orioles' rotation by pitching 4 1/3 scoreless innings in an 11-4 victory over the Dodgers.

Riley has allowed one earned run in 12 innings over his last three appearances.

• Marlins starter Carl Pavano pitched two-hit ball for seven shutout innings, but the Mets rallied to beat the Marlins 6-5 in 10 innings on Raul Gonzalez's two-run homer.

The Mets broke a 19-inning scoreless drought and tied it with a four-run ninth.

• The Twins scored five runs off Roy Halladay in the first inning on their way to a 7-5 victory over the Blue Jays.

Halladay, the AL Cy Young Award winner last season, was knocked around for six runs - five earned - and nine hits, his worst outing of the spring.

• A.J. Pierzynski homered, tripled and drove in two runs to help the Giants beat the Athletics in a split-squad game.

Pierzynski, acquired from Minnesota in an offseason trade, finished a double shy of the cycle.

•  After learning he'll start the April 5 opener for the Pirates, Kip Wells responded with his best outing this spring, but the Red Sox rallied against Pittsburgh's unsettled bullpen for a 5-1 victory. Wells, who entered 0-2 with a 12.60 ERA, allowed two hits and an earned run.

• Dan Wright pitched six solid innings of a 5-4 victory over the Rockies and was named the White Sox fifth starter.

• Anaheim's John Lackey allowed five earned runs in four innings of a 9-8 victory over the Padres and has a 9.53 ERA this spring.