Final: Orioles 7, Red Sox 3

FORT MYERS, Fla. --

WHO: Red Sox vs. Orioles
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: jetBlue Park
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 850 AM
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Rick Porcello vs. RHP Hunter Harvey
OTHER PITCHERS SCHEDULED: RHP Heath Hembree, LHP Robby Scott, RHP Carson Smith.
PITCHERS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY: RHP Hector Velazquez, LHP Roenis Elias, RHP Marcus Walden, RHP Justin Haley.

 

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

• Mookie Betts gets the Red Sox on the board with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the first. It's his first homer of the spring; heck, Betts didn't get his first hit of the spring until four days ago. But the at-bats have been better of late.


• Betts is demonstrating today the value of a leadoff hitter with both power and speed. After his first inning homer, Betts came up in the third inning and drew a walk. He then drew several pickoff throws from Baltimore starter Hunter Harvey, until one was thrown wild. Betts motored from first to third, from where he scored on Hanley Ramirez's single to left.


• Rick Porcello has given up four runs in four innings, but the Orioles aren't exactly scalding the ball. Of their seven hits, one was an infield roller and at least two were bloopers just beyond the reach of back-pedaling infielders.


• Porcello's line: 4 IP, 7 H, 4 ER, 0 BB, 3 K. 68 pitches/46 strikes

• The Sox made a number of cuts Sunday morning, optioning four players and returning seven others to camp. "I had flashbacks when I got cut,'' said Alex Cora. Optioned were: LHP Jalen Beeks and Williams Jerez and RHP Ty Buttrey and Chandler Shepherd. Returned to camp were C Austin Rei, INFs Michael Chavis and Esteban Quiroz; OF Jeremy Barfield and Steve Selsky; and RHPs Kyle Martin and Fernando Rodriguez Jr.


• The Red Sox are wearing T-shirts honoring Lydia Kimbrel, the infant daughter of closer Craig Kimbrel, who recently underwent a second heart procedure in Boston. The shirts read: ''We are #LydiaStrong.'' Said Cora: "I'm a big fan of Lydia. She's a fighter. We keep praying and our thoughts are with the Kimbrel family. As a father, it's something you think about. It's like, 'Wow, (Craig) is going this.' But he has the support of not only this organization, but (the media) and the fans. Everybody is pulling for her and we're going to be fine. She's part of the family. This is a very exclusive fraternity; there's only one Boston Red Sox and this is our group. We've got to take care of each other and we're doing that.'' Cora said he spoke with Kimbrel a few days ago by phone for 25 minutes, "and I think I was the Red Sox manager for five of them. It's not easy, but we're here for him.''


• LHP Drew Pomeranz threw on flat ground Saturday and is off today. As long as he continues to feel well, he'll throw a live batting practice session during the week. Following a second one, he could be back on the mound and in games.