Sizemore's single in 12th lifts Red Sox over Reds

Emerging as the feel-good story of spring training, Grady Sizemore had come back down to earth. Mired in a 3-for-37 slump entering Tuesday’s homestand, the 31-year-old needed a spark to lift him out of his prolonged funk.

Sizemore’s hitting woes came to a screeching halt on Tuesday as the Boston Red Sox’s center fielder delivered with three-hits, none bigger than his Green Monster-smashing single that scored David Ortiz from second base in the 12^th inning. Sizemore’s wall-ball base knock lifted the Red Sox to a 4-3 victory over the visiting Cincinnati Reds.

The single gave Sizemore his fourth career walk-off hit, his first since Aug. 11, 2006, against the Kansas City Royals, then a member of the Cleveland Indians.

"It will never get old to walk off," said Sizemore, via SFGate.com. "I was just glad I could come through."

Coming up in the clutch, Sizemore proved he can be an integral piece to the Red Sox as they build toward restoring their dominance in the MLB.

"He feels like the game is coming back to him," Red Sox manager John Farrell said, via telegram.com. "With a walk-off hit like this, he feels he's contributing, not just some player coming back from an injury."

For Sizemore, a walk-off single builds confidence to a player looking to recapture his glory after injuries almost decimated his career.

"Honestly, considering everything else I've gone through, this is easy," Sizemore said, via MassLive.com. "This is fun."

The Red Sox are now 1-2 in extra innings contests at Fenway Park, posting a 2-2 record overall in extras.

Cincinnati Reds vs. Boston Red Sox Series Preview

The Boston Red Sox and Cincinnati Reds will square off on Tuesday for just the third time since battling on the national stage in the epic 1975 World Series. The Reds will visit Fenway Park for the first time since 2005 as they take on the defending champions for a quick midweek two-game series.

Homer Bailey (2-2) of the Reds will oppose the Red Sox’s Felix Doubront (1-3) in the series-opener. Bailey is fresh off his finest pitching performance of the season, hurling eight innings with just three runs allowed in a victory over the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. Faltering in each of his past three starts, Doubront has yet to make it through seven innings in 2014. The left-hander has been unable to record a victory since earning a win in his first start of the year.

The Red Sox do not have much experience against Bailey. The only players with more than two career at-bats against Bailey are Grady Sizemore (2-for-10) and Shane Victorino (4-for-11, HR).

Jake Peavy will look for some run support when he takes the mound for the series-finale. Peavy has been an imposing force in the Red Sox’s rotation, posting a 2.87 ERA with 36 strikeouts in 37 2/3 innings pitched. Peavy’s pedestrian 1-1 record does not reflect the season the right-hander has had thus far.

On the opposite side, Mike Leake, who knows what it feels like to be a hard-luck loser, will take the hill for the Reds. Leake (2-3) is coming off a dominant start in which he surrendered just two runs in eight innings, yet was hooked for the loss in a 2-0 defeat at the hands of the Brewers.

Receiving positive news on the injury front was Red Sox relief pitcher Edward Mujica, who dealt with discomfort in his right oblique as he warmed up in the bullpen in Saturday’s contest versus the Oakland A’s. Mujica will avoid a trip to the disabled list, according to Red Sox manager John Farrell.

“This isn't a DL situation as a result of the exam this morning," Farrell said, via MetroWest Daily News. "Likely unavailable today. Give him today and tomorrow ... to continue to receive treatment and see where we are when we open up against Cincinnati (on Tuesday)."

The Red Sox and Reds will both get a day off on Thursday, before each squad hits the road for its respective weekend series. These two clubs will meet again this year in Cincinnati for a two-game series on Aug. 12-13.

Did Red Sox strike gold with Grady Sizemore signing?

Grady Sizemore gets greeted by his teammates after launching a HR in the fourth inning. (Patrick Semansky/AP)

Playing in his first regular-season game since September of 2011, Grady Sizemore did not miss a beat in the Boston Red Sox’s 2-1 opening day loss to the Baltimore Orioles. Sizemore, suiting up for a non-exhibition contest for the first time in 922 days, went 2-for-4 with a single and a home run, accounting for the Red Sox’s only run of the day.

After singling off the Orioles’ Chris Tillman in his first plate appearance, Sizemore led off the fourth by crushing a 3-1 cutter over the right field fence of Camden Yards for a home run. The homer was the 31-year-old’s first since September 15, 2011, coming against none other than the right-hander Tillman, when Sizemore was a member of the Cleveland Indians.

“Today was very exciting. I couldn't wait to get to the ballpark,” Sizemore told reporters after Monday’s contest, per CBSBoston.com. “I was up first thing in the morning and definitely had a better appreciation for the game and all the little things that go into it. I think every day I’ve been here since spring training has been gratifying. I’m just happy to be back, happy to be healthy, looking forward to getting the opportunity to play and help contribute.”

