Sox Break Out Offensively In 7-4 Win Over O's

Manny Ramirez and J.D. Drew each homered for the first time this spring as the Red Sox continued to stir offensively Friday with an abbreviated 7-4 Grapefruit League win over the Orioles at City of Palms Park in Ft. Myers, FL.

The game was called due to rain with two outs in the top of the seventh after Sox reliever Manny Delcarmen tweaked his right knee slipping on the wet field as he attempted to begin a double play.

Every starter had at least one hit for the Sox, including the scorching Alex Cora, who went 2-for-3 with three RBI to raise his average to .414. Cora has at least one hit in eight of his last nine games, during which he is hitting .458 (11-for-24).

Ramirez’ blast was a two-run shot in the first off starter Jon Leicester. Drew hit a solo shot off Leicester an inning later. Jason Varitek had other RBI for the Sox, who have scored 22 runs in the last three games after scoring just 23 runs in an eight-game span from Mar. 5-11. They’ve also scored seven runs twice in three games after an 11-game span in which they never exceeded six runs in a contest.

Daisuke Matsuzaka picked up the win for the Sox by allowing two runs on four hits and no walks while striking out two in four innings. His Grapefruit League ERA remained at 4.50.

“In terms of the four games that I’ve pitched so far, I feel that things are coming along well,” Matsuzaka told reporters afterward via an interpreter. “As I’ve said before, I’m a slow starter, so in my fifth start, the thing I’ll be working on is focusing on my first inning.”

Matsuzaka allowed a run in the first inning Friday, five days after he was tagged for a three-run homer by the Dodgers.

“I thought he stayed in his delivery better than he did last time, which is very encouraging,” Terry Francona told reporters. “Again, we have to continue to remind ourselves, because we’re leaving [next week], that this is the middle of spring training, He’s progressing the way he’s supposed to.”

Jonathan Papelbon followed Matsuzaka and tossed a perfect fifth inning in which he struck out two batters. Mike Timlin gave up a run on two hits and struck out one in the sixth before Delcarmen gave up a run on two hits in two-thirds of an inning in the seventh. It was the first run surrendered this spring by Delcarmen, who entered the game with six straight scoreless innings in which he’d allowed only one hit.

Delcarmen told The Boston Globe afterward he was fine but that he expected the Sox to hold him out of games over the weekend. “I have a little bit of tendinitis in my knees anyway, so anytime I slip, it might flare up a little bit,” Delcarmen said. “But I’m good. They probably won’t let me throw for a couple of days.”

The Sox, who improved to 6-8-2 with the win, return to action Saturday, when potential Opening Day starter Jon Lester is scheduled to take the mound against the Reds at 1:05 p.m. at City of Palms Park.