FORT MYERS, Fla. — It took only two minor-league simulated games for J.D. Martinez to hit a home run in a Red Sox uniform. But the long ball actually came off one of his teammates on the major league roster. It happened against someone he’s familiar with: Rick Porcello. The two played together for one season in Detroit, Martinez’s first with the Tigers and Porcello’s last.
It wasn't the first time Martinez [...]
FORT MYERS, Fla. — It took only two minor-league simulated games for J.D. Martinez to hit a home run in a Red Sox uniform. But the long ball actually came off one of his teammates on the major league roster. It happened against someone he’s familiar with: Rick Porcello. The two played together for one season in Detroit, Martinez’s first with the Tigers and Porcello’s last.
It wasn't the first time Martinez had taken Porcello deep, having faced each other six times. Martinez had gone 4-for-5 against the righty, leaving the yard once before hitting a hanging changeup over the right-center wall in one of the practice fields behind JetBlue Park in Fort Myers on Tuesday.
“That was a bad pitch,” Porcello said. “Walk into the dugout and J.D.’s like, ‘Oh you left it up.’ I’m like, ‘I know, J.D. I know what happened.’ That situation, first base open, I’m probably not pitching to J.D. right there. Not a good pitch and he did what he does with those.”
Martinez went on to finish 2-for-6 with the one home run and a walk in the controlled minor-league game. So far he’s 5-for-9 this spring with a double, home run and three RBI with four walks. He’ll finally get his first shot at Grapefruit League action on Wednesday.
As much as he’s been looking to play in the real games, Martinez realizes the opportunities in a controlled environment have been an effective way to prepare.
“It’s one of things, you know, you’re kind of like remembering how to hit again,” Martinez told The Standard-Times. “It’s just every at-bat, running through the game plans on what you’re trying to do, stuff like that. It’s good because you get so many different looks, so you can kind of game plan. You kind of start remembering again.”
The only thing Martinez has yet to do is get a second look at the same pitcher, going toe-to-toe only once against Porcello. The minor-league pitchers are throwing only one inning apiece right now. But it still gives Martinez a look at various arm slots and different types of pitchers.
“The downside of it is you don’t face the same guy twice,” he said. “You would like to do that where I say, ‘OK, now I’m going to go try my plan, see if it works.’ ”
Liked what he saw
Other than the home run by Martinez, Porcello thought everything went as anticipated in his appearance. He faced 15 batters over four innings, throwing 47 pitches, facing minor-league hitters, as well as Martinez, Eduardo Nunez, Mookie Betts, Mitch Moreland and Deven Marrero.
Porcello gave up four hits, one being the home run, while striking out three looking.
“Fastball was down for the most part, which is real nice,” Porcello said. “Got some ground balls with it. Good feedback from the guys that were in the box.
“I tried to maintain — obviously it’s tough because you’re facing your teammates — but trying to maintain that aggressive attitude that I want to have on the mound when I’m in a game. ... Just trying to treat it as game-like as possible and keep the intensity up. But the main focus was fastball, changeup, curveball. Throw the curveball for strikes and execute the changeup and sinker at the bottom of the zone and below.”
The one Red Sox hitter who participated in the game that didn’t face Porcello was Christian Vazquez, who went 3-for-5 with two doubles.
“He was very good,” Vázquez said of Porcello. “He was working in the changeup and did very good.”