Farrell gives prospects chance to experience Majors

BOSTON -- Earlier this week, the Red Sox invited top pitching prospects Anthony Ranuado and Matt Barnes to spend some time at Fenway Park and observe some of the goings-on of life in the Majors. Neither pitcher was added to the roster, and they watched the games from the stands.

What were the Red Sox trying to accomplish with the two right-handers?

"We just got them exposed to some of the things that our pitchers go through both in terms of a team advance, an advance report or pitcher/catcher meeting, to see how it's applied in-game," said manager John Farrell. "It was the first time they've sat in the stands here in a regular-season game and it gave them a chance to understand the speed of the game a little bit more.

"And at the same time, there's a guy that they were pitching with two months ago that's pitching here, or there's a couple of guys that were. That might serve as the best benefit in all of this. It's a reminder to them of how close they are, but having outlined some of the specifics that the individual guy needs to be consistent with, in terms of delivery, pitches, all those things. But this was to try to draw closer their inevitable arrival here."