The Montreal Expos are hoping Matt Herges can help them in a hurry.
In a swap of right-handed relievers, the Los Angeles Dodgers sent Herges to the Expos for Guillermo Mota in a four-player trade Saturday.
"We're getting a guy who's a proven commodity," Expos general manager Omar Minaya said. "I like Mota, but I'm getting a guy who is better for this team right now."
In another deal, the San Diego Padres traded infielder Damian Jackson and catcher Matt Walbeck to the Detroit Tigers for catcher Javier Cardona and outfielder Rich Gomez.
Herges, who turns 32 on April 1, was 9-8 with a 3.44 ERA and one save for the Dodgers, working 99 1/3 innings in 75 games. His nine relief victories tied for the most in the NL with Montreal's Graeme Lloyd and San Francisco's Felix Rodriguez.
Herges was 20-13 with a 3.38 ERA and two saves in three seasons with Los Angeles. His 20 relief victories in the past two years rank as the most in the majors.
"He upgrades our bullpen in the sense that he's durable," Minaya said. "I feel much safer with my bullpen now."
Mota, 28, pitched in 53 games for the Expos last year, going 1-3 with a 5.26 ERA in 49 2-3 innings.
The Expos also got minor league infielder Jorge Nunez and the Dodgers received minor league outfielder Wilkin Ruan.
The Tigers were in need of a utility player and think they got the guy they needed in Jackson.
Jackson hit .241 with four home runs and 38 RBIs, and stole 23 bases last season for the Padres.
In spring training games:
EXPOS 3, METS 2: At Jupiter, Fla., New York Mets catcher Mike Piazza was forced to leave in the first inning after being hit by a pitch in the left thigh. He was listed as day-to-day with a bruise.
Montreal's Michael Barrett hit an RBI single in the ninth.
DODGERS 7, MARLINS 3: At Melbourne, Fla., Kevin Brown got the better end of a matchup against a pitcher trying to copy parts of his delivery.
Brown gave up four hits and one unearned run and struck out five in 3 2/3 innings for Los Angeles. Florida's A.J. Burnett, experimenting with a delivery that includes Brown's twist and leg kick, allowed seven runs in five innings.
CUBS 14, ROCKIES 7: At Mesa, Ariz., Sammy Sosa homered, doubled twice, singled and drove in four runs for Chicago. Sosa hit his third homer of the exhibition season.
D-BACKS 4, ANGELS 3: At Tucson, Ariz., Curt Schilling gave up one earned run in seven innings for Arizona.
The World Series co-MVP gave up six hits and struck out six in a no-decision. Jay Bell's first home run of the spring came in the eighth off Donne Wall and broke a 3-3 tie.
WHITE SOX 10, GIANTS 6: At Scottsdale, Ariz., Ray Durham hit a grand slam and Royce Clayton and Aaron Rowland also homered for the White Sox.
Willie Harris had three hits as Chicago stopped a five-game losing streak.
PHILLIES 4, REDS 3: At Sarasota, Fla., Barry Larkin and Ken Griffey Jr. returned to Cincinnati's lineup. Larkin hadn't played in nine days because of discomfort in his lower abdomen and Griffey missed two games with a sore knee.
Philadelphia's Reggie Taylor hit a solo homer in the ninth off Danny Graves. Taylor also hit two doubles.
MARINERS 5, BREWERS 4: At Phoenix, Desi Relaford's solo homer in the eighth inning helped Seattle.
Mike Cameron hit his third homer of the spring for the Mariners. Milwaukee's Alex Ochoa hit his fifth homer of the spring.
YANKEES 5, INDIANS 1: At Tampa, Fla., Yankees starter Ted Lilly did not allow a hit over five innings.
Juan Rivera and Gerald Williams hit solo homers for New York.
BRAVES 10, DEVIL RAYS 5: At St. Petersburg, Fla., Javy Lopez hit a pair of two-run homers to lead Atlanta. Tampa Bay has lost nine consecutive games.
ORIOLES 2, CARDINALS 1: At Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Jose Leon doubled home the winning run with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning for Baltimore.
ATHLETICS 6, PADRES 4: At Peoria, Ariz., Trevor Hoffman hit Mike Colangelo with a pitch with the bases loaded to force across the go-ahead run in the eighth inning for Oakland.
TWINS 3, RED SOX 0: At Fort Myers, Fla., Torii Hunter's two-run homer in the seventh inning broke open a scoreless game. He homered off former Twins pitcher Willie Banks.
PIRATES 5, RANGERS 4: At Port Charlotte, Fla., Kevin Young and Aramis Ramirez homered for Pittsburgh.
Carl Everett and Alex Rodriguez homered on consecutive pitches in the first inning for Texas, and Juan Gonzalez hit a solo shot in the fourth.
ASTROS 9, ROYALS 7: At Kissimmee, Fla., Jeff Bagwell and Geoff Blum hit two-run homers for Houston.
Brian Hunter had four hits and Tripp Cromer hit a solo home run for the Astros.
TIGERS 9, BLUE JAYS 4: At Dunedin, Fla., Jeff Weaver had his best outing of the spring, pitching six shutout innings of three-hit ball for Detroit.
Weaver, the Tigers' opening day starter, struck out six — one in each inning.