Red Sox-Orioles Live Blog: Red Sox-Orioles Finish in 4-4 Tie

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Mar 5, 2011

Red Sox-Orioles Live Blog: Red Sox-Orioles Finish in 4-4 Tie

Postgame, 4-4: We will have stories on the day for Alfredo Aceves and Dennys Reyes in a moment. I’ll sign out of the live blog after giving you a take on a couple of other items.

First, Carl Crawford was pleased to get that first hit in a Red Sox uniform after opening 0-for-9.

“Starting to get a little worried there,” he joked with reporters.

Crawford added another base hit to finish 2-for-3 with a walk and was able to play seven innings. He said that physically he is ready to start the year.

“Physically, I don’t think I can get any more stronger,” Crawford added. “I’m right where I want to be so now it’s just a matter of me working on my baseball stuff and putting that together.”

Now, we gave you a quick hit on the contributions of some of the young guys in the win at Tampa on Friday. Bench coach DeMarlo Hale, who managed this game with Terry Francona back in Fort Myers, had some great things to add on Oscar Tejeda and Jose Iglesias, who combined to go 6-for-9 with four RBIs and two runs scored.

“They’re good players,” Hale said. “I think what you see is just them getting comfortable. They’re starting to be around some very good players that we have at the major league level. I think it takes them just a little more time to get their feet settled…Some good players in our system. You see that today, the way they came out and battled and really had a good game plan against a major league pitcher. I’m very happy to see how they go about playing the game.”

Hale gave some credit to third baseman Will Middlebrooks, who did commit an error but otherwise had a very solid game at third base and looked pretty good at the plate. He reserved more praise for Iglesias, who played 19 innings in less than a day in two cities.

“It’s been a little tough on some of these young kids,” Hale said. “Iglesias went nine innings last night and he dropped 10 tonight. I talked to him during the seventh, eighth inning, he said, ‘I’m fine, let’s go,’ so that says something and it means something that he would want to stay out there considering that he just played 20 innings in less than 24 hours.”

With that, we bid adieu from the live blog. Look for more coverage tomorrow from Nick Coman, who will carry you through the Mets game on Sunday. Yours truly will be working on a tan. Thanks for following today.

Final, 4-4: It’s like kissing your sister. isn’t it? The Sox and O’s end in a deadlock and the Boston as an organization as a whole goes 0-1-1 on the day.

Off to hear from DeMarlo Hale, who managed this one.

Mid 10th, 4-4: An Orioles pitcher whose name I missed tosses a 1-2-3 10th. The drama has gripped the fans here at Ed Smith, at least those who are still around.

Clevelan Santeliz is on to pitch the 10th for Boston. This will be the last half inning, regardless.

On a humorous note, the Orioles’ wives section is just below us and one of their little toddlers just dropped his pants to pee. Not sure what he got out before being whisked away, but it gave them all a good laugh.

End 9th, 4-4: It’s 75 and sunny, why not play on?

That’s what the Red Sox and Orioles will do after Matt Fox serves up a game-tying homer in the bottom of the ninth to Jake Fox.

The Red Sox have three available pitchers (I think) so we may do this for a few innings before calling it.

Mid 9th, Red Sox 4-3: The theme of the past two days has been production by Oscar Tejeda and Jose Iglesias, and that theme continues in the top of the ninth.

Iglesias starts a rally with a bloop single to left. He scores one batter later when Tejeda goes the other way for his third hit.

Tejeda has six RBIs in two games and the bulk of his hits (maybe all of them) have gone the other way. Very nice looking young hitter who could be a very serious threat once he fills out a bit.

Matt Fox will try to close this one out.

End 8th, 3-3: The Red Sox must’ve gone quick in the top of the eighth, because as we return to the press box, Matt Fox is putting the finishing touches on the Orioles in the bottom half.

We just heard from Carl Crawford, who said he is about as strong as he can be at this point and just needs to work on baseball activity going forward. Physically, he’s great.

Dennys Reyes also spoke with us for a bit. He indicated he does not feel behind at all, despite the slight delay to start his spring. Reyes said he prepared for a competition and was ready for it whenever it began.

More actual quotes from those guys once I get them typed out.

Sox begin top of ninth with Aaron Bates in the box.

