Major Leagues launch their exhibition games

FORT MYERS, Florida, USA (AP) The Boston Red Sox wore green for St. Patrick's Day in their spring debut. Baseball fans might feel lucky.

“I'm glad we're finally getting started,” said Jeremy Porter, a Red Sox fan who traveled from Maine for the first exhibition duel.

When Byron Buxton, from Minnesota, showed up to the plate to face right-handed pitcher Michael Feliz, all the bitterness of the 99-day lockout seemed to be left behind. The Twins and Red Sox played the first exhibition duel of the year, one of four scheduled this Thursday before the rest begin on Friday.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora felt a chill on Wednesday when he received the Twins lineup card.

“It feels different,” Cora acknowledged. “When we received the Twins lineup last night, I said, 'Epa, this is real. '”

The spring games should have started 20 days ago, but the conflict over the economic side of the sport plunged baseball into a dark and long winter. The lockout ended a week ago and spring training began on Sunday. The race to open the delayed season on April 7 is underway.

It may be all forgotten or in the past, but there was happiness at Fenway South.

The fans came early and begged for autographs at batting practice. Behind the garden, a man and his young son played to catch the ball a few meters from where the minor league players trained. On the speakers they announced that the temperature in Boston was 10 degrees Celsius (50 F) — “not that bad,” he joked — before reporting that they were 27 degrees (82 F) on the first launch.

Minnesota manager Rocco Baldelli used most of his regular hitters for the 20-minute ride in Fort Myers: Buxton; Jorge Polanco and Miguel Sanó, as well as new receiver Gary Sanchez, were in the starting lineup.

Boston chose to leave J.D. Martinez, Rafael Devers and other incumbents in the practice fields. With only 18 show duels before the first day of the season, they will soon be at the diamond.

Bobby Dalbec excited the audience in the bottom of the first inning by hitting a two-run home run over the replica of the Green Monster in Florida.

A notable absence with the Red Sox was the beloved former player and commentator Jerry Remy, who passed away in October due to lung cancer. They placed a bouquet of flowers on his seat in the broadcast booth.