Sizemore provided the Red Sox with its only offensive spark in the season-opener that saw the defending World Series champions strand a whopping 24 men on base.

Seven surgeries in a three-year span is enough reason to not get overly excited by the superb debut of Sizemore. Yet, the three-time All-Star has already put MLB on notice with his commendable play in his return to the league, becoming an early feel good story for the 2014 season.

“You’ve been gone for so long,” said Sizemore, per the Boston Globe. “You step in there, your first one, just have a good at-bat. Not necessarily get a hit, but just hit the ball hard, and it felt good.”

The center field position was viewed as potential hole for the Red Sox after Jacoby Ellsbury defected to the New York Yankees on a massive seven-year, $153 million deal. However, Sizemore dazzled the Sox this spring, giving the team hope at center field for the upcoming year.

Sizemore passed all the tests of spring training, never once reporting the slightest bit of pain or soreness, even after making diving catches and crashing into walls like he was once accustomed to doing. His ability to sacrifice his body for the team in games that did not even count in the standings was a fresh of breath air for the Sox, given how the departed Ellsbury was infamous for milking his trips on the disabled list until he was fully healthy.

Is it a stretch to assert the Sox upgraded their center field position with the addition of Sizemore? Maybe, but there is no denying that Sizemore was a better all-around talent in his heydays than Ellsbury in his respective prime (whether the Yankees’ outfielder has seen his best days is a mystery soon to be unraveled), and if Sizemore could return anything close to his old form, the Sox will not rue letting Ellsbury walk in the offseason.

Could Sizemore outperform Ellsbury in 2014? The fact that the question is even a realistic possibility speaks volumes to the strides taken by Sizemore in his comeback. Not bad for a guy that has a base salary of $750,000 for the upcoming season.

Red Sox place Shane Victorino on 15-day disabled list, recall Jackie Bradley Jr.

Shane Victorino will start the 2014 season on the DL (Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

The Boston Red Sox placed right field Shane Victorino on the 15-day disabled list with a right hamstring strain, just hours before their opening day tilt against the Baltimore Orioles. Victorino injured his right hamstring while running the bases in Saturday’s Grapefruit League finale against the Minnesota Twins. His DL stint is retroactive to March 30.

Rookie outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. has been recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket to take Victorino’s spot on the roster. Bradley Jr. batted just .158 in a dismal spring training, totaling almost double the amount of strikeouts (17) as hits (nine) in 19 exhibition contests. Bradley Jr. lost the competition for the starting center field spot to veteran Grady Sizemore, who emerged as one of the biggest surprises of spring training.

Manager John Farrell does not believe Victorino’s injury is serious, noting that his club will simply have to adjust in the short term without the “Flyin' Hawaiian."

“I don’t know that you look at it as troubling,” John Farrell said, per the Boston Herald. “You look at it as a situation that has to be managed. You’ve got to remain aware that you might have to change on the fly.”

The depth of the Red Sox will be relied upon in the absence of Victorino. Backup outfielder Jonny Gomes should see extended playing time with Victorino sidelined, along with utility man Mike Carp, who will start in left field and bat fifth for the Red Sox in their regular season opener.

Could Grady Sizemore Seize Starting Center Field Job?

The Boston Red Sox’s battle for the starting center field spot is heating up. With Jacoby Ellsbury defecting to the rival New York Yankees in the offseason, the general assumption was that Jackie Bradley Jr. would take over the duties in center. However, veteran center fielder Grady Sizemore, who has not suited up for a regular season game since 2011, could earn the nod on Opening Day.

Red Sox outfielder Grady Sizemore (38) at bat during spring training at JetBlue Park: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports

Sizemore has reached base in four of nine plate appearances in spring training. The former Cleveland Indians' star has also played commendable defense in center field thus far for the Sox. Still, Sizemore will have to prove that he can play on a consistent basis before snatching the starting job.

“The competition is there,” manager John Farrell told NESN.com reporters in Sarasota, Fla. on Saturday. “But we haven’t arrived at a conclusion with Grady yet. We’re hopeful that Monday and Tuesday he’s got a chance to go back-to-back days. We still have to get answers to some questions that aren’t there yet.”

This will be a telling week for Sizemore, who needs to show he is a reliable everyday player. While his days as a speed demon are long gone, the 31-year-old veteran’s emergence this spring can’t be ignored.

The ongoing struggles at the plate by Bradley Jr. may also open up the doors for Sizemore. Bradley Jr. is hitting just .190, recording more strikeouts (5) than hits (4) in spring training.