Felix Doubront succeeded against the Marlins while Alfredo Aceves flopped against the Phillies.

Doubront bolstered his bid to make the Red Sox rotation, allowing one run and five hits over six innings Saturday to help a Boston Red Sox split squad beat the Miami Marlins 4-1 at Jupiter, Fla.

“That’s what I was looking for. More than five innings, get ahead in the count, get outs early, don’t go 3-and-2,” Manager Bobby Valentine said.

Doubront struck out two and walked one, throwing 53 of 78 pitches for strikes. He lowered his ERA in four appearances to 2.70.

“He kept his composure and pitched well. It was a positive outing,” Valentine said. “He’s progressed as well as anyone in camp. He came in shape, he stayed in shape.”

Trying to earn a bench spot with the Marlins, Austin Kearns homered in the second. He is hitting .360 and leads the team with three homers and seven RBI.

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“He has opened a lot of people’s eyes. I like what I see,” Marlins Manager Ozzie Guillen said. “We need a right-handed hitter off the bench. We need a right-handed hitter who can play the outfield. He has been playing pretty good this spring.”

Miami left-hander Wade LeBlanc gave up three runs and five hits in five innings. He allowed three runs, two earned, and four hits in the first, when leadoff man Jose Iglesias reached on a throwing error by shortstop Nick Green.

LeBlanc then settled down and retired his final 10 batters. His ERA rose from 0.61 to 1.37 in three starts and two relief appearances.

“LeBlanc threw the ball very good. We didn’t help him on the field,” Guillen said.

WHILE DOUBRONT was impressing, Aceves took a step back in his bid to make the rotation.

Aceves was pounded for nine runs and 10 hits in three innings as a Boston split squad lost to the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 at Fort Myers, Fla.

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“This was one of those days where nothing went good,” he said. “I’m moving on. Today I was a little up. I checked out the video after the outing and I was up.”

Aceves allowed solo home runs to Pete Orr, Freddy Galvis and Carlos Ruiz, and also had a walk, a wild pitch and a hit batter.

Aceves had allowed one run in his three previous spring- training outings spanning nine innings.

“One outing is not going to tell you the value of a pitcher,” he said.

Still, his ERA ballooned from 1.00 to 7.50.

“It just looked like he was out of sorts from the get-go,” said bench coach Tim Bogar, who was acting as the manager with Valentine at the game against the Marlins.

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“He couldn’t control any of his pitches. Then when he did, he left it right over the middle of the plate. They didn’t miss any of them. He just seemed out of whack. He didn’t seem like himself. Haven’t seen that since last August. So it’s one hiccup. He’s fine.”

Cole Hamels of Philadelphia allowed two runs and four hits in four innings, struck out three and walked two. He faced 19 batters and threw 53 of 86 pitches for strikes.

“I was just happy I was able to throw a lot of everything,” Hamels said

“I threw all four pitches and got work on them. I felt comfortable. I felt like I got a lot better work in.”

NOTES: Against the Phillies, Jacoby Ellsbury had a two-run triple for the Red Sox. Left-hander Rich Hill, rehabbing from elbow ligament replacement surgery in June, pitched a simulated inning. He threw 20 pitches, allowing one hit and one walk with two strikeouts. Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup, two days after sustaining a bruised right forearm when hit by a pitch. Placido Polanco is expected to play today for the Phillies. He’s been sidelined since March 17 by a sprained finger.

Against the Marlins, Pedro Ciriaco and Ryan Lavarnway each went 2 for 3 for Boston. Red Sox pitchers retired their last 14 batters. Anibal Sanchez, Miami’s No. 5 starter and a former member of the Portland Sea Dogs, allowed one run and two hits in four innings in a minor league game. He struck out six and walked one, throwing 31 of 53 pitches for strikes.


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