Red Sox pass on qualifying offer for Moreland

The Red Sox chose not to make a qualifying offer for Mitch Moreland.

Red Sox secure Sale and Kimbrel

The Boston Red Sox exercised their options on Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel.

Leon homers to end Boston's 3-0, 12-inning win over Pirates

 Sandy Leon prolonged the game with a baserunning mistake in the third inning.

When Boston's catcher came up in the 12th, he ended it.

Leon hit a three-run homer - the first walkoff of his career - and Chris Sale pitched seven innings of three-hit ball in his Red Sox debut to lead Boston to a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night.

"It's nice to get the win. All the better to walk it off. It's special," said Sale, who was Boston's big acquisition of the offseason. "If you told me tonight it was going to be 0-0 in the 12th, I probably would have given you a crazy look."

Leon also doubled in the third inning but got thrown out at the plate after running through third base coach Brian Butterfield's stop sign. It was scoreless into the bottom of the 12th, when Antonio Bastardo (0-1) walked Jackie Bradley Jr. and Pablo Sandoval with one out.

Leon followed with a drive over the Green Monster to end a cold night for the Red Sox, who also beat Pittsburgh in the season opener on Monday.

"He certainly redeemed himself with the final swing tonight," manager John Farrell said.

Joe Kelly (1-0), the sixth Red Sox pitcher, earned the victory with two innings of one-hit relief as the Red Sox won their seventh straight interleague game at Fenway Park. The Pirates did not get a runner past first base.

"I'm not going to overcook this thing," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "That one swing makes it look bigger than it was, but there wasn't a lot of separation."

SALE OF THE CENTURY

Sale, who walked one and struck out seven, was acquired from the Chicago White Sox for a package of minor leaguers that included No. 1 prospect Yoan Moncada. He gave the Red Sox a rotation that included two Cy Young winners and three All-Stars.

"He was nasty," said Leon, who had three hits. "He was mixing his pitches, getting ahead in the count. He was fun to catch."

CLOSE CALLS

Jameson Taillon matched Sale's shutout for seven innings, allowing five hits while walking three and striking out six.

The Red Sox did threaten against him in the third, when Leon was thrown out at the plate by Andrew McCutchen, who had moved from center field to right this season. Newly acquired first baseman Mitch Moreland also hit a ball deep in the fourth, but McCutchen caught it at the short bullpen wall.

"I knew the wall was close," he said. "But I didn't realize how close until I hit it."

Boston loaded the bases with two outs in the 10th, thanks in part to a single by Leon, but Pirates closer Tony Watson retired opening day hero Andrew Benintendi on a weak grounder to second to end the inning.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Mookie Betts missed the game with the flu. Brock Holt and Robbie Ross were also stricken with a bug. ... David Price threw long toss from 100 feet and also made about 25 pitches from a mound. "The most encouraging thing is every throwing session he goes through, he comes out feeling good physically," manager John Farrell said. ... Bradley clutched his left leg after getting spiked on a stolen base in the 12th, but he remained in the game. Afterward, he said his leg was "great."

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Chad Kuhl (5-4 in 2016) will pitch the series finale.

Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7 last season) makes his 2017 debut in the matinee game.

Benintendi lifts Red Sox over Pirates 5-3 in post-Ortiz era

Rookie Andrew Benintendi hit a three-run homer that capped a five-run fifth inning, and the Boston Red Sox began their post-David Ortiz era by beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-3 in Monday's opener.

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Rick Porcello (1-0) gave up three runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out five. Craig Kimbrel retired Starling Marte on a game-ending popup with two on for the save.

Playing the team it beat in the first World Series in 1903, Boston opened against a National League opponent for just the second time.

Gerrit Cole (0-1), the first overall pick in the 2011 amateur draft, gave up five runs and seven hits in five innings.

Ortiz retired after last season after helping the Red Sox win three Series titles, their first since 1918.

Even without Ortiz, there was still plenty of pageantry at Fenway Park.

The ceremonial first pitch was attended a quintet of members Super Bowl champion New England Patriots headlined by MVP quarterback Tom Brady, who made the toss. They were joined by owner Robert Kraft and all five of the franchise's Lombardi trophies.

It may have brought the hometown team some good luck.

Boston had only two hits before Jackie Bradley Jr.'s two-out triple to right in the fifth. He scored the first run after Pablo Sandoval beat out a sharp grounder to shortstop Jordy Mercer.

Sandy Leon bunted his way on, Sandoval scored on Dustin Pedroia's line-drive single up the middle and Benintendi homered.

