Focus the issue for Lowe

Derek Lowe acknowledges his concentration wasn't where it should have been at times last year, his first after leaving the Red Sox to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The biggest distraction came when his marriage broke up and his wife made public his relationship with former Los Angeles television sports anchor Carolyn Hughes.

Lowe claims Hughes didn't cause the demise of his marriage. The two are still together.

''We didn't leave our spouses for each other, which people believe we did," he said. ''She was going through a divorce. It wasn't a fling. There's no guarantee, but it wasn't just a fling.

''The main people in my life, they knew what was going on for months upon months upon months. They knew we were having a hard time for a long time."

With all that was going on, the 6-foot-6-inch Lowe said he went from 235 pounds to 216 in a span of 2 1/2 months during the season.

''You're not eating, you're not sleeping -- the stress of the whole thing," he said. ''It was a tough situation."

Lowe recalled a game against Arizona July 2, when he allowed a career-high four homers in three innings.

''I can honestly say, it was the first time in my life I didn't care," he said. ''That was the day I knew I had to do something."

Lowe went 4-2 with a 1.80 ERA in his last eight starts to finish 12-15 with a 3.61 ERA. He said it was a matter of getting his life together.

''I'm refocused. I gained all the weight back," he said. ''It's going to be a really good year for me and the team."

Pedro Martínez threw from the top of a mound for the first time at Mets training camp, and acknowledged he still has a lot of work to do before Opening Day. ''I'm out of shape," Martínez told a group of reporters before walking off the field. ''I'm just trying to get back to the mound, see how my toe is. My arm is not full-strength. I still have a lot of work to do." Martínez said he expects to be ready for Opening Day . . . Shortstop Jack Wilson agreed to terms on a three-year, $20 million contract extension with the Pirates. The 27-year-old Wilson was heading into the last year of a two-year, $8 million contract. . . . Outfielder Randy Winn signed a three-year, $23.25 million extension through 2009. Winn, acquired before last season's trading deadline from Seattle, batted .359 with 14 home runs after joining the Giants.

Get ready for ties in the first World Baseball Classic. Organizers said games in the first two rounds of the tournament will be ended after 14 innings, even if teams remain tied. In addition, the tournament's technical committee may suspend semifinal games after 14 innings and finish them the next day if pitcher availability becomes an issue . . . Barry Bonds surprised a small gathering of fans and teammates at Giants camp by dressing up as Paula Abdul to judge a spin-off of the TV show ''American Idol." Bonds wore a strapless dress and a blonde wig. The event, where young Giants players had to sing in front of the judges, raised $337 from fans that will be matched by the Giants organization and donated to the Giants Community Fund.