Sizemore shines as Red Sox top Cards 10-5

Mar 17, 2014; Fort Myers, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox center fielder Grady (38) makes a running catch of a fly ball from St. Louis Cardinals shortstop

(not pictured) during the first inning at JetBlue Park. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Red Sox donned their green St. Patrick’s Day jerseys to host the St. Louis Cardinals in JetBlue Park.

Grady Sizemore had quite a game on both sizes of the ball. He racked up three hits and three runs. Defensively he was the star of the day. He started the game by making a catch while slamming into the wall in the first inning. In the seventh he laid out to make a flying catch. It’s early yet, but it seems that this addition will be a valuable one for the Sox down the stretch.

John Lackey took the mound to start the game today. After nearly perfect first and second innings, Lackey got into some trouble in the third when he gave up two singles and a double resulting in two runs. Lackey gave up a single and a double that combined with a rare Shane Victorino error to produce another pair of St. Louis runs in the fourth. Lackey would have a clean fifth inning and finish the game with six hits, five runs, and three strike outs.

The Sox offense kept them in the game and eventually blew it open. Dustin Pedroia tied the game with a 2-run homer in the third inning, his first of the spring. He also hit a single in the fifth that scored two runs. Mike Napoli also hit his first home run in 2014, this one for three runs. Xander Bogaerts also contributed a run-scoring double in the fifth. Brandon Snyder‘s single scored a run in the sixth. Not to miss out on the first HR of the season party, Ryan Lavarnway also went yard.

Tomorrow the Sox hit the road to visit their eternal rivals, the Yankees, at George M. Steinbrenner Field.