FORT MYERS – The Red Sox dropped a 9-4 decision to the Pittsburgh Pirates and have lost their last two games, after going 7-1-1 in their previous nine outings. The Sox are 8-2 at jetBlue Park and 2-6-1 on the road.
Today marks the seventh of eight Grapefruit League meetings between the Red Sox and Rays (Boston leads, 4-2). Only three of the Soxβ first 72 games will be against the Rays (4/5-7 at home), as well as only six of their first 106. From 7/30-9/8, 13 of the Soxβ 36 games will be against Tampa Bay.
Including today, the Sox have four home games and five road games remaining in Spring Training as the 10-day countdown to opening day begins.
Notes: Red Sox manager Alex Cora and Rays manager Kevin Cash were teammates with the Red Sox in 2007 and 2008, helping lead BOS to the postseason in each year…The Sox won the World Series in 2007. … Cora was major league teammates with six current MLB managers: Cash, Aaron Boone (CLE, 2005), Craig Counsell (LAD, 1999), Gabe Kapler (BOS, 2005-06), Dave Roberts (LAD, 2002-04), and David Ross (BOS, 2008).