Tag: zack kelly

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly undergoes successful elbow surgery, could still return this season

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly underwent a successful ulnar nerve transposition revision in his right elbow on Tuesday, the club announced. The procedure was performed by Dr. Jeffrey Dugas at The Andrews Institute in Birmingham, Ala.

While the Red Sox did not provide a timetable for Kelly’s return to action, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that Kelly could be back on the mound in September if he does not suffer any setbacks in his rehab.

Kelly injured his throwing elbow during his relief appearance against the Rays at Tropicana Field. Because the 28-year-old was visibly emotional as he walked off the mound that night, there was an initial fear that he sustained serious damage to the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in the elbow.

Had that been the case, Kelly likely would have required Tommy John surgery. Instead, his MRIs showed no damage in that area, but they did reveal that his ulnar nerve had become detached. As noted by Cotillo, that diagnosis was considered to be “a best-case scenario” at the time.

Kelly underwent an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in lieu of Tommy John surgery in May 2020, so he has dealt with this sort of issue before. He was with the Angels at that time and would have missed the entirety of the 2020 minor-league season had it not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was released by Los Angeles shortly thereafter and joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent that December.

A former undrafted free agent out Division II Newberry College (S.C.), Kelly debuted for Boston at the age of 27 last August. The Virginia native posted a 3.95 ERA and 4.28 FIP with 11 strikeouts to four walks in 13 appearances (13 2/3 innings) to close out the 2022 campaign. He then leveraged that performance and a strong showing in spring training into making his first Opening Day roster this year.

Prior to injuring himself on April 12, Kelly had allowed just one run through his first five outings of the year. He was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list on April 16 so that the Red Sox could create a 40-man roster spot for left-handed reliever Brennan Bernardino.

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly to undergo elbow surgery

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly will require elbow surgery, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) prior to Wednesday’s 10-4 loss to the Twins at Fenway Park.

Kelly will undergo an ā€œulnar nerve transposition revisionā€ on a date that is still to be determined, according to the team. The right-hander’s UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) and internal brace are still intact.

After injuring his right elbow in last Wednesday’s loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field, Kelly underwent further imaging in Boston on Friday. The 28-year-old’s MRI came back clean, but the Red Sox still sent the results to the physician who performed his internal bracing procedure in May 2020 in order to get a second opinion.

Additionally, Kelly visited an orthopedic surgeon in Alabama in recent days. The result of that visit was the “best case scenario,” per Cotillo.

“The ulnar nerve wasnā€™t damaged but itā€™s not attached to whatever it has to be,” Cora said of Kelly. “Heā€™s going to have surgery. We have to wait on when. As far as surgeries, the doctor is backtracked with all that stuff so we have to wait. But heā€™ll be out for a while.”

Because he underwent an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in lieu of Tommy John surgery nearly three years ago, Kelly has dealt with this sort of issue before. He was with the Angels at that time and would have missed the entirety of the 2020 minor-league season had it not been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Kelly was released by Los Angeles shortly thereafter and joined the Red Sox as a minor-league free agent that December.

At this point in time, it is not yet known if Kelly will be able to pitch again this season. The righty currently owns a 3.68 ERA with six strikeouts to six walks in his first six relief appearances (7 1/3 innings) of the season after making his first-ever Opening Day roster last month. He was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list this past Sunday.

When he left last Wednesday’s game, Kelly was visibly upset and had tears in his eyes. At that moment, his previous elbow injury and unique journey from going undrafted out of Division II Newberry College to the major-leagues were both on his mind.

“I was definitely emotional for two reasons,” said Kelly. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the shit I went through to get here. Itā€™s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.”

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox claim lefty reliever Brennan Bernardino off waivers from Mariners, transfer Zack Kelly to 60-day injured list

The Red Sox have claimed left-hander Brennan Bernardino off waivers from the Mariners, the club announced earlier Sunday afternoon. In order to make room for Bernardino on the 40-man roster, right-hander Zack Kelly was transferred from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list.

