Final, 9-3 Red Sox: That's all she wrote, and you can thank the Red Sox' bullpen for that victory.
It started with Dan Wheeler and stretched through Lenny DiNardo, Dennys Reyes, Matt Albers, Rich Hill, Michael Bowden and Clevelan Santeliz.
The seven pitchers combined for 7 2/3 innings, allowing zero runs on just four hits. They struck out six and walked just two.
Offensively, Dustin Pedroia had two doubles and two RBIs, and Marco Scutaro had a pair of RBI ground outs.
Middle 9th, 9-3 Red Sox: For just the second time this afternoon, the Red Sox went down in order.
Darnell McDonald grounded out, Tim Federowicz popped out (nice catch by first baseman Brian Dopirak), and Josh Reddick grounded out. Three outs separate us from the end of this one.
End 8th, 9-3 Red Sox: The Astros have essentially lied down. That, coupled with Michael Bowden throwing strikes, has led to seven straight Astros getting retired. Bowden's handled six of them.
We expect to see Clevelan Santeliz finish things off in the ninth.
Middle 8th, 9-3 Red Sox: Two runs, two hits and two errors gives the Sox a 9-3 lead.
The inning was highlighted by an Aaron Bates triple and lowlighted by a pair of sloppy errors by Houston.
The Astros are just a few outs from this game coming to its merciful end.
End 7th, 7-3 Red Sox: Michael Bowden keeps the good day going for the Sox, striking out two in the seventh. The Sox' bullpen is cruising.
Middle 7th, 7-3 Red Sox: Dustin Pedroia entered the game just .250 with one double, but he's doubled that total in three at-bats on Friday.
His two-RBI double in the first got the Sox out to an early lead, and his seventh-inning double off Mark Melancon set up the seventh Red Sox run.
Though it's a road game for the Sox, the crowd is largely supporting Boston, and Pedroia received a healthy applause on his way off the field after being substituted for a pinch runner.
Kalish drove in the runner, giving the Sox a 7-3 lead.
End 6th, 6-3 Red Sox: The Sox' bullpen has been impressive thus far, with Rich Hall authoring the latest scoreless inning.
The 6-foot-4 lefty allowed one hit in the sixth, and Wheeler, DiNardo, Reyes, Albers and Hill have allowed just three hits and one walk in 4 2/3 innings. That includes four strikeouts as well.
Middle 6th, 6-3 Red Sox: A game that was dragging early has become hard to keep up with. New catcher Luis Exposito flew out before Scutaro and Lowrie lined out.
End 5th, 6-3 Red Sox: Matt Albers works a perfect fifth, and the Astros haven't had a base runner since the third inning, as this one's beginning to progress a little faster.
Middle 5th, 6-3 Red Sox: A quiet inning from the Sox, as a Daniel Nava walk sits among a McDonald fly out, a Reddick pop out and a Middlebrooks ground out.
Nava won't complain about his day, as he's gone 2-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.
Matt Albers is in for the Sox.
End 4th, 6-3 Red Sox: Dennys Reyes put together a solid effort for the Sox, shutting the Astros down in order.
Middle 4th, 6-3 Red Sox: Mark Wagner won't have many days like this.
The minor league catcher tripled in his first at-bat, only to follow that up with another triple in the fourth. He's never had more than one triple in an entire season, and he has just three in his career. How 'bout that?
He scored on yet another RBI groundout by Scutaro (scoo-TERR-oh if you're from Houston), and the Sox' lead stretched to three.
End 3rd, 5-3 Red Sox: A scoreless third inning for the Astros perhaps indicates that the scoring pace of this one will slow down. Maybe.
Dan Wheeler finished his outing well, as he allowed just one hit in 1 1/3 innings.
Lenny DiNardo entered the game, allowing a single to Brian Dopirak before inducing a groundout to Quintero.