Porcello allowed only three hits through six innings. Josh Harrison had an RBI single in the seventh, and the Pirates added two runs off Matt Barnes before before Andrew McCutchen struck out for the third time.

TRAINERS ROOM

Red Sox: LHP David Price (left elbow) is still working on increasing his throwing distances and is set to throw again Tuesday. ,,, Manager John Farrell said RHP Tyler Thornburg (right shoulder) is still isn't throwing.

UP NEXT

Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon has a 5-4 record and 3.38 ERA in 18 starts with the Pirates.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale makes his Boston debut after being acquired in an offseason trade with the White Sox.

Panda among quartet of Sox with happy return to action

It seemed like everywhere you looked, someone from the Red Sox was making a comeback from a prolonged absence on Thursday.

Those stories, and Mitch Moreland's three-run homer in his first game action with Boston, are what made the 9-6 victory over Northeastern in the opening of spring exhibition play most meaningful.

Considering what Pablo Sandoval (left shoulder labrum surgery), Blake Swihart (left ankle surgery), Sam Travis (torn ACL in left knee) and starting pitcher Brian Johnson (anxiety/depression) were coming back from, this was a special day.

"Especially the first day, things were a little bit of a challenge because of all the months I missed playing," said Sandoval. "I feel excited to be back on the field."

Sandoval played for the first time since last April 10 and smashed a double in his second at-bat, while handling all of his chances cleanly at third. He is hoping to win back the starting job he lost last Spring Training.

"Panda, it's been nearly a year since he's been in a game, and he handled three balls cleanly," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "Good to see the swing he puts on a ball for a double down the right-field line. Regardless of who the opponent is, when you miss that much time and you come back, and in his case in particular, where he's put a lot of work, it's good to see it get off on a positive note."

With abandon, Sandoval belly-flopped into second on his double. He acknowledged later that feet-first would probably be a better approach considering the type of surgery he had.

"I'm not supposed to [dive], but you don't think about it," Sandoval said. "That's the way I play."

Swihart's 2016 season ended on June 4 when he jammed his left ankle into the base of the side wall in left field at Fenway Park. But there he was against Northeastern, stroking a single up the middle in his first at-bat and hauling all the way home from first to score on a double by Steve Selsky.

"It feels good," said Swihart, who is in competition with Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez in the catching derby. "That was my first time running around the bases again, and going first to home felt fine. Every first game, everybody's adrenaline should be going. I was excited. June 4 was a long time ago. I was ready to get out there."

So, too, was Travis, who had a monster Spring Training last year for the Red Sox, only to go down for the season on May 29 while playing for Triple-A Pawtucket. In the bottom of the third, Travis, ranked No. 4 among Red Sox prospects, drilled one over the replica Green Monster at JetBlue Park for a three-run shot.

"It was great," Travis said. "Hit it pretty far foul, but the wind took it back so it worked out.

Then there is Johnson, who feels like his old self physically and mentally again. The No. 12-rated Red Sox prospect struck out three over a pair of hitless innings.

"A ton better," said Johnson. "Night and day. It doesn't even compare to [last year], to be honest."

"There were a number of positive things inside an exhibition game today," said Farrell.

Source: Moreland agrees to 1-year deal with Red Sox

The Red Sox capped their wild Tuesday at the Winter Meetings by agreeing to terms with first baseman Mitch Moreland on a one-year deal that is contingent on a physical, MLB.com has learned.

MLB Network contributor Ken Rosenthal was first to report the news, which the Red Sox have not confirmed yet. MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi reported the deal is worth $5.5 million.

Assuming the signing comes to fruition, the Red Sox seemingly filled all of their offseason needs in one day.

Earlier on Tuesday, Boston acquired five-time All-Star ace Chris Sale from the White Sox and stud righty setup man Tyler Thornburg from the Brewers. The one other piece that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was seeking was a left-handed-hitting first baseman.

That piece is Moreland, who won the American League Gold Glove Award in 2016 while playing for the Texas Rangers.

Red Sox manager John Farrell said shortly before the Moreland news came out that Hanley Ramirez -- Boston's first baseman in 2016 -- will spend the majority of his time at designated hitter in '17.

While speaking last weekend in the Dominican Republic, Ramirez sounded enthusiastic about switching to DH to replace his close friend David Ortiz, who retired at the end of the season, if that's what the Red Sox needed.

The 31-year-old Moreland hit .233/.298/.422 with 22 home runs and 60 RBIs in 147 games for the Rangers in 2016. His best season was '15, when he had an .812 OPS to go with 23 homers and 85 RBIs.

