Next stop, Globe Life Field.

Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet wrapped up his spring in style on Friday, striking out nine Pittsburgh Pirates batters over 5.1 scoreless innings in what should be his final tune up before taking the mound on Opening Day next Thursday.

The Red Sox went on to win 2-1.

Crochet allowed five hits and two walks on 90 pitches, working his way out of three jams to preserve the scoreless tie throughout his outing. The Pirates first tagged him for a single and a double to put runners on second and third with two outs in the first, but the left-hander was able to strike out Nick Gonzales to end the threat.

Then in the third Pittsburgh got two runners in scoring position again on a single and a walk, but Crochet drew a groundout to escape the jam unscathed.

Finally, after posting perfect fourth and fifth innings, Crochet came out for the sixth and immediately gave up a walk and two singles to load the bases with no outs. Manager Alex Cora gave him one more batter, and Crochet finished his outing on a high note by striking out Gonzales.

Reliever Zack Kelly came on and picked his starter up by immediately drawing an inning-ending double play on the first pitch he threw.

Crochet finishes the spring with 30 strikeouts in 15.2 innings, good for nearly two punchouts per frame. He allowed only one earned run in five starts, posting a 0.57 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .228 average.

It’s safe to say Crochet has been everything the Red Sox hoped he’d be so far. Now with the regular season approaching, the real test is about to begin.

Story scratched

Cora originally planned to field what could wind up being the Opening Day lineup Friday, but shortly before first pitch Trevor Story was scratched due to lower back tightness.

Nick Sogard started in his place, but otherwise every projected starter was on the field for the Red Sox. That included Kristian Campbell, who appears to have gained the upper hand in the battle for the everyday second base role. Campbell went 0 for 2 with a hit by pitch while helping complete the big sixth-inning double play.

The Red Sox managed only one hit into the eighth, but the bats finally came to life late as Boston scored two runs to pick up the win. After Campbell was hit by a pitch and Sogard singled, Ceddanne Rafaela drove in the go-ahead run with an RBI groundout to second and Rob Refsnyder followed with a two-out RBI single.

Bullpen competition winds down

With several key decisions remaining before the bullpen is set, Cora got one last look at four of the top remaining contenders.

Kelly was by far the most efficient, helping Crochet by recording an inning-ending double play on the only pitch he threw. Greg Weissert followed with a scoreless seventh, bouncing back from a horrible outing on March 17 in which he allowed six runs on 0.2 innings.

Outside of that one outlier Weissert has been excellent this spring, posting scoreless innings in each of the other seven games he appeared in.

Kelly and Weissert have both enjoyed success in the Red Sox bullpen before but can be freely optioned to and from Triple-A. The same can’t be said for Adam Ottavino and Matt Moore, who have opt-outs in their contracts and can hit the open market if they aren’t added to the big league roster.

Ottavino made a strong final case, striking out two in a scoreless eighth inning, and Moore allowed one run on two hits in the ninth to earn the save.

More cuts coming

While the Red Sox had not announced any more roster cuts as of Friday evening, several more decisions had reportedly been made by the time the club took the field against the Pirates.

According to MLB.com’s Ian Browne, the Red Sox plan to reassign right-hander Michael Fulmer to minor league camp. Fulmer, the former All-Star and AL Rookie of the Year, has not pitched since late 2023 due to injury but was among those contending for either a spot in the Red Sox rotation or the bulk relief role in the bullpen. The 32-year-old is now expected to start the season in Worcester and could still factor into the equation for the Red Sox pitching staff as the year goes along.

In addition, the Red Sox have also reportedly informed catcher Seby Zavala he will not make the team, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo and Chris Smith. Zavala was one of the last two remaining contenders for the back-up catcher spot, and with Friday’s move it appears the Red Sox will go with rookie Carlos Narvaez on the Opening Day roster behind starter Connor Wong.

According to MassLive, Zavala has an opt-out provision in his contract but planned to discuss his future with his agent before making a decision on whether to remain with the Red Sox or try to find a better situation elsewhere.

Fitts starting in Mexico

Richard Fitts will get the start on Monday when the Red Sox play their first of two exhibitions against Sultanes de Monterrey in Mexico, Cora told reporters on Friday, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne.

The move is the latest indicator Fitts will enter the season on the club’s Opening Day roster.

Fitts is believed to be the leader among the remaining contenders in the battle for the last two spots in the Red Sox rotation. The right-hander has posted a 2.45 ERA through five outings this spring, with 14 strikeouts and six walks in 14.2 innings. By starting Monday, Fitts would be in line to start the final game of the opening series against the Texas Rangers on six days rest next Sunday following Crochet, Tanner Houck and Walker Buehler.