RED SOX 5, PIRATES 3
at Fort Myers, Fla.
Tuesday, March 4

Red Sox at the plate: J.D. Drew had an RBI single in the second inning and walked and scored in the fourth. Sean Casey recorded his first two hits of the spring, including a double into the left-field corner in the fourth. Mike Lowell nearly connected for his second homer of the spring, but with Jason Varitek and David Ortiz aboard in the third, his long drive down the left-field line drifted just foul. Shortstop Argenis Diaz had three hits and knocked in two runs.

Pirates at the plate: Brian Bixler's first hit of the spring was an RBI triple that glanced off the glove of Jacoby Ellsbury in right-center and scored Doug Mientkiewicz, who walked with two outs in the second. Freddy Sanchez doubled sharply down the left-field line against Red Sox starter Daisuke Matsuzaka in the first. Steve Pearce hit his second home run of the spring, a solo shot in the eighth.

Red Sox on the mound: In his second spring start, Matsuzaka was taxed more than his 12-pitch, two-inning stint last Friday. He threw 47 pitches over his three innings, allowing two hits and one run while walking two and striking out two. Jonathan Papelbon had a perfect inning of relief in the fourth, when he got a ground out, a pop out to short and a fly to center.

Pirates on the mound: Starter Phil Dumatrait scattered four hits over three innings, allowing one run and one walk while striking out two. The lefty labored in the second inning, throwing 27 pitches while yielding his only run on an RBI single by Drew. Right-hander Bryan Bullington threw two innings of relief, allowing two hits, including an RBI single to Diaz in the fourth. Bucs pitchers were assisted by two spectacular plays by their outfielders. Nyjer Morgan made a running grab of a Manny Ramirez fly ball in the fifth, while left fielder Kevin Thompson robbed Lowell leading off the sixth.

Grapefruit League records: Red Sox 3-2, Pirates 1-5.

Up next: Jon Lester will make his second start Wednesday, as the Cincinnati Reds visit City of Palms Park for a 1:05 p.m. ET contest. Javier Lopez and Manny Delcarmen are also expected to see action. The Reds will counter with right-hander Homer Bailey, their top pitching prospect and a leading candidate for the No. 3 spot in their rotation. Edinson Volquez and Ramon Ramirez are due to follow for Cincinnati.

The Pirates return to Bradenton, Fla., on Wednesday to host the Tigers in a 1:05 p.m. tilt at McKechnie Field. Ian Snell will start for Pittsburgh against Detroit's Yorman Bazardo. The Pirates are also expected to pitch Sean Burnett, Marino Salas, Hector Carrasco, Josh Sharpless, Masumi Kuwata and Matt Capps.