In a game that featured over two dozen hits, more shoddy fielding by the home team and some scintillating defensive plays by the visitors, the New York Mets lost to the Boston Red Sox, 9-3, at First Data Field. However, the main concern is on a hit by pitch to Met shortstop Amed Rosario that happened in the fifth inning by Red Sox pitcher Mike Shawaryn. Rosario was hit on the left hand and was replaced immediately by Andres Giminez. As of this writing, X-rays were taken that were negative. Mets manager Mickey Callaway feels that Rosario will be fine.

The defending champion Red Sox showed throughout the game the little things that made them a 108 win team last year on the way to a championship. They had four hits on 0-2 counts, and sprayed the ball to all fields in the victory. They also flashed some serious leather as Red Sox outfielder Tate Matheny robbed Michael Conforto of extra bases in the fifth and a diving play at short by C.J. Chatham off the bat of Braxton Lee that sent oohs and aahs through the crowd in the eighth.

The Mets continued their sloppy play in the field as they committed their 19th error of the spring in the sixth when third baseman J.D. Davis airmailed a throw to first allowing De La Guerra to score. De La Guerra reached on a triple that fell between Keon Broxton and Conforto untouched. Broxton failed to score from second on a double by Juan Uriarte in the bottom of the frame as he was thrown out at the plate. The 19 errors the Mets have committed lead all teams this spring.

Pitching

Steven Matz started this afternoon for the Mets and lasted 2 2/3 innings allowing five hits, four earned runs, two walks and two strikeouts throwing 51 pitches.

After allowing no runs in the first, Matz got tagged for four in the second. He issued a walk to Sam Travis and Tony Renda and after two were out allowed an RBI single to Chad De La Guerra. That was followed by a towering 3-run home run off the bat off Gorkys Hernandez to give Boston a 4-0 lead.

Matz was lifted in the third for Arquimedes Caminero who got the final out of the third.

In the fourth, Jeurys Familia came in on short rest and retired the Bosox in order after sitting through a four-minute rain delay. Familia also pitched on Saturday.

Justin Wilson entered the game in the fifth inning. He gave up four hits in the inning and two runs on an RBI single by Sam Travis and on a force play by Tony Renda. This gave the Red Sox a 6-1 lead.

Boston plated another pair in the sixth inning off of the Mets fifth pitcher of the day, Eric Hanhold. An RBI ground out by Juan Centeno and an RBI single by Jarren Duran made the score 8-1

Seth Lugo pitched an effective seventh and eighth innings for the Mets facing just seven batters while striking out two.

Daniel Zamora came in to pitch the ninth for the Mets and gave up an RBI single to Danny Mars to give Boston its final run. All told the Sox stroked 14 hits for the game.

Offense

The Mets had 13 hits in the game with Robinson Cano, Dominic Smith and Tim Tebow each swatting a pair.

New York scored its first run in the third. Rosario singled and moved to second on a HBP to Conforto. Wilson Ramos then delivered an RBI single scoring Rosario to cut the Boston lead to 4-1.

The Mets scored two runs in the seventh after two were out. Patrick Mazeika started things off with a single and was promptly brought home by J.D. Davis who doubled. Smith brought him home on his second hit off the day (and sixth RBI of the spring) to make the score 8-3.

Again, it appears that Amed Rosario will be alright and my colleagues here at MMO will be reporting on this development in other articles with up to the moment news.

On Deck

The Mets travel to Jupiter to play the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. On Wednesday, the team will have a well-deserved day off. Jason Vargas will take the mound for New York opposed by Sandy Alcantara for Miami. First pitch is at 1:05 PM and there is no local TV or radio coverage.