PORT CHARLOTTE, Fla. --
WHO: Red Sox vs. Tampa Bay Rays
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Charlotte Sports Park
TV/RADIO: WEEI 850 AM
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Marcus Walden vs. LHP Ryan Yarbrough
OTHERS SCHEDULED TO PITCH: LHP Roenis Elias, LHP Bobby Poyner
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- After a leadoff double from Brock Holt and a fly ball from Jackie Bradley Jr. which advanced Holt to third, J.D. Martinez singled to left to score the Red Sox' first run of the game.
- In the top of the fourth, Blake Swihart, batting left-handed, hammered a pitch out to right for his third homer of the spring. Swihart is playing left field today as the Red Sox continue to move him around the field and get him exposed to various positions.
- A double by Sandy Leon and a sharp line single to center from Deven Marrero leads to the second run of the inning and third of the game for the Sox.
- Some alert baserunning by Marrero created another run in the fourth. Marrero was on second when Brock Holt hit a grounder behind the second-base bag. As Holt hustled down the line and beat the throw from shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria, Marrero never slowed as he rounded third and came all the way home for a run while Holt took second on the throw to the plate.
- Well, the rout is officially on. J.D. Martinez drove a line drive down the left field line for a two-run double. Martinez has three RBI today -- or one more than he had in the previous nine games combined.
- Well, that's not going to help: Roenis Elias, who is still in competition for a bullpen spot, just allowed a homer to C.J. Cron, the third batter he faced. Elias is in a mano-a-man0 battle with Bobby Poyner, also scheduled to pitch today.
- In his second inning of work, Elias also gave another single and a walk.
- Poyner is now in for the sixth and retired the Rays 1-2-3.
LINEUPS:
RAYS
NEWS AND NOTES:
- Craig Kimbrel will likely see his first game action Sunday against the Twins, and could then go again Tuesday against the Cubs.
- Steven Wright pitches four innings in a minor league game Thursday
- Drew Pomeranz will throw two innings in a minor league game Friday.
- Tyler Thornburg threw a bullpen Wednesday morning and will throw another one Saturday. "He felt great physically and it didn't take too long to warm up,'' said Alex Cora. He'll likely stay back in Fort Myers and continue to throw in warmer weather.
- Cora said Dustin Pedroia will likely travel with the team at the start of the season and Cora, only half-jokingly, said part of the reason was he fears that Pedroia will push the training staff to allow him to do more if he's left behind. "It's better to have him around so he doesn't push (the people) to do more stuff,'' Cora said. "We have to avoid that one. The closer he is to me, the better.''
- Cora believes that Joe Kelly will get more swings and misses and strikeouts with his fastball this season by mixing his pitches more. "There wasn't a mix in the first half of the season,'' said Cora. "There was a lot of fastballs. In the second half, he started mixing it up (more) and I think the strikeout rate...spiked up. That's why he's working on it this spring. You're seeing more breaking balls, more changeups. The 100 mph is going to be there the whole time; it's just a matter of when he uses it. I think he'll be fine.''