Bernardino, 31, was designated for assignment by Seattle last Wednesday and has since been optioned to Triple-A Worcester. The lefty made his major-league debut for the Mariners last July and made just two appearances for the club, allowing three runs (one earned) on three hits, two walks, and zero strikeouts in 2 1/3 innings of relief.

A native of California, Bernardino was originally selected by the Reds in the 26th round of the 2014 amateur draft out of Cal State Dominguez Hills. After four years in the Reds organization, Bernardino was released by Cincinnati in July 2018. He then latched on with the Guardians the following February, but was cut loose again shortly thereafter so he could pursue an opportunity in the Mexican League.

After spending parts of three seasons in Mexico, Bernardino returned to affiliated ball when his contract was purchased by the Mariners last June. He made 23 relief appearances for Seattle’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma last season and posted a 2.20 ERA with 35 strikeouts to 10 walks over 32 2/3 innings of work.

To begin the 2023 campaign, Bernardino surrendered 11 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits, one walk, and 11 strikeout in his first two outings (six innings) for the Rainiers before losing his spot on Seattle’s 40-man roster last week.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Bernardino operates with a two-pitch mix that consists of a low-90s sinker and a high-70s curveball. The southpaw should provide the Red Sox with some optionable, left-handed bullpen depth. As things stand now, Richard Bleier is the only lefty reliever on Boston’s big-league roster while Joely Rodriguez (right oblique strain) remains on the injured list.

Kelly, meanwhile, was initially placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on April 13. That came one day after the 28-year-old injured his right elbow in the fifth inning of last Wednesday’s loss to the Rays in St. Petersburg.

Though Kelly was visibly upset as he was taken out of the game, an MRI on Friday apparently revealed no structural damage to his right UCL (ulnar collateral ligament). Because Kelly had an internal bracing procedure on his right elbow in May 2020, though, the Red Sox have sent the results of Friday’s MRI to the physician who performed the surgery for a second opinion.

Regardless of the outcome there, Sunday’s decision means Kelly will not be eligible to be activated until mid-June at the earliest. Kelly becomes the latest player to be placed on Boston’s 60-day injured list, joining fellow reliever Wyattt Mills and infielders Adalberto Mondesi and Trevor Story.

(Picture of Brennan Bernardino: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Red Sox place Zack Kelly on injured list, recall Kutter Crawford from Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have placed reliever Zack Kelly on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation, the club announced prior to Thursday’s series finale against the Rays. In a corresponding move, fellow right-hander Kutter Crawford was recalled from Triple-A Worcester.

Kelly was visibly upset after injuring his right elbow in the fifth inning of Wednesday night’s 9-7 loss to Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field. The 28-year-old will undergo an MRI in Boston on Friday to determine the severity of the injury, but the fear is that it is serious.

Crawford, meanwhile, rejoins the Red Sox just two days after being optioned to make room on the roster for Garrett Whitlock. The 27-year-old made two starts to begin the season was sent down so that he could remain stretched out as a starter in Worcester, but he is back as a reliever for the time being.

As noted by MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo, Crawford last pitched against the Tigers on Sunday and is on three days rest, meaning he could be available out of the bullpen if the Red Sox need on Thursday. Crawford was a logical choice to take Kelly’s place since he is the only healthy pitcher on Boston’s 40-man roster with big-league experience.

It remains to be seen how the Red Sox plan on using Crawford moving forward. He could, in theory, remain in the bullpen in be utilized in a similar fashion to Josh Winckowski, who has thrived in multi-inning stints to this point in the season. The more likely option, though, is that Crawford will be sent back down to Worcester in the coming days so that he can start and so that Boston can add a more traditional reliever to its bullpen mix.

Doing that, of course, would require the Red Sox to clear a 40-man roster spot, but they could accomplish that by transferring Kelly to the 60-day injured list if his injury is severe enough. Potential options to come up from the WooSox include righties Jake Faria and Andrew Politi and lefties Ryan Sherriff and Oddanier Mosqueda.

(Picture of Kutter Crawford: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly emotional after leaving game with elbow injury

Red Sox reliever Zack Kelly left Wednesday’s game against the Rays with what appeared to be serious arm injury.

