Ken Bell
kbell@abc6.com
Lester, Locke each pitch 4, Pirates beat Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Jon Lester and Jeff Locke each pitched four
solid innings. Steven Wright still has some fine-tuning ahead.
Lester,
projected to start for the Red Sox on opening day, gave up one run
Wednesday in Boston's 9-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Lester allowed two hits and three walks while striking out three.
"Good
four innings of work today," Boston manager John Farrell said. "I
thought he used his curveball a little more today than he had in the
previous two outings, part by design, part by some of the situations
that arose.
Might not have been as sharp as his last time out. But
still, 52 pitches in four innings, a good day of work."
Locke faced the Red Sox for the second straight start. He permitted one run on three hits and two walks with three strikeouts.
"Today
was kind of just like last week, but it went a lot better," the lefty
said. "I was able to throw more pitches in the strike zone and keep the
ball down a lot better. There were some pretty well-stroked balls, but
that's just a part of baseball.
"For me, personally, with it being
spring training and you're preparing yourself for the season, it was
definitely a step in the right direction today. I mixed up my pitches
and I was able to get quality work from the windup and the stretch," he
said.
Manager Clint Hurdle was satisfied.
"The fact that he
made pitches, he stayed away from the big inning, they scratched him for
the one run, no more damage than that, he went out there four times, it
was a good step forward for him," Hurdle said.
Red Sox
knuckleballer Steven Wright permitted five runs on five hits and three
walks in two innings. He was watched by former Boston knuckleballer Tim
Wakefield, who started out as an infielder in the Pirates' organization
before becoming a pitcher.
Wright realized during his outing he
was having a problem with his mechanics, something he was able to
discuss with Wakefield as soon as he came out.
"Working with Wake
has definitely helped," Wright said. "I was talking to him now about the
mechanical issues I was having. It's just trying to stay within and not
trying got throw it hard and just trying to throw it right. Whatever
the velocity is, it is what it is."
Andrew McCutchen drove in two runs for the Pirates.
NOTES:
OF Ryan Westmoreland, a former top prospect with the Red Sox whose
career was interrupted by twice undergoing brain surgery, announced his
retirement at age 22. Westmoreland was diagnosed with a cavernous
malformation of the brain during spring training in 2010. He was a
fifth-round draft pick in 2008.
In his only pro season, he hit .296 with
seven homers, 35 RBIs and 19 steals in 60 games in Class A in 2009. ...
Red Sox DH David Ortiz, making his way back from an Achilles strain
that limited him to 90 games last season, had a scheduled off-day from
running. There is no schedule yet for him to get into a game. ...
Boston
RHP Daniel Bard is scheduled to get into Thursday's game against the
Twins. He has not pitched in a game since Feb. 25, working on his
mechanics. ...
Boston CF Jacoby Ellsbury was out of camp with illness.
... Jensen Millar, brother of former Red Sox 1B Kevin Millar, handled
the public address duties for the game. He is a finalist for the PA job
at Fenway Park. ...
The Pirates used a lineup that was fairly
representative of what they will have opening day, with at least seven
starters. "We think it's time," Hurdle said. "Spring training is a
little more complicated than when I played. Now we have night games, day
games after night games, more split-squad games. But we're definitely
going to start getting our guys out there that we need to get more reps
from."
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