Postgame, Red Sox 5-0: The Red Sox improve to 2-1 on the young Grapefruit League season. Seven pitchers combined on a four-hitter, striking out four and walking four.
Jon Lester is credited with the win.
Among the offensive stars was Juan Carlos Linares, who was 2-for-2 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Jed Lowrie, Paul Hoover, Nate Spears and Josh Reddick had an RBI apiece.
We will have stories on the site soon on Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Alfredo Aceves and Brent Dlugach. Look for those in the next hour or so.
The only postgame news item was that Dennys Reyes threw a session to hitters earlier Tuesday and will do so again in a couple of days, rather than throw in Sarasota on Saturday, as was the original plan. After that next session he will be ready to appear in a game.
We are back at it Wednesday from City of Palms Park, where the Red Sox will host the Atlanta Braves at 1:05 p.m.
Final, Red Sox 5-0: Matt Fox gets the last three outs. Tito speaks in three minutes. Gotta run.
Mid 9th, Red Sox 5-0: Juan Carlos Linares doubled and scored on a two-run single by Nate Spears in the top of the ninth.
Three outs from a 2-1 Mayor’s Cup lead. Matt Fox is on for the Sox.
End 8th, Red Sox 3-0: For the second straight inning the minor leaguers in for the Red Sox end the frame with a nice double play.
This time it’s a line drive DP started by second baseman Oscar Tejeda.
No rain, which has only served to turn the press box into an oven. 80 degrees. 100 percent humidity and 25 people packed into a church pew-sized area with hot laptops that have been on for hours. No air circulation whatsoever. It’s a pretty funny scene.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 3-0: Paul Hoover ripped an RBI single — one of a handful of hard hits for the Sox in the eighth — to plate Juan Carlos Linares.
Linares was involved in a wild play earlier on. He was on first when a ball was hit to the right-center field gap. Linares took off for second, rounded it and went toward third but the ball was caught and he had to book back.
When he got near first the relay back in hit him in the face and rolled into the dubout for a two-base error. So Linares made it to third after all, but took a little bump in doing so.
Tony Pena Jr. is now pitching for Boston.
End 7th, Red Sox 2-0: The highlight of the bottom of the seventh is the Red Sox turning a very pretty double play.
With a man on first and nobody out, a Twins hitter knocked a slow chopper to shortstop Jose Iglesias, who waited, caught the ball and shoveled to Oscar Tejeda in one fluid motion.
Tejeda’s throw to first was in the dirt (the runner came in hard) but Lars Anderson made the scoop.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 2-0: My apologies for the lack of updates. We have gone up and down (it is four large flights) a couple of times and you lose track.
The score is the same and there haven’t been many runners on. Rich Hill is on for the Red Sox.
3:02 p.m.: We just heard from Jonathan Papelbon, who seemed pleased with his first outing. Didn’t have anything earth-shattering to say, but we’ll have a little more from him in a bit.
The word on Brent Dlugach is that he has a dislocated left shoulder. He will have scans today and tomorrow.
We are in the top of the seventh now, same score. Boston 2-0.
2:44 p.m.: The Red Sox clubhouse is now open so I’m stepping away for a bit. Back to update you when we’re done.
End 5th, Red Sox 2-0: Jonathan Papelbon’s clean first inning is overshadowed by the Brent Dlugach situation.
Dlugach could’ve hurt something on his left side or may have just hit his head when he landed. He was racing in to field a short pop down the line. It was a very nice catch.
The infielder has been written about a bit lately. He was the guy who Bobby Jenks beaned in a throwing session the other day. Then, he had two errors and two GIDPs yesterday before ripping a double in his last at-bat. Been a weird couple of days for Dlugach, whose name is butchered every time it is uttered.
Mid 5th, Red Sox 2-0: While we were away the Red Sox got a run (use your imagination as to how, as nobody in my vicinity knows how…Jed Lowrie homer?) and had a runner on first with one out when Ryan Kalish smoked one back to the mound.
Kyle Gibson, the new Twins pitcher, caught it on a line and threw to first for the double play.
Jonathan Papelbon is now on to pitch. This time I’m sure.
Several other changes for the Red Sox. Cameron, Youkilis, Scutaro are all done.
Bottom 4th, Red Sox 1-0: False alarm. Alfredo Aceves is back on the mound to start the bottom of the fourth.
Mid 4th, Red Sox 1-0: Jarrod Saltalamacchia worked out a lengthy walk against Joe Nathan in the fourth. That’s all the Red Sox muster.
Here comes Papelbon. Jon Lester will now speak with us. BRB!
End 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Denard Span dropped down a bunt with one out in the third that Kevin Youkilis fielded and threw to first for the out.
Tsuyoshi Nishioka tried the same thing on the very next pitch but it went foul.
Nichioka eventually grounded to shortstop for the final out.
Jonathan Papelbon is warming in the bullpen. Joe Nathan is now on for the Twins, his first appearance in nearly a year. He gets a nice hand when introduced.
Mid 3rd, Red Sox 1-0: Mike Cameron is now 3-for-5 with a stolen base after another sharp single with one out in the third.
Jon Lester’s day is officially done with the arrival of Alfredo Aceves. Lester gave up a hit and a walk in two scoreless, striking out one.
End 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: Jon Lester throws 16 more pitches in the second inning, working around a leadoff walk. He threw 27 pitches total and will now be replaced by Alfredo Aceves.
Get to know Aceves, Red Sox fans. There is a sense that Boston may have done well to get this guy on the cheap. He will factor in somewhere at some time.