When the Red Sox parted with Travis Shaw to acquire Thornburg, a first baseman became a pressing need.

It took Dombrowski just hours to fill it.

Boston's lineup has a strong core of right-handed hitters, led by Mookie Betts, Ramirez, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts. Moreland joins Jackie Bradley Jr. and Andrew Benintendi from the left side. Pablo Sandoval and Sandy Leon are switch-hitters.

Red Sox acquire Sale for Moncada, 3 others

The Red Sox have agreed to acquire All-Star left-hander Chris Sale from the White Sox for infielder Yoan Moncada, right-hander Michael Kopech and two other prospects, a source told MLB.com's Jon Paul Morosi.

MLB Network contributor Ken Rosenthal originally reported the deal. The clubs have not confirmed.

• Hot Stove Tracker

Moncada is the top prospect in baseball, and Kopech was Boston's No. 5-ranked prospectand No. 67 overall according to MLBPipeline.com. The other two prospects going to the White Sox are outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe (ranked No. 8 in Boston's farm system) and right-hander Victor Diaz (No. 28).

Sale, who turns 28 in March, went 17-10 with a 3.34 ERA last season, striking out 233 and walking 45 in 226 2/3 innings.

Moncada, a 21-year-old infielder from Cuba, hit .294/.407/.511 with 15 home runs and 62 RBIs in 106 games between Class A Advanced Salem and Double-A Portland in 2016.

The 20-year-old Kopech, who was Boston's first-round pick in the 2014 Draft, went 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA in 12 starts between Class A Short-Season Lowell and Class A Advanced Salem this past season.

The Nationals had also been in the mix to land Sale, and reportedly were willing to offer their two top prospects -- Lucas Giolito and Victor Robles, ranked No. 3 and No. 10 overall, respectively -- in a package for the southpaw.

Red Sox land Thornburg for Shaw, 2 prospects

The Red Sox accomplished their top priority of the offseason on Tuesday morning, acquiring righty setup man Tyler Thornburg in a trade with the Brewers, team president Dave Dombrowski announced.

Travis Shaw, who was Boston's primary third baseman in 2016, will move to Milwaukee in the deal. The Red Sox are also sending two prospects -- shortstop Mauricio Dubon and right-hander Josh Pennington -- as well as a player to be named or cash considerations.

All offseason, Dombrowski mentioned how much the club needed a reliever to pitch the eighth inning in front of All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel. On the second day of the Winter Meetings, Dombrowski got his man in Thornburg, who was a stud for the Brewers last season.

Backed by a mid- to high-90s fastball and a plus curveball, the 28-year-old Thornburg notched a 2.15 ERA with 13 saves in 67 games in a breakout '16. In fact, Thornburg handled the closer role for the Brewers the final two months of the season after Jeremy Jeffress was dealt to Texas.

A key component to the deal is that Thornburg is entering his first year of arbitration, which means the Red Sox have his contractual rights for the next three seasons.

With Thornburg expected to earn a salary slightly above $2 million in 2017, the Red Sox should have some money left to acquire a bat -- preferably a left-handed hitter. Free agent Pedro Alvarez is a name that has come up on the rumor mill.

Dombrowski said the Red Sox would like to stay below the luxury tax, which would likely preclude the club from signing a big-name free agent like Edwin Encarnacion or Jose Bautista.

Thornburg and Kimbrel will front a bullpen that also includes righties Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes, Heath Hembree and lefty Robbie Ross Jr. Veteran Clay Buchholz will be part of the mix if he doesn't win a spot in the rotation.

The acquisition of Thornburg all but closes the door on the Red Sox re-signing 41-year-old Koji Uehara, their World Series hero from 2013 and a key piece of the bullpen for four seasons. Free agent Brad Ziegler is also expected to move on.

Shaw beat out Pablo Sandoval for the starting third-base job last Spring Training and had a hot start, but he went cold down the stretch. The left-handed hitter hit .242/.306/.421 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs in 145 games for the Red Sox, and he brings another left-handed bat to the Brewers' right-handed heavy lineup.

Dubon was Boston's No. 12 prospect on MLBPipeline.com's 2016 midseason re-rank. He hit .323/.379/.461 with six home runs, nine triples and 31 doubles in 124 games between two Minor League levels in 2016, reaching Double-A. He enters the Brewers' Top 30 Prospects list at No. 9.

Pennington, who had been Boston's No. 22 prospect, was 5-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 13 starts for Class A Short-Season Lowell in 2016.