Middle 3rd, 5-3 Red Sox: So unfortunately, there won't be runs scored in every half-inning. The Sox wasted a free base, with Darnell McDonald getting caught stealing after reaching on an error. Daniel Nava singled, but Brett Myers finally got out of an inning without harm.
End 2nd, 5-3 Red Sox: Quite the pace to this one, as each team has five hits through two innings.
A couple of ground balls ended Weiland's day, allowing Dan Wheeler to enter the game. Wheeler surrendered an RBI single — the run was charged to Weiland — before retiring Bill Hall and Carlos Lee to end the inning.
Weiland's final line was ugly: 1 1/3 innings, four hits, three runs, one walk, one strikeout.
1:59 p.m.: Dan Wheeler is now in for the Sox. He seems to be remembered fondly by the Houston folks — though much of the crowd consists of Sox fans.
Bottom 2nd, 5-2 Red Sox: Kyle Weiland's day is over after a fielder's choice allowed the second Astros run to score.
Jed Lowrie fielded a high chopper off the bat of Michael Bourn, and rather than taking the sure out at the bag, he went home. Humberto Quintero showed some athleticism with a nice slide, though, and he beat the tag.
Middle 2nd, 5-1 Red Sox: An unlikely duo provided some pop at the bottom of the order, giving the Sox an even bigger cushion in the early going.
Will Middlebrooks smoked a double past the third base bag, and Mark Wagner followed that up with a deep fly ball to left. Jason Michael tracked down the ball but couldn't corral it, allowing Middlebrooks to score and Wagner to hustle into third.
Scutaro — this time called "COOS-ca-toh" by the Houston announcer — grounded out to short to drive the run in.
End 1st, 3-1 Red Sox: Ryan Kalish tracked down what looked to be a surefire double off the bat of Anderson Hernandez, but Carlos Lee's RBI double two batters later cut the Sox' lead to 3-1.
In other news, Anderson Hernandez is the rare man who possesses two last names.
Mid 1st, 3-0 Red Sox: Marco Scutaro led off with a single, Jed Lowrie followed up with a well-earned, full-count walk, and Dustin Pedroia lined one down the right-field line that hopped over the tarp to plate a both runners.
Brad Mills and Bill Hall thought the play should have been ruled a ground-rule double, bringing a rare spring training argument between manager and umpire Joe West. The ruling did not change, and two runs scored.
Dustin Pedroia wasn't complaining, though, as he was probably telling shortstop Tommy Manzella about the laser show he just witnessed.
Daniel Nava then drove in Pedroia with a sharp single to right, and the Red Sox lead 3-0.
1:05 p.m.: The Houston radio announcer kicks things off by pronouncing the shortstop's name as "scah-TERR-oh." Well then.
1:04 p.m.: Time for everyone's favorite two words: Play ball.
12:27 p.m.: Though not all the veterans made the trip, Terry Francona did. He'll likely engage in some old-fashioned ribbing with longtime buddy Brad Mills.
11:05 a.m.: Fun fact from the Red Sox — Kyle Weiland, Friday's starter for the Sox, has recorded at least one strikeout in all 66 of his professional appearances. Of those outings, 61 have been starts.
In three seasons in the low minors, he's struck out 8.4 batters per nine innings.
9:15 a.m.: The Red Sox will have double-barrel action on Friday, with half the club in Fort Myers to take on the Twins and the other half traveling north to take on the Astros.
Among those making the trek to Kissimmee is Dustin Pedroia, who's 3-for-18 thus far in the spring. Marco Scutaro and Jed Lowrie will also be up against Brad Mills' club.
Check out the lineup below.
1. Marco Scutaro, SS
2. Jed Lowrie, 1B
3. Dustin Pedroia, 2B
4. Ryan Kalish, CF
5. Darnell McDonald, LF
6. Daniel Nava, DH
7. Josh Reddick, RF
8. Will Middlebrooks, 3B
9. Mark Wagner, C
