FORT MYERS, Fla. — Rick Porcello pitched three strong inning and center fielder Mookie Betts had two hits and opened the game with a diving catch, but the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees 5-3 on Friday night.
The 6-foot-5 Porcello, making his second Grapefruit League start, took a shutout into the fourth before allowing singles to first baseman Garrett Jones and DH Brian McCann to start the inning – ending Porcello’s night.
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WHO: Pittsburgh Pirates at Boston Red Sox
WHEN: 1:05 p.m. Saturday
This early in spring, he says he is still fine-tuning.
“Everything,” Porcello said. “First pitch strikes. Keeping the ball on the ground. Changeup was a little better. Iron mechanics out and be consistent.”
Porcello threw 57 pitches, up from, an estimated 40 in his first outing, three shutout innings against the New York Mets.
“The consistency obviously isn’t where I want it right now,” Porcello said. “Made some good pitches and some other pitches I tried to force a little bit. Just got to keep working though that stuff.”
Betts raised his spring training batting average to .444. New York right fielder Ramon Flores led off the game with a sinking liner to left center but Betts raced over and dived to make catch.
Third baseman Jonathan Galvez hit a bases-clearing triple to give New York a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
Yankees DH Alex Rodriguez did not make the trip to Fort Myers. He will play his first road game on Saturday against Toronto when the Yankees visit Dunedin. It will be his first road game since returning to the Yankees following a one-year drug suspension. A-Rod, who turns 40 in July, has five hits, including a homer, in 13 at-bats (.385) this spring training.
Yankees pitching coach Larry Rothschild said Masahiro Tanaka will probably get an extra day and make his second exhibition start Wednesday against Atlanta. The Yankees plan on using the Japanese right-hander on both a regular and extra rest schedule during spring training. Tanaka, who missed 2 1/2 months while rehabilitating a partially torn ligament in his elbow, threw two perfect innings Thursday night against Atlanta.
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