Driven to frustration

JUPITER, Fla. -- At quarter past 11 yesterday morning, there were only two people in uniform in the Red Sox clubhouse: starting pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka and coach Luis Alicea. The team bus was late, and it appeared Dice-K might have to beat the Florida Marlins all by himself.

Another option was allowing the University of Pennsylvania baseball team to play behind Matsuzaka. Nick Francona, son of Terry Francona, is a pitcher for the Quakers, and the Sox manager invited the boys to watch yesterday's game.

"I'm sure they'd have been happy to play," said Francona, who was quite agitated with the team's bus driver.

"It took us 3:45 to get there from Fort Myers," said the frustrated manager after the bus wheeled into Jupiter at 11:23. "We were going through [expletive] Lion Country. Some [expletive] bus driver didn't know where he was going.

"It doesn't make sense. This is a long trip and what you don't want to do is make it any longer. Dice-K came here last night. That was my idea."

After the long bus ride, the Sox and Marlins played 10 innings over 3:25. When it was over, Francona took questions from the media, then said, "Got to go get some four-hour-old pizza now."

Cold pizza. Not a television show.

The Red Sox scored eight runs in the top of the 10th. They banged out 18 hits against nine Florida pitchers. Center-field prospect Jacoby Ellsbury had two more hits, including another triple. The kid can fly. Counting his three-bagger against Boston College, Ellsbury already has three triples . . . Joel Pineiro pitched a shutout inning, fanning one and walking one. "He was much better today," said catcher Jason Varitek. Francona said, "He looked a little more comfortable. The ball was coming out of his hand pretty well." . . . John Henry, former owner of the Marlins, was on hand to witness Matsuzaka's first appearance against a major league team in a spring training game. Henry met with the media behind the batting cage just after noon. The owner had little to say about anything. He did not see Dice-K's performance against Boston College last Friday night as he was attending the wedding of Tom Werner's daughter in Utah. He shot down the speculation that the Red Sox will leave Fort Myers for Vero Beach after the Dodgers abandon Vero next spring. "I haven't heard that," said Henry. "Plus, we have a long-term lease with Fort Myers. "But I hate to see the Dodgers leave. So much history."

Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell stayed back in Fort Myers to watch Craig Hansen and Abe Alvarez, but made it to Jupiter in time to see Matsuzaka. Dice-K had Sox regulars Julio Lugo, Kevin Youkilis, and Dustin Pedroia playing in the infield. Wily Mo Peña was in right . . . Mike Timlin will pitch to hitters on a back field today . . . Hansen is scheduled to pitch in a game Friday . . . Francona on Hanley Ramirez, who homered yesterday: "Whatever he does on the field shouldn't be a surprise to anybody. But he got there faster than I thought." . . . Francona was visited by former big league ace Jim Kaat before the game. Kaat has retired from broadcasting and had his right knee replaced over the winter. Former Expos pitcher Bill Gullickson also visited the manager, along with the Penn team. The Quakers beat BC, 7-6, Monday . . . The Marlins' crack director of media relations, Matt Roebuck, worked with the Red Sox from 1996-98 and also with the Mariners during the early Ichiro years. He was prepared for the Japanese media onslaught, installing an auxiliary press section on the field behind the Red Sox bullpens . . . Kelly Gavin of Hanover, a student at Barry University, is an intern with the Marlins . . . Among those in the Sox media guide with bios longer than Theo Epstein's: Dr. Charles Steinberg and Larry Cancro.

Matsuzaka will pitch Sunday against the Orioles, then next week against the Dodgers at Vero Beach. Tim Wakefield and Jonathan Papelbon pitch today at City of Palms Park against the Mets. It'll be Kyle Snyder and Julian Tavarez at home tomorrow against the Blue Jays and Curt Schilling across town against the Twins (and Johan Santana). Chan Ho Park (who just got his visa yesterday) and Aaron Sele pitch for the Mets today against the Red Sox . . . Roger Dean Stadium here in Jupiter is where Grady Little managed his first game with the Red Sox in 2002.

Dan Shaughnessy's e-mail address is dshaughnessy@globe.com.