Park strikes out three times; Polanco homers as Twins open exhibition season with 7-4 win

FORT MYERS, Fla. – It was 3:20 a.m. in Seoul, South Korea, when Byung Ho Park stepped to the plate for the first time as a major leaguer on Wednesday. So hopefully, nobody back home was awake.

By the time the sun rose in Park's homeland, his dud of a debut was over. The Twins, behind Jorge Polanco's two-run homer, opened their 26th Grapefruit League season in Fort Myers with a 7-4 victory over Boston at JetBlue Park, but none of the offense was provided by the slugger from across the Pacific. Park struck out all three times he batted, twice ending innings with runners in scoring position.

"It was the first game, so I've got to admit, I was a little bit nervous," Park said through an interpreter. "It's the first game. … I'm feeling good. I'm glad I got the first one out of the way."

Still, he undoubtedly hoped for a more rousing introduction to American baseball, especially when he came to the plate with the bases loaded in the first inning. But after missing a 1-1 changeup from Boston starter Henry Owens, Park swung through a fastball to end the inning.

In the third, he swung and missed three consecutive fastballs from Noe Ramirez, leaving runners stranded on first and second, and in the fifth, he took a breaking ball from Anthony Varvaro for strike three, ending his first day in disappointment.

"I'm sure he was excited, possibly a little nervous," manager Paul Molitor said. "You just pat him on the back and encourage him with patience. He's just trying to get a feel for how things are going to flow here."

Park said the pitchers weren't particularly different than what he's used to, but that, like all hitters, he needs time to develop his timing.

"It's just the first game. This time of year, the pitchers are far ahead of the position players," he said. "I'm just tracking the ball, trying to get ready for the season."

So are Phil Hughes and Miguel Sano, and their results were more intriguing. Hughes needed only 20 pitches to complete his two innings, with a first-pitch double play by Pablo Sandoval moving things along, too. "I was around the plate and executed some off-speed stuff," Hughes said. "Neither inning was too tough on me."

The Red Sox made sure Sano wouldn't be too tough on them, refusing to give the Twins slugger anything to hit. Sano walked all three times he came to the plate.

Byron Buxton struck out twice but singled home the Twins' first run of the spring in the fourth inning, scoring John Ryan Murphy from second base. Polanco provided two more runs with a two-run shot over the replica Green Monster in the fifth inning, and John Hicks and Reynaldo Rodriguez also drove in runs.