Kelly, who took over for starter Chris Sale in the fifth inning, had allowed two runs on two hits and a walk before facing Yandy Diaz with two outs. The right-hander plunked the Rays’ leadoff hitter with a 2-2, 81 mph changeup — the 23rd pitch of his outing.

While Diaz was in the process of taking his base, Kelly removed his glove and began grabbing at his right elbow. He then went into a crouch and became emotional as Red Sox manager Alex Cora and a member of the team’s training staff rushed to the pitcher’s mound to see what was wrong.

With tears in his eyes, Kelly left the field under his own power and made his way back towards the visitor’s clubhouse alongside Cora and a trainer. The Red Sox later described Kelly’s injury as “right elbow pain” but could not provide a more specific diagnosis.

When speaking with reporters (including MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo) following the Red Sox’ 9-7 loss to the Rays on Wednesday night, Cora indicated that Kelly would undergo further testing back in Boston on Friday. Until then, there will be uncertainty surrounding the 28-year-old’s status for the rest of the season.

“Itā€™s the elbow, he had surgery a few years ago,” Cora said. “Tough to see. Hopefully, thereā€™s nothing wrong.”

Kelly, who first joined the Red Sox organization as a minor-league free agent in January 2021, previously underwent elbow surgery in May 2020. More specifically, he had an internal bracing procedure done in lieu of Tommy John surgery after tearing the UCL (ulnar collateral ligament) in his right arm.

Fast forward nearly three years since then, and Kelly said on Wednesday that he felt pain throughout the fifth inning. That pain only got worse and intensified to the point where he could not continue pitching. He did not feel a pop in his elbow, however.

“The last five or six pitches I threw, I felt it a little bit more,” said Kelly. “hat one, I just started turning the changeup over and didnā€™t really feel like I could turn it over like Iā€™m used to.

“I told (Cora) after, I just tried to get through the inning and didnā€™t want to quick-start anybody in the bullpen,” he added. “Unfortunately, I just couldnā€™t do it.”

When asked about what led to him crying on the mound, Kelly responded by saying that his previous elbow injury and his unique journey to the major-leagues were both on his mind at that time.

“I was definitely emotional for two reasons,” he said. “One, because I care. I care about this game, these guys and I enjoy doing this. Two, just all the shit I went through to get here. Itā€™s just a lot. Whenever something like that happens, you get emotional about it.ā€

A former undrafted free agent out of Division II Newberry College, Kelly made his big-league debut for Boston last August at the age of 27. He posted a 3.95 ERA in 13 appearances (13 2/3 innings) down the stretch and then made his first career Opening Day roster this spring.

Coming into play on Wednesday, Kelly had allowed just one earned run on four hits, five walks, and five strikeouts through his first five outings (6 2/3 innings) of the season. The Virginia native is now expected to be placed on the injured list ahead of Thursday’s series finale against Tampa Bay.

“I don’t want to assume the worst,” Kelly said. “I just want to wait until we get some imaging done and weā€™ll figure it out from there.”

The Red Sox will need to call up another pitcher to take Kelly’s spot on the roster. Fellow righty Kutter Crawford, who was recently optioned to Triple-A Worcester, is a logical choice under the pretense that he is still with the club.

UPDATE: Kelly was indeed placed on the 15-day injured list with right elbow inflammation on Thursday. Crawford was called up to take his place on the roster.

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Duane Burleson/Getty Images)

Chris Sale’s struggles continue as Red Sox fall short of comeback in 9-7 loss to Rays

They made it interesting in the late stages on Wednesday night, but the Red Sox could not come back to knock off the unbeaten Rays. Boston fell to Tampa Bay a final score of 9-7 to drop to 5-7 on the season.

Chris Sale, making his third start of the year for the Sox, surrendered six runs (five earned) on seven hits and two walks to go along with six strikeouts over four innings of work.

The Rays got to Sale right away in the bottom of the first, but the left-hander was not fully responsible for what happened. That being the case because with one out, starting shortstop Bobby Dalbec — a natural corner infielder — mishandled a groundball off the bat of Wander Franco, which allowed Franco to reach base safely.

