FORT MYERS, Fla. — It seemed like just another round of early-spring training batting practice, with Dustin Pedroia pitting his skills against Dan Wheeler. But, no. It evidently marked a much more significant moment.

Pedroia, you see, has faced Wheeler 10 times and has never managed a single hit.

That’s why when the Red Sox second baseman lined what would have been a base-hit into the outfield of Field 5 at the team’s minor-league training facility, it was a momentous occasion.

“I got one off of him! I got one!” Pedroia yelled, after notching the hit. “Finally!”

Wheeler knew exactly why such a seemingly innocuous moment elicited such a definitive reaction.

“You kind of know what’s going on, but you don’t really talk about. But he mentioned something to me that he was glad he’s on his team,” the reliever later said. “It was good fun.”