FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) - Kevin Gausman pitched three scoreless innings against a lineup of Boston Red Sox big leaguers, and the Baltimore Orioles cruised to a 13-2 victory in a split-squad game Saturday night.
Gausman gave up one hit and struck out three to help the Orioles sweep the Red Sox, who made six errors in the nightcap. Baltimore won the afternoon matchup 7-3 in Sarasota.
“We got a lot of things done, not just Ws,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s more about getting a lot of people that we need to pitch well this year potentially pitch well, in a good place. We got a lot of work done, a lot of work that we needed to get done today. Eighteen innings, sleep fast, and do it again tomorrow.”
The fourth overall pick in the 2012 draft, Gausman made his major league debut last season and went 3-5 with a 5.66 ERA in 20 games, including five starts.
The Orioles scored two runs in the fourth off starter Brandon Workman, two more in the sixth off Brayan Villarreal and eight in the seventh off Miguel Celestino and Shunsuke Watanabe.
Boston managed only three hits and didn’t score until Christian Vazquez’s two-run homer with two outs in the ninth off Troy Patton.
“Long day, we got our reps in,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “We can do much better defensively, there’s no question about it.”
STARTING TIME
Orioles: Gausman struck out leadoff batter Daniel Nava in the first inning, then retired Dustin Pedroia on a grounder and fanned David Ortiz. The 23-year-old right-hander opened the second by whiffing Mike Napoli.
“Yeah, this is pretty much the lineup that they’re going to have and it’s always good when you have that first kind of success against their legit lineup,” Gausman said.
Red Sox: Workman gave up two runs and four hits with two walks and two strikeouts in 3 1-3 innings.
“I thought Brandon came out and was strong,” Farrell said. “We got him into his fourth inning of work, which is obviously a spring training goal for us, to stretch him out. He got to 50-plus pitches in tonight’s outing and we continue to move on. He was pressed to make some pitches right away and he did. When he’s down in the strike zone he’s extremely effective.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Catcher A.J. Pierzynski returned to the lineup in the night game. He had been sidelined since Monday after rolling his left ankle in a game against the Pirates in Bradenton.
Jake Peavy, sidelined since he cut his left index finger with a knife last weekend, threw an extended bullpen session with three simulated innings. He is scheduled to start March 13 against the Twins.
FOR THE RECORD
Baltimore scored eight runs on four hits in the seventh. … Evan Meek pitched two scoreless innings with three strikeouts for the Orioles. … Michael Ohlman went 2 for 2 with two doubles and two RBIs. … Michael Almanzar was 2 for 3 with three RBIs. … Seven different Orioles batters drove in runs. … Celestino faced six batters in the seventh and did not record an out. He was charged with six runs, three earned, on two hits and two walks. … Boston committed eight errors in the two games. “I can’t say that there’s a common thread,” Farrell said. “You’re looking at guys who have played the positions that they’re at, particularly in tonight’s game where things got away from us defensively. And yet we’re working each day to shore the infield defense up.”
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