New York Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera and first baseman Shelley Duncan were suspended for three games each for their roles in Wednesday's spring-training fracas with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Tampa outfielder Jonny Gomes was suspended for two games yesterday. All three players were fined along with Yankees manager Joe Girardi, third-base coach Bobby Meacham and hitting coach Kevin Long.

The suspensions, unless appealed, will start at the beginning of the regular season.

Bob Watson, baseball's vice president for discipline, cited Duncan for "violent and reckless actions, which incited the bench-clearing incident," and penalized Cabrera for "violent and aggressive actions during the incident."

Gomes was suspended for "violent actions, which escalated" the situation.

Duncan slid into Rays second baseman Akinori Iwamura with spikes raised after hitting a grounder off third baseman Evan Longoria's glove and trying to advance to second base.

Duncan was thrown out and immediately tossed. Gomes was ejected after racing in from right field and barreling into Duncan as other players poured onto the field. No punches appeared to have been thrown.

GOLF

SINGH LEADS PALMER

Weakened by a stomach virus that caused him to lose 18 pounds in five days, Vijay Singh recovered in time to make a strong defense of his Arnold Palmer Invitational title by chipping in twice yesterday on his way to a 5-under 65 and a two-shot lead over Carl Pettersson.

"I've got a very heavy shirt on. I can see my ribs," said Singh, who was at 9-under 131 at Bay Hill in Orlando, Fla. "I thought I was going to pull out of this tournament, but on Friday, I just started to hit a few (balls). And that was it."

TENNIS

HANTUCHOVA STARTS FAST

Fifth-seeded Daniela Hantuchova opened her title defense in the Pacific Life Open at Indian Wells, Calif., with a 6-1, 6-2 victory over wild-card Angela Haynes yesterday in a windy second-round match.

In men's first-round play, Austria's Jurgen Melzer eliminated U.S. Open champion Marat Safin of Russia 7-6 (5), 2-6, 6-2. It was Safin's fourth loss in five matches this year.

AND WHAT'S MORE ...

The Oakland Raiders signed free-agent defensive tackle William Joseph, who missed all of last season for the Super Bowl champion New York Giants with a back injury. ... Lorena Ochoa shot a 4-over 76 yesterday in the MasterCard Classic at Huixquilucan, Mexico, leaving the top-ranked Mexican star nine strokes behind first-round leader Jill McGill. ... Nick Price birdied the final hole for a 6-under 66 and a one-stroke lead over defending champion Tom Purtzer yesterday after the first round of the Champions Tour's AT&T Champions Classic at Santa Clarita, Calif.