Well, now there's nothing left to do but get home safely. Francona and the Sox can turn their attention to the Yanks, who will be at Fenway tomorrow night (in case you hadn't heard).
Tim Wakefield goes four scoreless and Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew homer as the Sox finish spring training with a 17-14-1 mark.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 6-1: Three outs are all that remain before we can put exhibition season to bed and finally turn our attention to the Yankees. Joe Nelson, who will provide depth in the system while pitching at Triple-A Pawtucket, is lined up to throw the final frame.
End 8th, Red Sox 6-1: Daisuke Matsuzaka walks his third man in four innings, but it came after a two-out error which prevented a 1-2-3 frame.
Joe Nelson, who lost out on the final roster spot, was seen warming in the bullpen. He'll throw the ninth.
Another solid step forward for Matsuzaka.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 6-1: After doubling twice in a Grapefruit League game the other day, Mike Lowell said that he felt as if he had found his stroke. He has a single and a walk in two plate appearances in this one.
His pinch runner is left stranded after Jason Varitek and Bill Hall strike out.
End 7th, Red Sox 6-1: A smoother frame for Daisuke Matsuzaka in the seventh, with help from the third double play turned by the Red Sox.
All starters have been out of the game for an inning or so for Boston, with visions of CC Sabathia dancing in their heads.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 6-1: In his first at-bat in a week, aside from a few at the Red Sox minor league complex Friday, Jeremy Hermida doubles down the right-field line.
The Sox' fourth outfielder is hitting .462 (18-for-39) this spring.
Get up and stretch!
End 6th, Red Sox 6-1: You can tell that Daisuke Matsuzaka is not quite there yet, but he gives the fans at Nationals Park a little show by undoing his belt and readjusting the pants and jersey after things had come undone. The crowd loved it, but he stopped short of duplicating Steve Lyons.
Seconds later, Josh Reddick made a sensational diving catch in right to rob Ryan Zimmerman of extra bases, resulting in a sacrifice fly. Ian Desmond led off by walking on four pitches and moved to third on a single.
Matsuzaka also hit a batter in the inning. If not for Reddick's catch, the inning could've been much worse.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 6-0: Tug Hulett will probably get a stint or two at Fenway this year, and with a name like Tug and a bat like the one he has flashed this spring, Sox fans will love him.
With one out, Hulett rips his sixth double of the spring to start a three-run rally. He figures to end the spring slate with the team lead in RBI, currently at 16.
Jason Varitek, hitting for David Ortiz, drives in Hulett with a single and Bill Hall knocks in Mike Lowell (walk) and Varitek with a triple into the corner in right.
End 5th, Red Sox 3-0: The double play has been helping out the pitchers in this one and it helps Daisuke Matsuzaka work around a leadoff walk.
Mike Lowell gets an easy chance on a tapper to first to end it.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 3-0: Marco Scutaro grounds into a 6-4-3 double play to end the fifth. J.D. Drew had walked to get on to open the inning.
Drew's OBP entering this one was .229. He has a homer and a walk. It's all about the timing in getting hot.
Tim Wakefield's day is done and we get to see Daisuke Matsuzaka for a few innings.
End 4th, Red Sox 3-0: The Nationals get their first two hits with one out but cannot advance the runners. Bill Hall's leaping catch of a line drive robs Josh Willingham of a two-out hit.
Oh yeah, Hall is in the game for Adrian Beltre. Mike Lowell has replaced Kevin Youkilis at first.
We may see Tim Wakefield for as many as two more innings before Daisuke Matsuzaka comes on, but Terry Francona said the other day he reserves the right to alter things.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 3-0: Just a few mistakes by Craig Stammen, but otherwise he has looked pretty strong against the Sox.
He has retired eight straight since J.D. Drew's homer in the second.
End 3rd, Red Sox 3-0: We figured to see some very early replacements in this one, and they have begun to trickle in. Tug Hulett has taken the place of Dustin Pedroia at second base.
Pedroia was 1-for-2 with a run scored. He finishes his spring training slate batting .350 (21-for-60).
We also thought we would get some quick swings as both of these teams are likely itching to get the regular season underway. We're getting that as well. The first three innings lasted roughly 40 minutes.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 3-0: We get to see Nationals shortstop Ian Desmond show his defensive skills to end the Sox' half of the third.
Desmond will bat third in the bottom half of the inning. He was named as the starting shortstop earlier this week, the culmination of a progressive climb through the system.
End 2nd, Red Sox 3-0: An infield single by Adam Dunn against the Red Sox' shift is quickly erased when shortstop Marco Scutaro begins a 6-4-3 double play.
Tim Wakefield follows with a strikeout of Adam Kennedy and we have flown through the first two frames.
Let's hope the Sox carry this kind of efficiency a little bit further up the coast.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 3-0: J.D. Drew has had one of the coldest springs among Red Sox bats, but he just launched one into the upper deck in right. It is Drew's first spring training home run in 45 at-bats.
The previous pitch had been hammered deep but foul, so it's safe to say Drew was keyed in on Craig Stammen.
Two home runs in as many innings for the Sox. Again, save a few for Sunday.
End 1st, Red Sox 2-0: The knuckler is diving early for Tim Wakefield. He induces three straight groundouts to work a 1-2-3 first.
Mid 1st, Red Sox 2-0: It's still technically spring training but it just feels a bit more like the real thing in a major league park. Count Kevin Youkilis as one who likes the vibe.
With Dustin Pedroia on third base (he had doubled and advanced to third) Youkilis slugs a two-run homer to left off Craig Stammen.
It is the second homer of the spring for Youkilis. Save a few for Sunday, Youk.
3:15 p.m.: Less than an hour to go before the first pitch of the last game of spring training. Here are your lineups for Saturday's tilt in Washington.
Red Sox
Jacoby Ellsbury, LF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
Victor Martinez, C
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
David Ortiz, DH
Adrian Beltre, 3B
J.D. Drew, RF
Mike Cameron, CF
Marco Scutaro, SS
Nationals
Nyjer Morgan, CF
Cristian Guzman, DH
Ryan Zimmerman, 3B
Adam Dunn, 1B
Josh Willingham, LF
Adam Kennedy, 2B
Ivan Rodriguez, C
Willie Harris, RF
Ian Desmond, SS
The Sox lineup will likely be the one we will see going forward. For much of spring Terry Francona had put Drew behind Ortiz, but in the end appears intent on breaking up the lefties. He had this to say about Beltre the other day when asked about a possible change:
"I just think that if he swings the bat like he can it's pretty good protection [for Ortiz],"
Earlier in the day Boston optioned outfielder Josh Reddick to Triple-A Pawtucket. The move comes as no surprise. Francona had said that Reddick was not going to make the team. But the 23-year-old's spring had to have made an impression. Reddick hit .404 (23-for-57) and led the team with 40 total bases.
8 a.m.: Tim Wakefield and Daisuke Matsuzaka will both make appearances as the Red Sox close out their exhibition slate with a visit to Washington to take on the Nationals.
It is the second straight meeting between the teams. Boston earned a 7-2 victory in the finale at City of Palms Park on Friday.
First pitch is set for 4:05 p.m.
Wakefield will go north as the club's No. 4 starter. Matsuzaka, after getting a scheduled three innings of work, will make three minor league starts.
Craig Stammen starts for Washington, which opens the regular season Monday afternoon against the Philadelphia Phillies.
