FORT MYERS, Fla. --
WHO: Red Sox vs. Orioles
WHEN: 1:05
WHERE: jetBlue Park
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI-FM 93.7 FM
PITCHERS: LHP Brian Johnson vs. RHP Gabriel Ynoa
OTHER SCHEDULED PITCHERS: RHP Joe Kelly, RHP Matt Barnes, RHP Carson Smith, LHP Robby Scott, RHP Marcus Walden
BOX SCORE
MONDAY'S SCHEDULED PITCHERS: RHP Justin Haley, RHP Fernando Rodriguez Jr., LHP Bobby Poyner
IN GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- Blake Swihart continues to impress. He drove a double off the left field wall to score Xander Bogaerts with the first run of the game. In three games to date, Swihart has three extra-base hits.
- Strong showing for LHP Brian Johnson today - two scoreless innings, retiring all six hitters he faced, with two strikeouts. Of his 25 pitches, 17 were for strikes. Johnson is out of options and trying to claim a spot on the Opening Day roster. He could compete for a bullpen spot, or, with both Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez ruled out for the start of the season today, the fifth spot in the rotation.
- The Orioles didn't exactly bring a representative team to Fort Myers today. No Adam Jones, no Chris Davis, no Manny Machado, no Jonathan Schoop....you get the idea. Ordinarily, MLB "mandates'' that visiting teams bring a minimum of four regulars on road games. But with games starting earlier this spring, that edict doesn't go into affect until March 1.
- Hanley Ramirez has done a nice job digging out a couple of low throws today at first base. It's a skill he showed in 2016, when he made his debut at the position.
LINEUPS:
RED SOX
ORIOLES
NEWS AND NOTES:
- RHP Ben Taylor, who was designated for assignment earlier in the week in order to create a roster spot, has been claimed by Cleveland. Carl Willis, who worked with Taylor in Boston, is the new pitching coach in Cleveland and likely recommended him.
- INF Michael Chavis has a left oblique strain, suffered a few days ago, and it out indefinitely. That's a tough break for Chavis, who wasn't going to make the club, but will miss out on opportunity to play against major league competition.
- Alex Cora confirmed what had long been assumed: the Sox aren't counting on either LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (knee) or RHP Steven Wright (knee) to be available for the start of the regular season. Both are throwing and progressing, but neither has been cleared to throw off a mound yet and the Sox, correctly, don't see the need to rush either one for the sake of a few early-season starts. The fact that the Sox have three days off in the span of six after their first road trip makes it easier to for them to figure out how to work around their unavailability.
- Tzu-Wei Lin will get a start in CF Sunday afternoon. Lin, who filled in in the infield for the Sox last year, played five games in center for Double A Portland in 2016 and another 27 games in center between Portland and Pawtucket last season. "I heard that he's a good outfielder,'' said Cora. "(He takes) good routes, throws the ball to the right places. It's just a matter of repetition. He's a good shortstop, but he'll get more repetitions in the outfield the next few days. He's a good athlete. Everybody feels that he can play (in center).'' The Red Sox could use some depth there, since only Andrew Benintendi and, of course, Mookie Betts are proven alternatives to starter Jackie Bradley Jr.