Franco promptly stole second base off Reese McGuire before Isaac Paredes drew a four-pitch walk off Sale to put runners at first and second. Moments later, Randy Arozarena made the Red Sox pay by clubbing a three-run opposite field home run to give the Rays an early 3-0 lead.

The Red Sox lineup, meanwhile, could do nothing against Rays starter Taj Bradley early on. Bradley, making his major-league debut for Tampa Bay took a no-hit bid into the fourth inning before giving up a leadoff double to Alex Verdugo. Following a Rafael Devers strikeout, Justin Turner pushed across Boston’s first run of the night by plating Verdugo from second on a one-out RBI single to left field.

Sale appeared to have settled in to that point by putting up a pair of zeroes in the second and third, but the lefty ran into more trouble in the latter half of the fourth. There, a Taylor Walls leadoff double and back-to-back singles from Christian Bethancourt and Vidal Brujan filled the bases with no outs. Yandy Diaz drove in Walls with a sacrifice fly before Franco ripped a two-run double into the gap in left-center to make it a 6-1 contest in favor of Tampa Bay.

The fourth inning would prove to be Sale’s last. The 34-year-old finished with 81 pitches (55 stirkes), but he only managed to induce eight swings-and-misses. He was ultimately hit with the losing decision an now owns an ERA of 11.25 through three starts.

With Sale’s day done, the Red Sox went back to chipping away at the deficit in the top of the fifth. Enrique Hernandez broke out of a lengthy 0-for-28 skid by driving in McGuire on a two-out RBI double. Verdugo followed with a run-scoring hit of his own to trim the Rays’ lead down to three runs at 6-3.

Tampa Bay did not back down, however. In the bottom of the fifth, Zack Kelly issued a leadoff walk to Harold Ramirez and surrendered back-to-back RBI hits to Bethancourt (double) and Brujan (single) before coming out of the game with an elbow injury. Boston got one of those runs back in the sixth when Turner scored from third on a Raimel Tapia groundout.

Still trailing by four after Ryan Brasier worked his way around a leadoff single in the bottom half of the sixth, the Red Sox added some intrigue to this one in the seventh. After McGuire singled and Hernandez doubled to put runners at second and third with two outs, the Rays replaced Ryan Thompson with Colin Poche to set up a lefty-on-lefty matchup against Devers.

After fouling off the first pitch he saw, Devers won the battle by crushing a 366-foot three-run blast down the left field line for his first home run of the season. Devers’ homer, which left his bat at 100.8 mph, suddenly brought the Sox back to within one run of the Rays at 8-7.

Unfortunately, that is where the scoring would stop for Boston. After John Schreiber tossed a scoreless seventh inning, Justin Adam made quick work of the three Red Sox hitters he faced in the top half of the eighth before Chris Martin allowed a very important insurance run to score in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly from Arozarena.

Down by two runs heading into the ninth, McGuire reached base yet again with a leadoff single off Pete Fairbanks. Connor Wong, who pinch-ran for McGuire, moved up to second on a Yu Chang sacrifice bunt but did not advance any further as Hernandez flew out and Verdugo grounded out to end it.

Wednesday’s 9-7 loss, which took two hours and 44 minutes to complete, marks the Red Sox’ 12th straight defeat at Tropicana Field. The Rays, on the other hand, are now the first team to start a season 12-0 since the 1987 Brewers.

Next up: Kluber vs. Springs

The Red Sox will look to avoid a sweep while simultaneously handing the Rays their first loss of the year in the finale of this four-game set on Thursday afternoon. Right-hander Corey Kluber is slated to start for Boston while left-hander Jeffrey Springs is expected to do the same for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from Tropicana Field is scheduled for 1:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Chris Sale: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Zack Kelly makes Red Sox’ Opening Day roster

The Red Sox have informed reliever Zack Kelly that he has made the club’s Opening Day roster, manager Alex Cora announced earlier Sunday morning.

