Spring Training report: Red Sox rally to clip Rays 8-7
Clay Buchholz was shaky in his final Grapefruit League start for the Boston Red Sox, who rallied for an 8-7 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday.
Buchholz allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. His spring ERA jumped from 0.46 to 2.52.
Matt Joyce and Gabe Gross each hit a two-run homer off Buchholz in the fourth inning. Jon Weber connected for a two-run shot off Red Sox reliever Justin Masterson in the sixth.
Andy Sonnanstine worked seven innings for the Rays, yielding five runs and six hits.
Jason Varitek hit a three-run home run off Sonnanstine in the seventh.
Twins 12, Pirates 8: Minnesota went from having more than enough outfielders to not enough.
The Twins defeated the Pittsburgh with most of their regulars off because of personal reasons or minor injuries.
Outfielders Delmon Young and Michael Cuddyer were out with minor medical issues. Center fielder Carlos Gomez took his pregnant wife to a doctor’s appointment.
“We have a few issues here and there,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said, adding that Young was expected back Thursday and Cuddyer and Gomez Wednesday. “We’re not going to push all of these guys. You give them a few days now, it’s better later.”
That left a starting outfield of Denard Span in center, Jason Kubel in left and minor league prospect Chris Parmelee in right. They picked up the slack from the regulars.
Kubel hit a two-run homer off Pirates starter Jeff Karstens in the third. Span went 1-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored and Parmelee, a first-round pick in the 2006 draft, went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a walk.
Karstens, fighting for the No. 5 spot in Pittsburgh’s rotations, struck out two, walked two and gave up five runs, all earned, off 10 hits in five and two-thirds innings of work.
Third baseman Joe Crede has swollen right knuckles after getting hit by a pitch Monday. Brian Buscher started at third and went 3-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored.
First baseman Justin Morneau was scratched from the lineup because of a sore back. Brock Peterson, already optioned to Triple-A Rochester, filled in and went 0-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Released: Gary Sheffield’s next home run will be his 500th in the major leagues.
The question is: What uniform will he be wearing when he hits it?
The Detroit Tigers released the nine-time All-Star Tuesday, leaving him without a team as he closes in on becoming the 25th player to reach the milestone. The World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies, however, quickly called the slugger to see if there was a fit.
Sheffield, 40, hit .178 in 18 spring training games this year.
Yankees 6, Reds 3: Joba Chamberlain pitched into the sixth inning, a step forward in his development as a starter, and New York took advantage of four Cincinnati errors to beat the Reds.
The Yankees wanted Chamberlain to pitch six innings for the first time this spring, and he came close. The right-hander allowed five hits and two runs in 5 1/3 innings, leaving after the Reds scored twice.
The Yankees’ fifth starter hadn’t lasted longer than 4 1/3 innings in any of his five previous games this spring, going a total of 14 2/3 innings.
Melky Cabrera drove in three runs with a double and a sacrifice fly, leading a lineup that got plenty of help from Cincinnati’s defense.