Mar 11, 2014; Sarasota, FL, USA; Boston Red Sox third baseman Will Middlebrooks (16) rounds third base after hitting a home run in the sixth inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Ryan Lavarnway, Brock Holt and Will Middlebrooks all went deep in their half of split-squad action against the Orioles in Sarasota.
Red Sox starter Allen Webster started off well, holding down a red-hot Orioles line up, allowing only two singles and striking out three through three innings of work. Webster began to unravel in the fourth though, walking three in a row and only managing to get one out. Webster was eventually tagged for two runs on the day when Alex Wilson allowed two of his inherited runners to score.
Brock Holt opened scoring with his solo shot in the third and was backed up by and A.J. Pierzynski RBI single to hand the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. The Red Sox didn’t score again until Will Middlebrooks deposited Tommy Hunter‘s first offering of the sixth over the fence for a solo home run.
Boston did some serious damage against old friend Alfredo Aceves, who came in to pitch the seventh and eighth. Lavarnway hit his home run off of Aceves in the eighth, who also allowed an RBI double to Daniel Nava and an RBI triple to Jackie Bradley in the seventh to break the 3-3 tie.
Noe Ramirez finished the game in unspectacular fashion, allowing two runs on four hits in two innings of work. Tommy Layne and Brayan Villarreal also saw time in the game, combining to pitch the fifth through seventh innings.
A handful of top prospects also saw action, as Blake Swihart, Deven Marrero, Garin Cecchini and Keury De La Cruz all had varying degrees of playing time.