Mid 2nd, Red Sox 1-0: They’re doing the Chicken Dance here at Hammond Stadium between innings, pleased as punch that Jose Mijares just got Marco Scutaro to ground to second and end the Red Sox threat.
1:31 p.m.: Terry Francona has to like the look of the Red Sox in the second. Lots of hustle, aggressiveness and a good job of situational hitting.
After Ryan Kalish reached to start the frame, he moved to second when Darnell McDonald was hit by a pitch. A fly to center off the bat of Jarrod Saltalamacchia moved Kalish up 90 feet and a drive to the track in center by Josh Reddick moved both runners up, Kalish scoring.
Scott Baker then walked Drew Sutton and has been replaced by Jose Mijares. Two on, one out.
End 1st, 0-0: Jon Lester threw 11 pitches in his first inning of the spring. He gave up a two-out hit to Danny Valencia.
One thing Lester said he wanted to avoid this year was two-out hits. He said in camp last month that he would often lose concentration with two outs and nobody on, for whatever reason. Doubt he wasn’t concentrating there, but the pattern holds.
Mid 1st, 0-0: When the Red Sox lost here Sunday night, the one highlight was Mike Cameron, who moved very well in center field, stole a base and legged out an infield hit.
Cameron continues his nice spring (I know, it’s early) with a solid two-out single to center in the first.
Kevin Youkilis followed with a hard shot to shortstop Alexi Casilla, who threw over for the final out.
12:36 p.m.: Terry Francona is currently showing his versatility.
While engaged in a seemingly important talk with traveling secretary Jack McCormick, who is explaining something on a sheet of paper, Francona is effortlessly catching, signing and throwing back baseballs to a crowd behind the dugout. Much of it is being done in a no-look fashion.
For the third straight time the Twins lineup does not feature their two best players, Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau. Mauer is coming back from knee surgery and is being brought along slowly in camp. There is no word as to when he will play in games.
Morneau has not been in a game since July 7, when he suffered a concussion sliding into a bag in Toronto. He is scheduled to see a specialist soon, at which point he could be cleared to increase his work. Morneau has been in camp and is taking part in all drills.
One guy who will be returning to the fold for Minnesota is closer Joe Nathan. He left a Grapefruit League game against the Red Sox last spring and never returned. Tommy John surgery was necessary. Today will be his first action since then, interestingly enough against the same opponent.
Francona was talking earlier about Nathan being one of the good guys in the sport. He is rather respected. It will be interesting to see how he looks this afternoon.
The humidity level is about 200 percent right now. If we don’t get a few showers it would surprise me.
12:00 p.m.: Checking in now from lovely Hammond Stadium. The news of the day, independent of baseball, is that rain may be on the way.
This really is newsworthy down here. There have been brush fires on the news every night. The sight of any clouds has been extremely rare. The area could use some wet stuff. Hopefully we can get the game in.
Updates on that everything else as we go along. For now, here is the Twins lineup:
Denard Span, CF
Tsuyoshi Nishioka, 2B
Danny Valencia, 3B
Jim Thome, DH
Joe Benson, RF
Chris Parmelee, 1B
Rene Tosoni, LF
Drew Butera, C
Alexi Casilla, SS
10:47 a.m.: Before we make the quick trip to Hammond Stadium, here are a few quick notes from this morning’s session with Terry Francona.
Adrian Gonzalez is likely taking a day off from swinging, but should be taking cuts at pitches through a machine this week. Francona said Gonzalez will do that for about a week and then move on to live pitching. That might last a week as well before we see the first baseman in a game down here.
Gonzalez has been ahead of scheduled throughout this process, so it would not be shocking to see him in a game in 12 days or so.
Alfredo Aceves will start Saturday in Sarasota against the Orioles, Francona announced. Daisuke Matsuzaka will stay behind and pitch against Florida at City of Palms Park. Matsuzaka will probably get three innings, as will Tim Wakefield behind him.
Dennys Reyes may also pitch in Sarasota, although there was some fuzziness on that. We should know for sure soon enough.
OK, off to Hammond now. Stopping at the Dunk, anyone want anything?
10:34 a.m.: For those of you interested in the Josh Beckett update, click here.
For those of you interested in the Red Sox lineup against the Twins this afternoon, just look down:
Marco Scutaro, SS
Jed Lowrie, 2B
Mike Cameron, DH
Kevin Youkilis, 3B
Ryan Kalish, CF
Darnell McDonald, LF
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Josh Reddick, RF
Drew Sutton, 1B
Boston is taking batting practice right now (no Beckett in the outfield, of course) and will board a bus for the short trip to Hammond Stadium a little later.
8 a.m.: For the third time in as many days, the Red Sox and Twins will tangle in Grapefruit League action, this time back at Minnesota’s spring training home, Hammond Stadium.
The Twins took the opener at home Sunday night before Boston rallied for a 7-6 victory at City of Palms Park on Monday afternoon. David Ortiz hit a three-run homer, and Josh Reddick had a go-ahead two-run shot in the seventh that served to tie the Mayor’s Cup at a game apiece.
Jon Lester will make his first start of the spring on Tuesday. Also scheduled to appear for the Red Sox are Alfredo Aceves, Jonathan Papelbon, Randy Williams and Rich Hill. Scott Baker starts for Minnesota.
We should also have an update on the condition of Josh Beckett. He was struck in the head by a ball during pre-game workouts Monday and sent home with mild concussion symptoms.
First pitch of Tuesday’s affair is 1:05 p.m.
