After being scratched from his last start, Beckett went out and labored through 69 pitches against the Pirates at McKenchie Field in Bradenton, FL this afternoon. Not having the same side-sessions this week, Beckett knew today’s outing would be a challenge and he was right. Beckett’s final line was 3.1 innings, 6 hits, 4 ERs, 2 BBs and 1 K in the 9-7 loss. It was an afternoon he would like to forget.
The Red Sox losing streak grows to 5, despite scoring 7 runs. David Ortiz continued to swing the bat well, hitting a 2-run bomb in the first inning and adding another hit later in the game, finishing 2 for 3 on the afternoon. As Ortiz continues to get hot, Red Sox fans everywhere are breathing a sigh of relief for the man they know as Big Papi. Not only is Ortiz showing his power, but he is also making contact more than he did in the beginning of 2009, which is a great sign.
Josh Reddick continued his Spring dominance and added another 2 hits to his impressive results. Reddick now has 14 hits this Spring in 35 AB’s, 4 more than Jeremy Hermida, who homered in today’s game. The next few days will be tough for the Sox, playing 2 split-squad games on Sunday and 2 more on Monday. The Red Sox are playing tomorrow, Saturday, against the Baltimore Orioles at City of Palms Park at 1:05pm. The game will be broadcast on NESN.