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What Boston Red Sox’ Alex Cora told Marcelo Mayer after Friday’s game
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- What Boston Red Sox’ Alex Cora told Marcelo Mayer after Friday’s game
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Manager Alex Cora provided positive feedback to Red Sox rookie infielder Marcelo Mayer after Boston ’s 7-6 Grapefruit League win over the Rays on Friday at JetBlue Park.
Mayer 2-for-2 with two walks, an RBI and one run.
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“I was just telling him yesterday he had his worst game at the plate and today he had his best,” Cora said. “And that’s the beauty of this game. Every day you’re going to have a chance to keep going and redeem yourself.”
Neither of Mayer’s singles was hit hard, but he reached base in all four at-bats and had one hit to the opposite field. That came after a rough day Thursday when he went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and popped out to shortstop with no outs and a runner at third base.
“We asked him to move the guy over, he had a pop-up,” Cora said. “It wasn’t a good day for him offensively. He talked about it.”
Cora has made it clear Mayer is still competing for a spot on the 26-man roster. That said, the expectation is he’ll open the season with Boston on March 26 in Cincinnati .
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“Today, the walks, the line drive the other way, he played good defense,” Cora said. “I believe we still have to turn that double play, the one (Cedric) Mullins, a little bit more urgency, but that’s something we’ll correct. But overall, a good day for him.”
‘We cannot deny the stuff’
Johan Oviedo , who’s competing for the fifth spot in the starting rotation, pitched 3 ⅔ innings. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out five.
“He was good,” Cora said. “I mean, a few walks; it was a good day for him,” Cora said. “The first inning was the highlight of his outing. His stuff is really good. We cannot deny that. And when we throw it over the heart of the plate, there’s a lot of outs. So we’ve just gotta keep doing that consistently.”
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Overall this spring, Oviedo has allowed just two runs in 11 ⅔ innings across four Grapefruit League starts. He has given up eight hits and six walks while striking out 14.
Oviedo struck out the side in order in the first inning.
He said his one goal entering the start was to pitch better in the first inning after struggling a bit in the first inning in his previous start.
“Just keep focused on what we have to execute,” he said.
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