FORT MYERS, Fla. -- After fighting a losing battle with his mechanics in his first two starts of Spring Training, Garrett Richards won that battle on Friday and demonstrated the type of performance the Red Sox envisioned when they signed him in the offseason.

“The stuff you saw the last two innings, that’s what we’re betting on,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “This guy, stuff-wise, is one of the best in the league. He should be fine. Physically, he’s in a great place. Mechanically he’s been working hard in between starts. Today we saw the results.”

Facing a competitive Rays lineup that included World Series hero Randy Arozarena and top prospect Wander Franco, Richards powered through four innings, allowing just one hit while walking three and striking out seven in an 8-2 win by the Red Sox.

“Today was definitely better,” said Richards. “It’s Spring Training. We’re working on stuff. It wasn’t necessarily there at the beginning of Spring Training, but we’re making some big strides in between with work that me and [pitching coach Dave Bush] are doing in our [bullpen sessions], cleaning up some mechanical stuff.”

The most significant thing with Richards is that he is a full-go physically, and that’s a big deal for someone who hasn’t logged more than 100 innings in any season since 2015.

“Physically, I feel great. This is probably the best Spring Training I’ve felt in a while physically, but right now, it’s just matching up my mechanics with my timing, keeping my delivery simple, trying not to do too much,” said Richards. “Like I said, we put in some really good work in the middle of this week to get me ready for this start, and I think it’s trending in the right direction, so I’m happy with it.”

Richards slots third in Boston's projected rotation behind Eduardo Rodriguez and Nathan Eovaldi. The Red Sox signed him to a one-year, $10 million deal that includes an option for ’22.

“The most important thing, like I said, after he faced the Braves, I asked him [again] today, ‘Are you healthy?’ He was like, ‘Yes.’ OK, that’s all that matters. He’s going to keep working, trying to get better, and he’ll be ready for the season,” said Cora.

Sawamura nervous ‘in a good way’
The butterflies were churning in a good way for Japanese righty Hirokazu Sawamura, who made his Grapefruit League debut for the Red Sox on Friday.

This was the first time Sawamura has pitched in a game in the Major Leagues. After retiring the first two batters, Sawamura hit a wall, allowing a double and three straight walks and exiting the game.

“Just thinking back to my outing today, I was nervous but in a good way, and I think I was trying to do too much out there on the mound,” Sawamura said. “I think I had my pitches at the beginning of the inning, but after giving up the double, I think I kind of lost my command.”

Sawamura will make his next appearance on Monday in Port Charlotte against the Rays again.

“You can see the stuff,” said Cora. “Like I told you guys before the game, this is about getting his feet wet, getting the repetitions. Forget the results. I think it’s about the process, but we saw it. The split is hard. He has a good fastball. He wasn’t able to get out of the inning, but that doesn’t really matter. We’re just happy that he’s here, he’s getting his work in, and now he’s going to continue to build up.”

Casas ‘a full-go’
It has been slow going this spring for No. 1 Red Sox prospect Triston Casas, who flew back to Boston last week for a non-baseball medical issue and then had to wait a few days to clear COVID-19 protocols upon his return to Fort Myers to get back on the field.

Casas, a corner infielder with a big bat, now has full clearance to participate in all activities and could play in a game this weekend.

“He’s back,” said Cora. “We had the morning meeting and [trainer] Brad [Pearson] gave him a full-go with everything, so hopefully we can get him a few at-bats in games. It will be important for the organization and for the kid, too. Let’s see how he feels in the next two days and we’ll try to get him up there. He’s a hard worker. For the time that he missed, it seems like he didn’t miss much. Physically, he’s in good shape. He’s amazing at taking care of himself. So hopefully by the weekend we can get him a few at-bats on the big field.”

Up next
The Red Sox are home again Saturday, as the Braves come to town. Lefty Martín Pérez will make the start. Xander Bogaerts, who made his Grapefruit League debut on Friday, will serve as the DH for the second straight day. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET at JetBlue Park.