FORT MYERS, Fla. — There were spring training developments for the Boston Red Sox in two different regions of Florida on Wednesday.
The Red Sox dropped a Grapefruit League game to the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, and several veterans worked out back at Boston’s spring training complex in Fort Myers.
Below are some notes from Wednesday’s action, both in Jupiter and Fort Myers.
-Jon Lester faced Red Sox minor leaguers in a simulated game at Fenway South. The lefty threw 38 pitches over 2 2/3 innings and said after the outing that everything felt good physically.
Lester certainly sounded ready for live game action.
-Jake Peavy threw a bullpen session in Fort Myers. It was his first such session since Saturday’s fishing knife accident, and the right-hander wore his usual glove on his left hand, although he did not catch return throws from the catcher.
Peavy said figuring out a way to catch the ball is the biggest hurdle he faces.
-Daniel Nava and Xander Bogaerts homered in the Red Sox’s 8-6 loss to the Cardinals. Nava’s home run led off the game, marking the second time this spring the outfielder has blasted a leadoff dinger.
“(Nava) obviously has the ability to hit the ball out of the ballpark, and if we start off the game with that, certainly we’ll take it,” Farrell told reporters in Jupiter. “But his at-bats haven’t changed despite the spot in the lineup that he’s been occupying.”
-Christian Vazquez led the way with two hits for Boston. The catcher also showed off his incredible arm while gunning down Xavier Scruggs at second base during a failed hit-and-run attempt in the fourth inning.
-Bryce Brentz, who has a couple of home runs this spring, showed his game includes more than just offensive power. Brentz delivered a perfect strike to third baseman Will Middlebrooks in the fifth inning to throw out Jon Jay, who was attempting to tag up from second base on a fly ball to right field.
-The Red Sox’s infield defense was uninspiring. Middlebrooks had a shaky day at third base, botching what should have been a couple of routine ground balls.
-Chris Capuano gave up two earned runs on three hits over three innings in his spring debut. The lefty threw 37 pitches, and both runs came on Scruggs’ two-run blast in the second inning.
“I threw all four of my pitches,” Capuano told reporters. “For the most part, it felt like I had pretty good location.”
-Anthony Ranaudo got roughed up in his second spring training appearance. The right-handed prospect gave up five runs (three earned) on six hits and two walks in 1 1/3 innings.
“It was just not a good day,” Ranaudo said. “I wasn’t hitting any spots. I need to do a better job of making in-game adjustments. Luckily, it’s still the first week of March, and I have a lot of time to figure it out.”
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