Final, Red Sox 10-5: Junichi Tazawa pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning, and the Red Sox celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with a 10-5 victory over the Cardinals at JetBlue Park.
Grady Sizemore had a big day for Boston, collecting three hits and scoring three runs. Sizemore continues to look solid this spring, and there’s a chance he could be the Red Sox’s Opening Day center fielder if he continues on his current path.
Dustin Pedroia, Mike Napoli and Ryan Lavarnway homered for the Red Sox. Pedroia and Napoli each finished with three RBIs.
John Lackey went five innings in his second spring training start. The right-hander gave up five runs on six hits while striking out three and walking two. He threw 60 pitches (39 strikes).
End 8th, Red Sox 10-5: Ryan Lavarnway extended Boston’s lead with a solo homer in the eighth inning.
Mid 8th, Red Sox 9-5: Koji Uehara was his usual effective self in the eighth inning.
Matt Adams, Xavier Scruggs and Shane Robinson went down in order against Uehara. Adams struck out swinging, Scruggs popped out to second base, and Robinson grounded out to shortstop.
End 7th, Red Sox 9-5: Trevor Rosenthal kept the Red Sox off the scoreboard for the first time since the second inning.
Mike Carp walked with one out, but Rosenthal quickly erased any potential threat by inducing a perfect double-play ball.
Koji Uehara will pitch the eighth inning for Boston.
Mid 7th, Red Sox 9-5: Rubby De La Rosa worked around a one-out double to toss a scoreless seventh inning.
Kolten Wong was responsible for the double, but De La Rosa rebounded to retire Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso.
Descalso struck out looking to end the inning.
End 6th, Red Sox 9-5: Grady Sizemore has turned into the big story here.
Sizemore doubled off the left field wall in the sixth inning, giving him three hits on the afternoon.
Sizemore scored from second base when Brandon Snyder singled into right field. The veteran outfielder has scored three runs.
Mid 6th, Red Sox 8-5: Edward Mujica and Rubby De La Rosa combined to work a scoreless sixth inning.
Mujica recorded the first two outs before giving way to De La Rosa.
End 5th, Red Sox 8-5: The Red Sox jumped in front with a five-run fifth inning.
Tyler Lyons struggled mightily in the fifth. The Red Sox banged out five hits en route to seizing control of this game.
Grady Sizemore kickstarted Boston’s rally with a single into right field. He scored two hitters later when Dustin Pedroia singled. Pedroia took second base on the throw, and Shane Victorino, who followed Sizemore’s base hit with a walk, motored into third.
Victorino was cut down at the plate on a chopper to first base, but Mike Napoli ensured it would be a big inning for Boston when he crushed a three-run homer over everything in left field. The first baseman now has three homers this spring.
The Red Sox didn’t take their foot off the gas, either. Daniel Nava singled into center field and scored when Xander Bogaerts belted a double off the left field wall.
Mid 5th, Cardinals 5-3: John Lackey rebounded from a shaky fourth inning to enjoy a 1-2-3 fifth inning.
Daniel Descalso and Matt Adams grounded out to first base and shortstop, respectively. Xavier Scruggs flied out to right field.
End 4th, Cardinals 5-3: The Red Sox chipped away in the bottom of the fourth inning.
Cardinals starter Shelby Miller ran into some trouble after inducing back-to-back ground-ball outs to begin the inning. Xander Bogaerts walked, and A.J. Pierzynski sent Bogaerts from first to third with a single into center field.
Pierzynski’s singled marked the end of Miller’s afternoon. Miller gave way to Tyler Lyons, whose balk with Brock Holt batting allowed Bogaerts to score from third base.
Mid 4th, Cardinals 5-2: The Cardinals struck for three runs against John Lackey in the fourth inning.
Xavier Scruggs walked, and Shane Robinson singled into right field. Robinson’s knock kicked off Shane Victorino’s glove, allowing both runners to advance an extra base.
Pete Kozma gave the Cardinals a 4-2 lead with a two-run double off the wall in left-center field. Kolten Wong drove in Kozma with an RBI single past a diving Dustin Pedroia and into right field.
End 3rd, 2-2: Dustin Pedroia tied things up with one swing of the bat.
Pedroia launched a two-run homer over the JetBlue Park Green Monster in the third inning. It was the second baseman’s first long ball of the spring.