Thornburg has a 2.87 career ERA in 144 Major League games (10 starts) in five seasons with Milwaukee.

The Red Sox selected Shaw in the ninth round in the 2011 Draft, and he made it to the Majors in '15.

In 210 games, Shaw had a slash line of .251/.312/.442, with 29 homers and 107 RBIs.

Ramirez mashes 2 HRs as Sox beat D-backs

 Hanley Ramirez already had a monster night by the second inning, smashing a pair of three-run homers that helped David Price and the Red Sox roll to a 9-4 victory over the D-backs in Friday night's opener of a three-game series at Fenway Park.

The big swings by Ramirez in his first two at-bats were a most welcome sight, considering he left Thursday's game with back soreness after a nasty collision with the Yankees' Gary Sanchez.

"I don't think I have to be 100 percent to play at this point in the season to go out there," said Ramirez. "We know where we are. We're right there. It's go time."

Price was effective if unspectacular, allowing 10 hits and three runs over eight innings. The lefty walked one and struck out eight, improving to 10-8 with his first win since July 10.Rickie Weeks Jr. took him deep for a two-run homer in the first, but Ramirez got him the lead back with one big swing in the bottom of the first.

"I'm happy we won," said Price. "That's what I came here for, is to help these guys win. And that was a good win after two tough losses against the Yankees and we needed that."

Ramirez's first homer off a sign behind the Monster Seats had an exit velocity of 113 mph and was projected by Statcast™ to land 411 feet away from home plate. His laser to center in the second left the bat at 103 mph and was projected to land 426 feet away. Boston led, 8-2, after two.

"Obviously they did a good job hitting," D-backs manager Chip Hale said of the Red Sox. "I give them credit. We just were not ready in the first."

Tuffy Gosewisch ripped a solo shot to left against Price in the fifth. David Ortiz smashed his 26th home run -- and first since July 26 -- in the seventh. Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia left the game in the third inning due to flu-like symptoms.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
JBJ's quick redemption: Jackie Bradley Jr. lost his footing in pursuit of a routine fly ball byJean Segura that turned into a triple to start the game. And then, on the next pitch, Bradley came racing in to make a fine running catch against Phil Gosselin. Bradley swiftly fired the ball home, and Segura changed his mind about trying to score and tried to scamper back to third. Catcher Bryan Holaday took the throw from Bradley and then gunned the ball down to third, and Segura was tagged out for a double play. Bradley's 12 assists leads all Major League center fielders.

"You definitely just have to stay with it," said Bradley. "I wanted to be able to make a play and make up for not catching the first ball." More >

Defense costs Corbin: Segura committed an error to start off the bottom of the first and third baseman Jake Lamb also misplayed a ball later in the frame. The errors led to all four of the runs being unearned and they cost Corbin a lot of pitches. Had Segura turned the Pedroia liner into an out, Corbin would have escaped the first having thrown 11 pitches. Instead it took him 40.

"Patrick goes out and was throwing strikes, actually had pretty good stuff, up to 94 mph today and we make some errors," Hale said. "It's like we just weren't ready to go."

Papi's latest milestone: Ortiz's rocket to center for a solo homer gave him 1,000 extra-base hits with the Red Sox. The veteran slugger became just the third player in club history to reach that milestone, joining first-ballot Hall of Famers Ted Williams and Carl Yastrzemski. The Giants are the only other club to have three players (Willie Mays, Mel Ott and Barry Bonds) produce 1,000 extra-base hits.

"When his timing is on, it's such easy power from him, and that was the case again tonight," said Red Sox manager John Farrell. "He's in with those two other names in the history of this franchise, and that's a special sentence when you're in with those two guys. We're fortunate to be able to watch it. A thousand extra-base hits is almost mind-boggling to get your arms around -- the kind of production that takes for a long, long time."

Bullpen save: When your starter lasts just 1 2/3 innings it can take quite a toll on the 'pen. Unless you get a performance like the one turned in by Zack Godley. The right-hander saved the pen by tossing 5 1/3 innings in relief. In addition to sparing the relievers, he also kept the game close by allowing just one run.

"Godley did a great job stepping in there and picking me up and was able to save the bullpen tonight, which was huge," Corbin said.

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
Ramirez has been a machine at Fenway of late, driving in 20 runs in his last 11 games.

UPON REVIEW
Red Sox infielder Aaron Hill was called safe at first on a grounder to second in the fifth inning. The D-backs challenged the ruling on the field, and after a one-minute review, the call was overturned and Hill was called out.

