It is only Spring Training, and in the early going, the starters do not play the whole game. However, it is still the Boston Red Sox vs. the New York Yankees. The Red Sox took Round 1 in a rout, 10-6.
Red Sox first baseman Travis Shaw was the hitting star of the day with his three hits and three runs batted in, includng a solo shot (1) that started the scoring in the top of the third. Shaw added a two-run double in the fourth as part of a four-run rally that put the Red Sox ahead to stay. Garin Ceccini (single) and Jeff Bianchi (single) also drove home runs in the fourth. The Red Sox took the lead 5-3 by the end of the inning and never relinquished it.
Ceccini doubled home two more runs in the seventh, and Boston tacked on three more in the eighth, which included a two run shot from Luke Montz (1).
The bright spot for the Yankees was the first home run for returning slugger Alex Rodriguez. "A-Rod" took a 3-1 fastball from Brandon Workman over the left-center field wall (1) in the bottom of the fourth to pull his team to within two.
It is a small sample, but Rodriguez is 4 for 9 (.455) with a home run and two RBI so far this spring.
The Yankees, though, could not catch their rivals despite three runs late. Slade Heathcott hit a two-run home run (1) in the ninth, but they could get no closer.
The Yankees took a 2-1 lead in the third on RBI singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran just a half inning before the Boston bats woke up.
Joe Kelly (W: 1-0, 11.57 ERA) started and allowed two runs on three hits in three innings for the win. He walked one and struck out four.
For the Yankees, Bryan Mitchell (L: 0-1, 9.00) gave up the big fourth inning for the loss. He pitched two innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He walked one and struck out two.
Yankees starter Chris Capuano threw only seven pitches before leaving with a strained right quadriceps suffered while covering first base on a groundout to the right side. MLB.com's Bryan Hoch says that Capuano will have an MRI Wednesday.
Capuano is competing for a spot at the backend of the Yankees' rotation, which suffered injury after injury throughout the 2014 season. Capuano came to the Yankees late last season to help fill in the gaps, and he helped keep the Yankees alive in the A.L. Wild Card race until well into the season's final week. He signed a one-year deal during the offseason.