Grady Sizemore set the table for Pedroia’s two-run blast by singling into right field. Sizemore continues to impress both offensively and defensively this spring.
Mid 3rd, Cardinals 2-0: Daniel Descalso planted a two-run double off the JetBlue Monster to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead.
Tony Cruz led off with a line-drive single into center field. He took second base when Kolten Wong hit a rocket that Dustin Pedroia couldn’t pick at second base despite a valiant effort, and then took third base when Jon Jay grounded into a 4-6 forceout.
Descalso’s double plunked off the wall in left-center field. Grady Sizemore ran out of real estate while giving chase, and the ball ricocheted past him after hitting the wall.
End 2nd, 0-0: The Red Sox couldn’t squeak across a run despite putting a couple of runners on base in the second inning.
David Ortiz earned a leadoff walk, and Mike Napoli followed with a sharp comebacker that nearly knocked Shelby Miller’s cranium off his shoulders. Miller was able to bat the ball down, though, and Ortiz was retired at second base on a forceout.
Daniel Nava then walked with one out, putting runners at first and second for Boston. Xander Bogaerts popped out to first base, and A.J. Pierzynski capped a lengthy at-bat with a chopper to second base.
Mid 2nd, 0-0: John Lackey worked around a leadoff walk in the second inning.
Matt Adams worked a free pass, but Lackey rebounded to handle Xavier Scruggs, Shane Robinson and Peter Bourjos.
Scruggs hit a line drive to right field that Shane Victorino took a strange route to before diving to make the grab.
Lackey ended the inning with back-to-back strikeouts. Robinson went down swinging, and Bourjos went down looking.
End 1st, 0-0: Shelby Miller breezed through the first inning.
Grady Sizemore, who crashed into the center field wall while making a catch in the top half of the inning, led off with a sinking line drive into left field. Jon Jay made a sliding grab.
Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia followed with back-to-back groundouts to shortstop Pete Kozma.
Mid 1st, 0-0: Grady Sizemore said earlier this spring he doesn’t plan to change his aggressive style during his comeback attempt. The veteran outfielder was a man of his word in the first inning.
Sizemore crashed into the center field wall while making a catch to end the inning. Daniel Descalso was the man responsible for sending Sizemore back onto the warning track.
John Lackey retired Kolten Wong and Jon Jay before Sizemore’s inning-ending grab. Wong popped out to Xander Bogaerts on the left side, and Jay shattered his bat while flying out to left field.
1:06 p.m.: John Lackey’s first pitch is a strike. Let’s get after it.
12:55 p.m.: Not only are the Red Sox donning green tops and caps for Monday’s contest, but the bases at JetBlue Park also have some Irish flavor. They, too, are green.
12:40 p.m.: We’ve got overcast conditions in Fort Myers. The forecast calls for rain, so let’s hope Mother Nature changes her mind.
11:39 a.m.: The Red Sox made another round of roster cuts before Monday’s game.
The Red Sox announced Monday that catcher Christian Vazquez and pitcher Allen Webster have been optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. Shortstop Deven Marrero has been reassigned to minor league camp.
11:25 a.m.: Monday’s lineups are below.
Boston Red Sox
Grady Sizemore, CF
Shane Victorino, RF
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Mike Napoli, 1B
Daniel Nava, LF
Xander Bogaerts, SS
A.J. Pierzynski, C
Brock Holt, 3B
John Lackey, RHP
St. Louis Cardinals
Kolten Wong, 2B
Jon Jay, LF
Daniel Descalso, 3B
Matt Adams, DH
Xavier Scruggs, 1B
Shane Robinson, RF
Peter Bourjos, CF
Tony Cruz, C
Pete Kozma, SS
Shelby Miller, RHP
11:20 a.m. ET: The Boston Red Sox will rock green jerseys as they square off with the St. Louis Cardinals in a St. Patrick’s Day clash at JetBlue Park.
John Lackey will take the ball for the Red Sox in Monday’s matinee. The outing will mark his second spring training start, as the right-hander went 2 2/3 innings in his spring debut against the Miami Marlins on Tuesday.
Monday’s action is scheduled to kick off at 1:05 p.m. Be sure to grab a beverage and kick back with NESN.com’s live blog.
