Sox Snap Skid, Edge Pirates

Daisuke Matsuzaka became the first Red Sox starter to make two Grapefruit League starts Tuesday, when he gave up one run on two hits and two walks while striking out two over three innings in a 5-3 win over the Pirates at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers.

Matsuzaka, who did not factor into the decision, threw 47 pitches—35 more than he needed to get through two shutout innings against the Twins four days earlier at Hammond Stadium yet more than 50 fewer than he threw in a side session Sunday.

“One of the things that I wanted to work on was pitching in a tired state, so that’s what I was trying out [Sunday],” Matsuzaka told reporters, via his interpreter Maso Hashino, afterward. “Even today, I felt that I pitched with just a little bit of tightness. But today, I felt that it was a chance to really rev up the engine, so to speak, and get my arm going. I wanted to make sure I had a chance to do that during spring training.”

Jonathan Papelbon, who created a stir Tuesday with his comments about his contract situation, followed Matsuzaka and earned the win with a perfect inning. Papelbon was the first of seven relievers for the Sox, who received scoreless frames from Julian Tavarez, Craig Hansen and non-roster invitee Michael Tejera.

Bryan Corey gave up a run on two hits and a walk in the eighth before Kyle Jackson ran into trouble in the ninth, when he gave up a run on two hits and a walk while recording just one out. Jose Vaquedano rescued Jackson and the Sox, though, by recording the final two outs—including one via strikeout—to earn his first save.

Offensively, the Sox were sparked by ninth-place hitter Argenis Diaz, who went 3-for-4 with two RBI and one run scored. Diaz, who earned a spot on the 40-man roster by finishing second in the Hawaii Winter Baseball league batting race last fall, is now hitting .500 (3-for-6) in Grapefruit League play.

Backup first baseman Sean Casey, who went 2-for-3 with a double, was the only other Sox player with two hits. Jonathan Van Every, Doug Mirabelli and J.D. Drew each had an RBI while Van Every, Drew, Jason Varitek, Manny Ramirez and Alex Cora all had one hit apiece.

The Sox saw plenty of familiar faces across the field. Pirates starter Phil Dumatrait was the Sox’ first-round draft pick in 2000 while Doug Mientkiewicz, who famously hoarded the ball used to record the final out of the 2004 World Series, started at first base for the Pirates. Freddy Sanchez, the 2006 National League batting champion who was dealt by the Sox to the Pirates in the Jeff Suppan deal in July 2003, started at designated hitter.

The Sox, who snapped a two-game losing streak with the win, will return to action Tuesday when they face the Reds at City of Palms Park. Jon Lester is scheduled to start for the Sox against right-handed prospect Homer Bailey.