Garrett Whitlock pitched two innings, allowing just a solo home run to Adley Rutschman in his first start of the spring in the Boston Red Sox 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in their Grapefruit League opener in Sarasota, Florida.
Whitlock, who is trying to win a spot in the Red Sox starting rotation, struck out two and didn’t walk a batter. Baltimore starter Corbin Burns, acquired in an offseason trade with Milwaukee, pitched one inning, allowing one hit and striking out two.
Boston lost when Colton Cowser hit a two-run, walk-off home run off Nate Tellier.
Mark Contreras hit a solo home run in the third for Boston. Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 2 with an RBI, while David Hamilton added an RBI single.
PITCH CLOCK: Major League Baseball’s move to slice two seconds off the pitch clock with runners on base is too much, too soon, according to players’ association head Tony Clark.
The clock is shortening to 18 seconds from 20 with men on base and will stay at 15 seconds with no one on.
MLB introduced a new rules package last season – including a pitch clock and bigger bases – that cut average game times by 24 minutes to 2 hours, 40 minutes, the quickest games have been played since 1984. The clock, adopted over the objection of player representatives on the competition committee, was considered a huge success and the sport drew more than 70 million fans to ballparks for the first time since 2017.
Clark’s main concern is that pitchers have less time between pitches to recover, particularly when maximum effort and pitch velocity are so important.
“When fatigue happens, you’re more susceptible to injury,” he said.
MARLINS: Former American League batting champion Tim Anderson and the Miami Marlins finalized a $5 million, one-year contract.
Anderson became Miami’s first big free agent addition of the offseason. The Chicago White Sox declined a $14 million option in November, ending a $25 million, six-year contract for the two-time All-Star.
PADRES: Free agent Jurickson Profar and the San Diego Padres finalized a $1 million, one-year contract that gives the 30-year-old outfielder the chance to make an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses based on plate appearances.
San Diego started spring training with only two outfielders on its 40-man roster, right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. and José Azocar.
Profar primarily played left field with the Padres from 2020-22 and again when he rejoined them late last season, although he played some at the other outfield positions as well as in the infield and as the designated hitter.
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