Kelly, 28, made his major-league debut for Boston last August after posting a 2.72 ERA in 44 appearances (49 2/3 innings) for Triple-A Worcester to begin the 2022 season. With the Red Sox, the right-hander pitched to a 3.95 ERA and 4.28 FIP with 11 strikeouts to four walks over 13 outings spanning 13 2/3 innings of relief.

So far this spring, Kelly has allowed three earned runs on 10 hits, four walks, and seven strikeouts across eight appearances (10 innings). He struck out a pair over two scoreless frames in Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Rays at Tropicana Field.

“You saw yesterday, [he] throws strikes on three different pitches,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith). “And we feel very confident with that.”

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 205 pounds, Kelly’s three-pitch arsenal consists of a mid-80s slider, a mid-90s four-seam fastball, and a low-80s changeup, per Baseball Savant. He held opponents to a .174 batting average against with his four-seamer last year.

As for how the Red Sox plan on using him this coming season, Cora indicated that Kelly will be paired with fellow righty Josh Winckowski in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

“Weā€™ll use him probably [for] multiple innings,” said Cora. “Heā€™ll be kind of one of those guys with Wink that can go two innings. We feel very confident with him.”

This marks the first time in which Kelly has made an Opening Day roster as a big-leaguer. The Virginia native has come a long way since going undrafted out of Division II Newberry College (Newberry, S.C.) and signing with the Athletics for a mere $500 in January 2017.

With Kelly now in the fold, the Red Sox have just one more vacancy in their bullpen to fill before Opening Day against the Orioles on Thursday. It will likely either go to Kaleb Ort, who is already on the 40-man roster but has struggled this spring, Oddanier Mosqueda, or Ryan Sherriff.

(Picture of Zack Kelly: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox spring training: Chris Sale struggles, Adam Duvall stays hot in 6-2 loss to Orioles

In a game that took a little over two hours to complete, the Red Sox fell to the Orioles by a final score of 6-2 at Ed Smith Stadium on Tuesday afternoon. With the loss, Boston drops to 12-9-4 in Grapefruit League play.

Chris Sale struggled in his third start of the spring for the Sox. After not giving up a single run in his first two outings, the veteran left-hander got shelled for six runs on nine hits and one walk to go along with two strikeouts over five innings of work.

The Orioles got to Sale right away in their half of the first thanks to a pair of solo shots from Adley Rutschman and Ryan Mountcastle. An inning later, Adam Frazier and Ryan O’Hearn both reached base with no outs before being driven in on an RBI double from Jorge Mateo and a two-run single from Kyle Stowers. Mountcastle scored Baltimore’s sixth and final run in the third when Frazier grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.

Despite these difficulties early on, Sale was at least able to end his day on a solid note by putting up a pair of zeroes in the fourth and fifth innings. The 33-year-old southpaw retired six of the last seven batters he faced to finish with a final pitch count of 70. He will make one more Grapefruit League start before taking on this same Orioles team at Fenway Park on April 1.

Offensively, Boston’s only two runs of the afternoon came in the middle and right after Sale’s outing came to a close. To lead off the fourth inning, Adam Duvall took Baltimore starter Adam Duvall deep to left field for his fourth ome run of the spring. Duvall struck again in the sixth, this time leading off with a hard-hit double off Irvin and then scoring on another double off the bat of Daniel Palka.

That sequence of events trimmed the Orioles’ lead down to four runs at 6-2. From that point, John Schreiber and Zack Kelly, who both pitched in Monday’s loss to the Pirates, combined for two scoreless frames out of the Red Sox bullpen. Oddanier Mosqueda, who is competing with Ryan Sherriff for a spot on Boston’s Opening Day roster, followed suit by stranding one runner in an otherwise clean eighth inning.

Down to their final three outs in the ninth, Jorge Alfaro laced a one-out double off O’s reliever Reed Garrett before minor-leaguers Miguel Ugueto and Eddinson Paulino each struck out to put the finishing touches on a 6-2 loss for the Red Sox.

