Pivetta allowed one run on three hits and struck out three over three innings in Tuesday's spring game against the Rays.
Pivetta, the frontrunner for the No. 5 spot in the rotation, has allowed two runs in five innings over two Grapefruit League starts. He lamented the inconsistency of his curveball to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com, but he was able to get himself back into counts and didn't allow much hard contact. Boston manager Alex Cora described the right-hander's outing as a positive in a game the Red Sox lost 11-3.