End 7th, 3-3: Jason Rice works around a leadoff single by Joe Mahoney to get through the seventh.

Off to hear from Crawford.

Mid 7th, 3-3: Jose Iglesias has a two-hit game for the second day in a row, although the official scorer may have given him a little help on an infield single.

Just after that, Orioles lefty Mike Gonzalez buzzed one just under Jacoby Ellsbury’s chin. Gonzalez later came up and in to Carl Crawford.

Makes one want to get up and stretch. Don’t mind if I do.

Jason Rice is on to pitch the seventh.

End 6th, 3-3: No issues with the delayed beginning of camp for Dennys Reyes, it would appear. He struck out the first man he faced, Adam Jones, on four pitches, and needed 13 (or 15, or 14, there is some uncertainty here) to get through the inning unharmed.

Mid 6th, 3-3: After Jim Johnson works around a Nate Spears infield hit, we move to the bottom of the sixth inning, which will feature Dennys Reyes’ debut with the Red Sox.

End 5th, 3-3: While we were talking to Alfredo Aceves, the Orioles put together a little rally against Scott Atchison. At some point, not exactly sure when, Lenny DiNardo was brought into the game.

DiNardo could not get past Vladimir Guerrero. He was able to strike out Mark Reynolds to finish the frame. That’s a sight Orioles fans will have to get used to.

2:24 p.m.: Heading down to hear from Alfredo Aceves. Back soon.

Mid 5th, Red Sox 3-1: A little scare for Orioles fans in the fifth as Matt Wieters gets a visit from the trainer after having some pain throwing the ball back to the pitcher. Seems OK now.

Carl Crawford had a sharp single to center with two outs and we hoped we would see him get the motor running. He never got a chance and Juan Carlos Linares lined to center for the third out.

End 4th, Red Sox 3-1: Mark Reynolds ought not hit the ball to third base anymore. He was robbed of a hit in the second and this time bounces into a 5-4-3 double play.

Will Middlebrooks has been very busy down there for the Red Sox.

Even though he gave up a pair of singles in the inning, Scott Atchison just has a knack for making it look easy. He is not overpowering but works quick, throws strikes and rarely allows any of the damage to get too bad. He has three scoreless innings this spring.

We may see Dennys Reyes next.

Mid 4th, Red Sox 3-1: The bottom third of the lineup goes rather quietly in the fourth, although Nate Spears put a charge into one that Adam Jones tracked down near the scoreboard in right-center field.

Scott Atchison has relieved Alfredo Aceves, who is throwing a bit more in the bullpen right now. Aceves told us the other day that he likes starting because he feels better as the innings go on.

End 3rd, Red Sox 3-1: Baltimore hit the ball hard in the second and had little to show for it.

They get a couple of hits and a run in the third, but it was all aided by an error by Will Middlebrooks (did I jinx him?) to start off the inning.

Matt Wieters and Joe Mahoney followed with base hits to plate J.J. Hardy.

We expect to see Scott Atchison in the fourth. That run against Aceves would be unearned. A pretty good afternoon for him, although he didn’t necessarily miss many bats.

Mid 3rd, Red Sox 3-0: Alfredo Aceves is out for his third, and likely final, inning.

In the top of the third, Will Middlebrooks, moments after making an outstanding defensive play, got his first hit of the spring with a single to center.

He was erased on a 1-6-3 double play hit into by Juan Carlos Linares. Mark Wagner struck out.

End 2nd, Red Sox 3-0: The young kids continue to impress. Will Middlebrooks just made a great pick of a one-hop smash to third by Mark Reynolds.

That was the second out of another 1-2-3 inning for Alfredo Aceves, who has throw four perfect frams this spring.

Mid 2nd, Red Sox 3-0: We touched on the contributions of Oscar Tejeda and Jose Iglesias in last night’s win over New York. They’re at it again.

After a wind-aided double by Drew Sutton with two down in the second, Iglesias lined an RBI single to right. Jacoby Ellsbury walked on a 3-2 pitch and Tejeda then lined one into the corner in right. It went for a two-run triple, the second in as many games for Tejeda.

The Sox went 22 innings without a run at one point, but have now scored eight in their last six.

