CLEARWATER, Fla. — Dustin Pedroia homered in his first at-bat - and that was all the evidence he needed.
“I feel good, ready to go,” Pedroia said after the Boston Red Sox’s 6-0 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies on Monday. “Today was a step forward, I hit the ball good.”
Red Sox starter Jon Lester looked ready for his opening day start, too. He struck out 10 in seven innings.
Pedroia’s home run off Joe Blanton was Pedroia’s second of the spring. With opening day just over a week away, the 2008 American League MVP said his bat is ready.
Blanton, 31, who missed the majority of the last season with an elbow injury, allowed 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings. After pitching five shutout innings in his first two starts of the spring, Blanton has given up eight runs in his last two games, a span of 10 innings.
When Philadelphia pitching coach Rich Dubee outlined his plans for the rotation for the regular season, he said that Roy Halladay would start opening day and Cliff Lee, Vance Worley and Cole Hamels would follow. He didn’t have an immediate plan for Blanton, who figures to be the rotation’s fifth starter.
“No idea - he hasn’t said anything to me,” said Blanton, who could start the season in the bullpen since the Phillies have two days off in the season’s first week. “I don’t know. I don’t pay any attention. I’m just going in, getting my work in.”
Lester held the Phillies to two hits and didn’t walk a batter.
Lester, 28, will pitch one more time before taking the ball for the Red Sox on April 5 at Detroit.
“Just pitch, that’s the biggest thing,” Lester said of what he had left to do to prepare. “Just pitch, get innings, get runners on base and work on stuff like that. That’s always been the biggest thing. Just pitch.”
Lee (Benton, Arkansas) will make his fifth spring start when the Phillies host the Pittsburgh Pirates today. Lee has 16 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings.
NATIONALS 7, ASTROS 4 John Lannan allowed 2 runs and 2 hits over 5 innings and the Washington Nationals defeated the Houston Astros in Viera, Fla. Roger Bernadina homered for the second consecutive day for the Nationals, this one a two-run shot in the fifth inning. He also singled in three at-bats.
METS 6, CARDINALS 3 David Wright singled and made a fine fielding play in his first spring training game, helping the New York Mets beat the St. Louis Cardinals in Jupiter, Fla. Johan Santana walked three of the first four Cardinals - two scored. Matt Holliday extended his hitting streak to 13 games with an RBI single.
TIGERS 3, MARLINS 3, 10 INNINGS Rick Porcello pitched seven strong innings and Mark Buehrle was solid for six innings as the Detroit Tigers and Miami Marlins played to a tie in Lakeland, Fla. Porcello allowed one earned run and five hits. Buehrle gave up 3 runs and 6 hits, walking none and striking out 5.
RAYS 10, TWINS 4 Scott Baker gave up a grand slam to Ben Zobrist and a two-run shot to Elliot Johnson in his return from an injury, and the Minnesota Twins lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in Fort Myers, Fla. Baker allowed 7 runs and 7 hits in 2 2/3 innings.
GIANTS 4, ROYALS 2 Pablo Sandoval hit a two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the Kansas City Royals in Scottsdale, Ariz. Ryan Vogelsong, who went 13-7 last year and was a National League All-Star, made his first start after twisting his back at the start of the spring. He gave up 1 run on 2 hits and struck out 2 in 2 2/3 innings.
BREWERS 6, INDIANS 5 Ryan Braun drove in two runs and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the Cleveland Indians in Goodyear, Ariz. Norichika Aoki broke a 5-5 tie in the ninth with an RBI triple for the Brewers. Braun went 1 for 4, but he’s hitting only .120 with four RBI in spring training.
CUBS (SS) 2, PADRES 0 Paul Maholm pitched five innings, Bryan LaHair and Reed Johnson drove in Chicago’s runs and a Cubs split squad beat the San Diego Padres in Mesa, Ariz. Maholm allowed 4 hits, walked 2 and struck out 6. He has allowed only one earned run in 10 innings. Padres starter Tim Stauffer yielded two runs in five innings.
ROCKIES 6, ANGELS 2 Drew Pomeranz made a solid case for a spot in Colorado’s rotation while Garrett Richards might have wasted a chance to impress the Angels as the Rockies beat Los Angeles in Tempe, Ariz. Pomeranz allowed 4 hits and 1 run over 4 innings in his fourth spring training start. Richards came in with a 2.00 ERA in three starts but he gave up 6 runs - 4 earned1 - and 7 hits in 5 /3 innings. He struck out five and walked three.
DODGERS 4, WHITE SOX 3 Dodgers lead off man Dee Gordon stole two bases and Los Angeles beat the Chicago White Sox in Glendale, Ariz. Gordon has 10 steals in spring training. Jerry Sands hit an RBI single in the ninth to win it. White Sox starter John Danks allowed 2 earned runs and 5 hits in 7 innings. Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley gave up 11 hits and 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings.
D’BACKS 3, CUBS (SS) 2 Ian Kennedy pitched seven strong innings, leading the Arizona Diamondbacks past a Chicago Cubs split squad in Scottsdale, Ariz. Arizona’s opening-day starter gave up 1 run, 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 2. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt hit a home run and right fielder Justin Upton had two doubles, an RBI and scored a run for Arizona. Cubs starter Jay Jackson went 4 innings and allowed 3 runs and 7 hits.
Spring training glance
MONDAY’S GAMES Tampa Bay 10, Minnesota 4 NY Mets 6, St. Louis 3 Washington 7, Houston 4 Boston 6, Philadelphia 0 Detroit 3, Miami 3, tie, 10 innings Milwaukee 6, Cleveland 5 Colorado 6, LA Angels 2 San Francisco 4, Kansas City 2 Chicago Cubs (ss) 2, San Diego 0 LA Dodgers 4, Chicago White Sox 3 Arizona 3, Chicago Cubs (ss) 2 Baltimore 4, Pittsburgh 1 Texas 12, Cincinnati 2
Sports, Pages 20 on 03/27/2012