Alou shows few signs of rust in eighth exhibition game

MESA, Ariz. -- Now this is what Moises Alou had in mind for spring training.\nSidelined 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.\n"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."\nThat he did, going 2-for-3 with an RBI to raise his spring average to .272.\n"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."\nAlou was signed in the offseason as a free agent, and the Cubs are expecting big things from him. He'll bat behind good friend Sammy Sosa and Fred McGriff, giving Chicago one of the most potent 3-4-5 combinations in baseball.\nBut while Sosa and McGriff have been wreaking havoc in the Cactus League, Alou has spent most of the spring in the trainer's room.\nHe arrived at camp with a strained muscle in his left side and wasn't even able to take batting practice until early March. He made his spring debut March 11 and played in seven games.\nBut when he took extra batting practice March 19, he aggravated the injury. Manager Don Baylor gave him some extra time to heal, not putting him back in the lineup until Tuesday.\n"I worried about just getting him some at-bats," Baylor said. "But he didn't have any problems."\nAnd the Cubs got a glimpse of just how dangerous their Big Three can be. In the third inning, Sosa drew a walk with two outs, McGriff singled and Alou had an RBI single to give the Cubs their first run.\nSosa finished the day 1-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk, while McGriff was 2-for-4 with a run scored.\n"We're going to be pretty good, I think," Alou said. "I expect that to happen a lot and not just us three…I really like the guys we have here. They can really play, and they're gamers."\nThe Cubs have only four exhibition games left before they open the season at Cincinnati, but Alou said he'll be ready to go. After all, he's had a little practice at this.\nHe started last season on the disabled list with a strained calf and went on to hit .331, third-best in the NL. After missing the entire 1999 season with torn ligaments in his left knee, he batted a career-high .355 in 2000 with 30 homers and 114 RBIs.\n"I've been able to manage my way into shape quicker than a lot of other people have done it," he said. "I don't think I'm going to have any trouble doing that again this year."\nBesides, the regular season is a totally different game than spring training.\n"It's a different approach," he said. "Once you play a couple of games, it kind of clicks for you. I'm pretty sure once that bell rings, I'm going to be ready to go"