RED SOX : News & Notes March 6,2014.

RED SOX : NEWS & NOTES
March 6,2014.

~Instant Replay Debut : The Red Sox had their first encounter with Major League Baseball's new instant replay system during Wednesday's 8-6 Grapefruit League loss to the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. MLB has selected certain games throughout Spring Training in which to test the system.In the bottom of the eighth inning, the Cardinals' Stephen Piscotty hit a comebacker to Noe Ramirez, who started an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play by firing to second baseman Heiker Meneses. St. Louis runner Joey Butler was called out at second, a ruling which manager Mike Matheny asked the umpires to review.Crew chief Jerry Meals put on a headset to communicate with an additional umpire watching the replay from a truck, and the out call was confirmed. The entire process, beginning with Matheny emerging from the dugout, took less than two minutes.In the meantime, the Red Sox defenders left the field, and the Cardinals' next reliever came onto it. Neither is supposed to happen."You know, the awkwardness is gonna be that inning-ending play," manager John Farrell said. "What we've been informed is that the umpires will hold the defensive team on the field. We came off the field."If you've got to call a team out of the dugout, particularly a pitcher, they're trying to avoid that delay for a pitcher having to go into the dugout and sit. But it's a work in progress. We're just seeing it for the first time."In Spring Training, managers are allowed an unlimited number of challenges in selected games to practice the procedure. During the regular season, managers will have at least one challenge to use. If any portion of a challenged play is overturned, then the manager who challenged the play will retain the ability to challenge one more play during the game. No manager may challenge more than two plays in a game. Once the manager has exhausted his ability to challenge plays during the game and after the beginning of the seventh inning, the crew chief may choose to invoke instant replay on any reviewable call.

~Ranaudo has rough outing : After an impressive Grapefruit League debut, right-hander Anthony Ranaudo endured a tough outing on Wednesday, giving up five runs (three earned) in 1 1/3 innings. He allowed six hits and walked two, although his defense didn't give him much help. The 24-year-old was having trouble repeating his delivery and harnessing his breaking ball."I should have just trusted my stuff and done a better job of just being aggressive and going after guys and keeping my mindset the whole time even when things were kind of getting out of whack," he said. "I should have trusted my delivery and been aggressive."

~Catchers making progress : David Ross and A.J. Pierzynski, both dealing with minor left foot injuries, are "making progress," according to Farrell. Ross is slated to be back in the lineup on Friday, with the club targeting a Saturday return for Pierzynski.

Nava homers in leadoff spot : Daniel Nava, one of the top candidates to draw assignments in the leadoff spot this season, started there on Wednesday and jump started the offense with a home run to right field off Shelby Miller. Nava now has homered from both sides of the plate this spring.