Duvall stays hot

Following a 2-for-3 performance in which he scored his team’s only two runs on Tuesday, Adam Duvall is now batting .278/.386/.667 with four home runs and eight RBIs in 15 games (44 plate appearances) this spring.

In addition to Duvall, Daniel Palka and Niko Goodrum also enjoyed two-hit days at the plate. Goodrum, however, did not have the best of times defensively at shortstop.

Next up: Houck vs. Ryan

The Red Sox will return to Fort Myers on Wednesday to host the Twins in Game 4 of the 2023 Chairman’s Cup. Tanner Houck is slated to get the start for Boston while fellow right-hander Joe Ryan will do the same for Minnesota.

With a two-games-to-one lead already in hand, the Red Sox can take home the Chairmanā€™s Cup with another win on Wednesday evening. First pitch from JetBlue Park is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Adam Duvall: Megan Briggs/Getty Images)

Narciso Crook goes deep twice, leads power surge for Red Sox in 11-7 win over Yankees

The Red Sox went deep six times en route to a high-scoring win over the Yankees on Thursday afternoon. In the first of 15 meetings between the two rivals this year, Boston defeated New York by a final score of 11-7 at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

With Clarke Schmidt starting for the Yankees, the Red Sox jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in their half of the second inning. After Reese McGuire reached base via a one-out single, Narciso Crook got his side on the board first by crushing a 327-foot two-run home run down the right field line.

Nick Pivetta, who was making his second start of the spring for Boston, had already worked a scoreless first inning. But the right-hander ran into some trouble in the second after issuing a pair of walks to Josh Donaldson and Rafael Ortega. He then gave up a game-tying, two-run single to Jose Trevino.

Having already thrown 33 pitches in the second inning alone, Pivetta was pulled by Red Sox manager Alex Cora with two outs. Ryan Miller, who was acquired from the Yankees in the minor-league phase of December’s Rule 5 Draft, was called upon on to record the final out of the second. Pivetta’s day, however, was not yet over.

After Schmidt stranded one runner in the top of the third, Pivetta came back out for the bottom half of the inning. The 30-year-old hurler surrendered a leadoff single to Aaron Judge but ended his afternoon on a more positive note by fanning Anthony Rizzo on five pitches.

All told, Pivetta allowed two earned runs on three hits and three walks to go along with two strikeouts over two total innings of work. He finished with 57 pitches (34 strikes) and averaged 94.7 mph with his four-seam fastball while inducing four swings-and-misses.

Durbin Feltman took over Pivetta with one out in the third and stranded the lone runner he inherited by inducing a pair of groundouts. He was responsible for the fourth inning as well, but he gave up a one-out double to Oswald Peraza and allowed him to score the then-go-ahead run on two wild pitches while Trevino was at the plate.

Following a scoreless fifth inning from Zack Kelly, though, the Red Sox erupted for six runs in the top of the sixth. Facing off against old friend Tyler Danish, minor-league outfielder Tyler Dearden clubbed a 422-foot solo shot to right-center field to lead things off. After Ceddanne Rafaela reached base with one out, Daniel Palka delivered with a 375-foot homer of his own that put Boston up, 5-3.

Niko Goodrum and McGuire then reached on back-to-back singles before Crook came through with his second big fly of the day. This one left his bat at a blistering 105.3 mph and was deposited 424 feet over the left field wall. The sharply-hit three-run blast gave the Red Sox some breathing room in the form of an 8-3 lead.

Kelly remained in for the bottom of the sixth and retired the final three batters he faced. Eddinson Paulino, who pinch-ran for Enmanuel Valdez the inning prior, led off the seventh inning by launching a 389-foot home run off new Yankees reliever Demarcus Evans. Chase Shugart was next up out of the bullpen after Kelly and also faced the minimum while punching out top prospect Jasson Dominguez in the latter half of the seventh.

After Norwith Gudino put up another zero in the eighth, the Red Sox made sure to make their last at-bats count in the ninth. Christian Koss drew a leadoff walk off Randy Vazquez. Three batters later, Phillip Sikes capped off the scoring by drilling a 395-foot two-run homer that had an exit velocity of 105.7 mph to right field.