WHAT'S NEXT
Road team: Archie Bradley, who's posted a 2.06 ERA over his last six road starts, takes the Fenway mound on Saturday at 4:10 MST.

Red Sox: Clay Buchholz makes his temporary return to the rotation on Saturday, filling in for the ailing Steven Wright. This is Buchholz's first start since July 2. He has thrived in the bullpen of late. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Lights out: Yankees rally past Red Sox

The Fenway Park crowd was electric with hostility each time Alex Rodriguezcame to the plate on Thursday night, but they were reduced to groans when the Red Sox let a second straight rivalry game get away in a 4-2 defeat to the Yankees in the rubber match of a three-game series.

The Bronx Bombers scored three in the eighth against Brad Ziegler to quickly overturn the 2-1 lead Red Sox lefty Eduardo Rodriguez departed with.

Gary Sanchez, Aaron Hicks and Brett Gardner got the rally started with singles. With the bases loaded and one out, Jacoby Ellsbury hit a liner to left that Andrew Benintendi lost in the lights for a two-run double.

"It went in the lights but that's no excuse," Benintendi said. "I should have caught it."

A-Rod (0-for-4) hit a dribbler in front of the plate in his final Fenway at-bat that scored Gardner for an insurance run.

"Not how I pictured it when I woke up this morning," Rodriguez said, "but definitely glad that run came in and we won the game."

E-Rod was marvelous for Boston, allowing three hits and a run while walking one and striking out six over seven innings. It was the second straight night a Boston starter left with a lead and had to settle for a no-decision. The lefty came out after 93 pitches, as Red Sox manager John Farrell felt his best chance to win was for Ziegler and Craig Kimbrel to pitch the last two innings.

"Where we were in the lineup with the guys that have done damage to him up to that point, felt like with Ziegler and Kimbrel available, turn it over to those two guys to close it out," said Farrell. "He did an outstanding job for those seven innings of work. On a hot, muggy night, I felt like that was the time to make a move."

Yankees right-hander Michael Pineda held Boston to two runs over six innings despite allowing eight hits.

The loss dropped the Red Sox three games behind the Blue Jays in the American League East and a half-game ahead for the second AL Wild Card.

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
Blinded by the light(s): Benintendi has had a stellar start to his Red Sox career, but he was frustrated by his inability to snare Ellsbury's liner at the crucial point of the game. In fairness, it's hard to catch what you can't see.

"Not much you can do about it," Benintendi said. "I tried to put my glove up where I thought it was going to be. It just went right over my glove."

A-Rod bids Fenway adieu: Playing in the penultimate game of his career in the ballpark where he made his Major League debut at the age of 18 while with the Mariners, Rodriguez provided the game's game last run.

"Kind of a funny hit at the end," Rodriguez said. "I just really was thinking about getting one run in, at least, and extending our lead."

Ortiz heats right up: It didn't take long for David Ortiz to show he was over the right shin injury he suffered in Wednesday's game. In the first pitch of his first at-bat on Thursday, the slugger rifled a ground-rule double into the corner in right. He even scored from second on a single to center by Hanley Ramirez. Ortiz finished 1-for-3. Ramirez left the game in the bottom of the eighth after jarring his back trying to make a play at first base in the top of the inning. More >

Romine rocks one: E-Rod threw a hanging slider to first baseman Austin Romine in the third inning and Romine got all of it, belting a solo homer over the Green Monster to tie the game at 1. It was his fourth home run and 20th RBI of the season, both career highs.

QUOTABLE
"It will be pretty good for my Instagram account." -- Rodriguez, on a photo he took next to a No. 13 inside the Green Monster before Thursday's game

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
In his young career, Eduardo Rodriguez has been masterful against the Yankees, going 4-1 with a 1.88 ERA in six starts.

WHAT'S NEXT
Yankees: A-Rod will play what could be the last game of his career at Yankee Stadium against the Rays on Friday. He is expected to start at designated hitter after manager Joe Girardi declined his request to play third base. A ceremony honoring Rodriguez will begin at 6:50 p.m. ET before first pitch at 7:35. Yankees southpaw CC Sabathia (6-9, 4.18 ERA) will make the start for New York.

Red Sox: Lefty David Price is still in search of more consistency in his first season in Boston. Last time out against the Dodgers, Price gave up six hits and six runs (three earned) over six innings. At Fenway, Price is 6-3 with a 4.33 ERA. On Friday, he'll take the mound at 7:10 p.m. against the D-backs, who occupy last place in the National League West.