Fogg takes loss as Bucs fall to Bosox
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) – Kevin Millar and David Ortiz hit consecutive homers in the first inning as the Boston Red Sox beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-5 Saturday. Millar, Ortiz and Jeremy Giambi – all in their first season with Boston – are competing for playing time at first base. In the offseason, the Red Sox chose not to re-sign Brian Daubach and Tony Clark, who played first last season.
Giambi played left field Saturday and went 0-for-2. Millar, the designated hitter, and Ortiz, the first baseman, each went 1-for-3. Millar had a two-run homer and Ortiz hit a solo shot.
Millar joined the Red Sox on Feb. 15 after being let out of a deal with the Chunichi Dragons in Japan. He returned to the Florida Marlins, who then sent him to Boston for cash.
Casey Fossum got the win despite allowing RBI singles by Mike Dulan and Jason Kendall in 1 1-3 innings. Fossum is expected to be the No. 4 pitcher in the Boston rotation after the team chose not to trade him in the offseason for Bartolo Colon.
Jason Shiell got the save.
Josh Fogg, 12-12 as a Pirates rookie last season, took the loss after allowing four runs and six hits, including three homers, in two innings.
Jason Varitek’s solo shot in the second gave Boston a 4-2 lead, and the Red Sox led 6-3 after four innings.
Adam Hyzdu’s solo homer cut that to 6-4 in the fifth. Pittsburgh added a run in the eighth when David Doster walked, took third on John Barnes’ double and scored on Walter Young’s groundout.
Shiell retired the side in order in the ninth.
NOTES: The Pirates signed four players to one-year contracts – OF Hyzdu, INF Jose Castillo, LHP Dave Williams and RHP Duaner Sanchez. … Kendall went 3-for-4 with a run and an RBI. … Varitek, catching for the first time in Boston’s four spring training games, went 2-for-2. … 3B Shea Hillenbrand also had two of Boston’s 10 hits.