METS, 4, RED SOX 1
Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Thursday, March 15

Red Sox at the plate: Boston had two singles and a double and struck out nine times in five innings against Oliver Perez. Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz and Josh Beckett struck out twice each. Beckett had been forbidden to swing by manager Terry Francona. The Mets wouldn't allow the Sox to use a designated hitter. The Sox struck out 14 times in the first eight innings against Perez, Pedro Feliciano, rookie Joe Smith and Scott Schoeneweis.

Mets at the plate: Shawn Green hit his second home run of the spring, to center field against Beckett in the fourth. Green also had a single. The Mets scored twice in the second, when the Red Sox committed two errors, one run scoring on a broken-bat single by Jose Valentin.

Red Sox on the mound: Beckett allowed three runs, two earned, in five innings. He walked none, struck out six and allowed five hits.

Mets on the mound: Perez made the most impressive start by a Mets pitcher this spring, shutting out the Sox on three hits in five innings. He was more pleased with the absence of walks than he was with the nine strikeouts. He tired somewhat in the fifth -- it was his first time pitching more than four innings -- after throwing 40 strikes in his first 60 pitches. Smith struck out two in the seventh after trowing his first pitch to Ramirez behind the Red Sox slugger.

Grapefruit League records: Red Sox 7-9-1, Mets 6-10-1.

Up next: The Mets play the Marlins in Jupiter, Fla., on Friday night at 7:05 ET, with Tom Glavine making his fourth start of the exhibition season. He'll be followed by the hardest throwers in Mets' camp -- Ambiorix Burgos and Lino Urdaneta. Florida will start Sergio Mitre and follow him with Yusmerio Petit and, after two others, Henry Owens.

Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima will pitch for the Red Sox in Vero Beach, Fla., against the Dodgers on Friday at 1:05 p.m. Brad Penny starts for Los Angeles.