Dice-K decent, Ramirez hits homer in Red Sox 7-4 win over Orioles
FORT MYERS, Fla.—Daisuke Matsuzaka plans to pitch one more game to prepare for the regular season. Manny Ramirez is ready to go now.
Dice-K settled down after a rough first inning, Ramirez belted a homer that traveled well over 400 feet and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-4 on Friday in a game shortened to 6 1/2 innings by rain.
"In terms of the four games that I've pitched so far, I feel that things are coming along well," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "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."
He threw 25 of his 53 pitches in the first of his four innings and left after allowing two runs and four hits with two strikeouts and no walks.
Tike Redman led off the game with a single, took second on a groundout and scored on Aubrey Huff's single. Dice-K gave up a single in the second and Melvin Mora's solo homer in the third, then retired the side in order in the fourth.
"From the third inning onward, I felt like I got a lot better," Matsuzaka said. "It would be nice to bring that state to the start of the game."
His final spring training start is set for next Wednesday against Toronto. The Red Sox leave right after the game for Tokyo, where they play two exhibition games against Japanese teams and two regular season games against the Oakland Athletics.
His wife's due date is next Wednesday, and Matsuzaka could miss that start. He also may not fly with his teammates to his country but could join them afterward.
Ramirez is ready. He slammed an 0-1 pitch from Jon Leicester for a two-run homer in the first.
"He seems very comfortable in his own skin," Boston manager Terry Francona said. "He's one of the best hitters I've ever seen and I would think that will continue probably as long as he wants it to."
J.D. Drew made it 3-1 with a homer in the second before Boston added two runs in the fourth when Jason Varitek singled home Ramirez, who had walked, and Alex Cora added an RBI single.
Baltimore's last run scored when Eider Torres grounded into a forceout at second. Pitcher Manny Delcarmen fielded the grounder, slipped on the wet mound, and left after recording the out. Craig Breslow came in from the bullpen, but before he threw a pitch, the game was delayed by rain. Then it was called off.
Afterward, Delcarmen's right knee was packed in ice but he said he might have stayed in the game if the field was dry.
"He'll be all right," Francona said. "I just didn't want him to throw anymore, not under those conditions."
Notes:@ Redman, Mora and Luis Terrero each had two of Baltimore's eight hits. ... Boston CF Coco Crisp was sidelined for the 11th straight day with a groin injury that's kept him from competing with Jacoby Ellsbury to be the starter or showing other teams what he can do. "The last three days have been good, solid progress," Crisp said. "As far as showcasing myself, I don't even worry about that. I'm here and hopefully people believe in what I can do." ... For Baltimore, Leicester allowed three runs in three innings, Dennis Sarfate gave up two runs in 1-3 of an inning and Lance Cormier allowed two runs in 2 2-3 innings. ... Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect inning with two strikeouts for Boston.