End 1st, 0-0: While Daisuke Matsuzaka gives up three runs in the first inning back at City of Palms, Alfredo Aceves gets through his opening frame in no time at all.

Just sayin’. Actually, it was Matsuzaka himself who said he had to earn his spot in the rotation. Maybe in two weeks time we will be talking about an actual competition.

Mid 1st, 0-0: The fifth hit of the spring for Oscar Tejeda and the first for Carl Crawford is all the Red Sox can come up with in the first against Brad Bergesen.

Will Middlebrooks popped to first and Bergesen blew a third strike by Juan Carlos Linares.

Terry Francona had some high praise for Tejeda after his three RBIs at New York on Friday night. Among the more interesting comments was his prediction that in two years Tejeda, the youngest player in camp, will one day walk into the clubhouse a man. They expect a lot from this kid, who sort of reminds me of Alfonso Soriano.

12:52 p.m.: Just want to reiterate how nice of a job they did in redoing this place. The media may be the happiest of all. Last year, the sun would pound the press box, making it extremely difficult to even see computer screens.

We have a nice overhang here and just about everyone in the stadium is very well cared for. Props to the O’s.

One item to look for today will be the start made by Alfredo Aceves. That may sound basic, to look at how the starter does, but for every clean inning Aceves has in this role he is going to make it more difficult for the team to see him as a reliever.

Aceves has worked out of the bullpen for most of his career, but he said he prefers to start and would be that No. 1 replacement as long as he continues to impress in camp.

The debut by Dennys Reyes and Carl Crawford’s pursuit of his first hit (it must be the pressure!) are two other storylines on a gorgeous day in Cougar Town.

11:55 a.m.: The word out of City of Palms Park this morning was not great. Jon Lester was scratched from his scheduled start Sunday at the New York Mets due to the flu.

It could be a blessing in disguise. The club never likes to send its best pitchers on lengthy road trips, and Lester will be able to avoid a trek to Port St. Lucie, which is more than three hours away.

There is no immediate word as to when he will be back.

J.D. Drew is also on the shelf due to the lingering bug, which seems to make an annual tour through the clubhouse in March. Stay tuned.

Also, a reminder to follow Nick Coman’s live blog of the Red Sox-Marlins game back in Fort Myers. We have you covered to no end, including a telecast of that contest.

11:39 a.m.: Just as the Yankees did on Friday night, the Orioles are throwing out a lineup loaded with starters. With the exception of first baseman Derrek Lee, their lineup is pretty much what you will see on a regular basis this year:

Brian Roberts, 2B
Nick Markakis, RF
Luke Scott, LF
Vladimir Guerrero, DH
Mark Reynolds, 3B
Adam Jones, CF
J.J. Hardy, SS
Matt Wieters, C
Joe Mahoney, 1B

For anyone interested, Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota has undergone a renovation at a cost of over $30 million. It is beautiful, especially if you compare it to years past. They did a wonderful job and its about as good a place as you can catch a game down here.

9:29 a.m.: Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford are the featured names making the trip north to Sarasota. Here is the Red Sox lineup against Brad Bergesen and the Orioles:

Jacoby Ellsbury, CF
Oscar Tejeda, 2B
Carl Crawford, LF
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Juan Carlos Linares, DH
Mark Wagner, C
Nate Spears, RF
Drew Sutton, 1B
Jose Iglesias, SS

8:46 a.m.: About to hit the road to Sarasota. Becoming rather friendly with I-75 in the last 18 hours or so. We know Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury will be making the trip.

If I pass the team bus on the way, I’ll ask a few questions, get the vibe heading into this one.

8 a. m.: Saturday marks the first of four scheduled split-squad days for the Red Sox, who will have one unit stay home to host the Florida Marlins and another hit the road for a trip to Sarasota, home of the Baltimore Orioles.

NESN will televise the Marlins game, but you can follow all the action against the Orioles right here.

Alfredo Aceves is scheduled to make the start for Boston, coming off a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees. Among those scheduled to follow him is Dennys Reyes, who will be making his debut for the Red Sox. Reyes was delayed in getting to camp due to some visa issues, so he will playing a little bit of catch-up.

Baltimore will send Brad Bergesen to the mound.

First pitch is 1:05 p.m.

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