Taking a commanding 11-3 advantage into the bottom of the ninth, Gudino served up a pair of home runs (including a three-run shot to Dominguez), but he was ultimately able to hang on and secure an 11-7 victory for the Red Sox.

With the win, which took two hours and 47 minutes to complete, Boston improves to 9-0-3 in Grapefruit League play and 11-0-3 in all competitions this spring.

Other worthwhile observations:

Batting out of the nine-hole and starting in left field on Thursday, Dearden went 2-for-3 with his sixth-inning home run. The 24-year-old was originally selected by the Red Sox in the 29th round of the 2017 amateur draft.

McGuire and Crook went a combined 4-for-6 on Thursday with five RBIs and four runs scored between them.

Next up: Kluber starts against Blue Jays

The Red Sox will return to Fort Myers on Friday afternoon to host the Blue Jays at JetBlue Park. Veteran right-hander Corey Kluber will get the start for Boston opposite fellow righty Zach Thompson for Toronto.

First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Narciso Crook: Billie Weiss/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox muster just 5 hits in second straight shutout loss to Blue Jays

The Red Sox were shut out by the Blue Jays for the second straight day on Saturday afternoon. Boston fell to Toronto by a final score of 10-0 at Rogers Centre to drop to 75-83 on the season and 23-49 against divisional opponents.

Brayan Bello wrapped up his rookie season by making his 11th start of the year for the Sox. The right-hander allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and two walks to go along with four strikeouts over four innings of work.

The Blue Jays first got to Bello for two runs in their half of the second inning. Teoscar Hernandez and Raimel Tapia led off with back-to-back singles before Bello allowed both runners to advance an additional 90 feet on a wild pitch. Danny Jansen then drove in Hernandez on a softly-hit single to left field. Tapia, who moved up to third base on the play, promptly scored on another wild pitch from Bello.

Jansen struck again in the bottom of the third. With two outs and two runners on, Bello yielded a two-run double to the Blue Jays catcher that brought in both Hernandez and Tapia to make it a 4-0 ballgame in favor of Toronto.

Bello ended his day by escaping a bases-loaded jam in the fourth. The 23-year-old hurler finished with a final pitch count of 87 (52 strikes) and induced eight swings-and-misses. He was charged with his eighth loss of the season as his ERA rose to 4.71.

In relief of Bello, fellow rookie Zack Kelly received the first call out of the Boston bullpen from manager Alex Cora. The righty served up a pair of solo homers to Hernandez and Jansen before giving up a run-scoring ground-rule double to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. with two outs in the fifth.

From there, Josh Winckowski — who was just called up from Triple-A Worcester — made the first relief appearance of his big-league career. The 24-year-old got through the sixth and seventh innings unscathed before running into some trouble in the eighth.

Gabriel Moreno and Matt Chapman led off the inning with back-to-back singles. Hernandez then plated Moreno on an RBI double to right field. Tapia followed with a run-scoring hit of his own before Jansen fittingly drove in his side’s 10th and final run on a sacrifice fly to right.

The trio of Hernandez, Tapia, and Jansen combined to go 9-for-15 with eight RBIs and seven runs scored for the Blue Jays. The Red Sox, meanwhile, were held to just five hits — all singles — as a team while going 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position and leaving six runners on base.

Rafael Devers accounted for two of the four hits the Sox got off Jays starter Ross Stripling, who wound up fanning three across six scoreless frames on Saturday. Four different Toronto relievers preserved the shutout effort by combining for three innings of one-hit ball.

All in all, the Red Sox were outhit, 21-5, in Saturday’s defeat to the Blue Jays. They have been outscored, 19-0, in the first two games of this series and are now 3-15 against Toronto this season with one game between the two teams remaining.

Next up: Wacha vs. Gausman

The Red Sox will wrap up their season series against the Blue Jays on Sunday afternoon. Michael Wacha will get the start for Boston while fellow righty Kevin Gausman will do the same for Toronto.

First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 1:37 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Alex Verdugo: Cole Burston/Getty Images)