BASEBALL / SPRING TRAINING REPORT : Saberhagen Gets Contract Extension

Bret Saberhagen, a two-time Cy Young Award winner coming off an injury-filled 3-5 season, signed a three-year contract extension with the New York Mets that guarantees him $15.38 million. He has an option for a fourth year for at least $5 million.

The Mets gave him a $2.5-million signing bonus, $3.05 million for 1994, $4.05 million for 1995 and $4.3 million for 1996. In addition, the Mets will give him $479,656.65 for each of those three years in deferred payments. Incentives could push the fourth-year figure as high as $5.5 million.

Tom Browning pitched five strong innings to bolster his return from reconstructive knee surgery, but he was the loser as the Toronto Blue Jays defeated the Cincinnati Reds, 3-1.

Browning gave up five hits and one walk while striking out one and shutting out Toronto after the first inning.

“I think I showed that I’m ready,” Browning said. “I won’t say I’m ready to go nine, but I think I showed I can go out there and give them six, seven or eight quality innings.”

Boston’s Mo Vaughn continued his torrid spring, hitting a first-inning grand slam as Boston defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5.

Vaughn, who also had a single and scored in the eighth inning, is hitting .442 and has a .730 slugging percentage. He has 14 RBIs in the last six games.

The Red Sox fielders are struggling, however. They made three errors against the Cardinals, bringing the team’s total to 27 in 22 games.

Hubie Brooks’ 11th-inning single scored David Howard, giving the Kansas City Royals a 5-4 victory over Detroit, keeping the Tigers (3-17-1) winless for the 16th game in a row. . . . The New York Yankees got six hitless innings from Bob Wickman, but the Atlanta Braves scored in the seventh to beat reliever Neal Heaton, 1-0.