VENICE, Fla. — Twice in the same game on Thursday, the Red Sox were thrown out trying to steal third base.
But stealing bases aggressively is what interim manager Ron Roenicke wants to see from an offense that no longer has Mookie Betts at the top of the order.
“We’re going to try to do more of it,” Roenicke said Friday. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that (mentality) goes into the season, but it may. However good we can become allows me during the season to feel more confident in what a guy can do.
“I’ve told these guys to try to push it when they can. It’s still pretty early. I’m hoping we can get more aggressive. But that’s how you learn. If you just go station to station, you’ll never figure out if you can go to the extra base.”
The Red Sox lost their best base-stealer in Betts and will go into the season with Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers setting the table at the top of the lineup.
Combined, the two were 18 for 29 (62 percent) stealing bases last year. As a team, the Red Sox were 68 for 98 (69 percent).
During his four full seasons managing the Brewers, Roenicke ran his teams aggressively, leading the league in stolen bases in 2012 while going 496 for 659 (75 percent) in total from 2011 through ’14.
The modern game prioritizes the long ball and being more careful with wasting outs on the bases, something Roenicke is aware of.
“So many runs are scored with the home run now,” he said. “So you don’t play the same way. You don’t run crazy. Because a while back, it was base hits that scored most of the runs. There were still home runs … but base hits drove in the run from second and you counted on those things. Now you don’t want to run into too many outs because then you lose some runs.”
In the Sox’ 5-0 loss to the Astros on Thursday, Michael Chavis doubled in the second inning, then got thrown out trying to steal third with one out. Jackie Bradley Jr. singled in the sixth, stole second and then got thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning on a strike-him-out, throw-him-out double play.
KEVIN PLAWECKI was 1 for 1 with two walks in the Sox’ 7-5 loss to the Braves on Friday. He’s 7 for 12 with five walks and two strikeouts this spring. He’s competing for the backup catcher’s job with Jonathan Lucroy, who is 2 for 14 with three walks and five strikeouts. Roenicke said early in spring that he won’t award jobs based purely on spring training performance and relies more on past history.
SATURDAY’S GAMES
RED SOX 5, BLUE JAYS 2: Nathan Eovaldi had another good spring outing as a Boston split squad team beat Toronto in Fort Myers, Florida.
Eovaldi pitched three scoreless innings in his third start of the spring, allowing one hit, while striking out four and walking one. Eovaldi has pitched eight scoreless innings this spring, allowing just four hits, while striking out 12 and walking one.
J.D. Martinez and Bobby Dalbec each had a double and an RBI for the Red Sox. Rafael Devers had two hits and drove in a run.
PHILLIES 10, RED SOX 2: Tanner Houck allowed six runs (five earned) on four hits and three walks in 1 1/3 innings in Boston’s loss to Philadelphia in Clearwater, Florida.
Red Sox right fielder Kevin Pillar had two hits and two RBI. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto had two RBI.
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