The Boston Red Sox won against the Baltimore Orioles Thursday despite a bad start from pitcher Henry Owens. The Red Sox won 9-5 after Owens was tagged for three runs in nearly three innings of work.
Owens was shaky early in the game, and he finished with two walks and two hit batters in two 2-3 innings of work. Sam Travis had a solid game for the Red Sox, hitting a three-run home run to put Boston ahead in the second inning. Travis has been putting up strong numbers this spring, and he could get some attention this season.
"He doesn't seem to change despite who he might be facing or the setting," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He's a strong hitter. Good bat speed. Demonstrates, obviously, some big power here today. Exciting young player."
Travis now has 13 RBI in 14 games during spring training, along with a .591 batting average. The Red Sox added three runs in the fourth inning and closed things out to earn the victory over Baltimore. Owens had a tough start, but he is still expected to be an option for the starting rotation. The pitcher was making his fourth start of the spring, and he struggled in the third inning while facing seven batters.
The Red Sox will have split-squad games coming up next, with Rick Porcello and Roenis Elias starting in each game. Boston will play against the Twins with Porcello starting, while Elias will face the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox announced on Thursday that pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez will start the season on the disabled list.
Rodriguez suffered a knee injury earlier in the spring, and the team wants to be cautious with the pitcher. Farrell said that Rodriguez needs to work on his mechanics after dislocating his knee at the end of February. Rodriguez was able to pitch in a bullpen session on Wednesday, but he will need more time to train and recover before the season starts.
"He is not going to be ready for the start of the season," Farrell said. "We want to make sure his stride direction, his stride length, all of those are normal. We then build the intensity on top of that."
With Rodriguez dealing with an injury, Owens, Elias and Steven Wright have the chance to earn some playing time. Owens didn't do himself any favors in his start on Wednesday, but he still has time to prove that he should get the spot. Farrell said that Rodriguez will throw another bullpen session this week and will be evaluated at the end of the month.
