Red Sox Survive Late Rally to Beat Rays 7-5 in Spring Training Action

Boston jumped out to a commanding 7-0 lead before Tampa Bay mounted a fierce comeback attempt in Thursday's spring training matchup in Fort Myers. The Rays brought the potential tying run to the plate in the final inning but fell just short in the 7-5 loss.

The Boston Red Sox weathered a dramatic late-game surge from Tampa Bay to secure a 7-5 spring training victory Thursday afternoon in Fort Myers, Florida.

Boston’s pitching staff controlled the early innings, building what appeared to be an insurmountable 7-0 advantage through four innings. However, the Rays refused to fold, mounting a determined comeback that brought the potential game-tying run to home plate in the ninth inning after Marshall Toole delivered an RBI triple.

The Red Sox received strong early work from their pitching rotation. Left-handed starter Garrett Crochet threw two shutout frames before handing the ball to Aroldis Chapman, who struck out three consecutive batters in the third. Right-hander Greg Weissert continued the dominant performance with a clean fourth inning to earn the victory.

Boston’s offensive explosion came entirely in the fourth inning, when they pushed across all seven runs. Tampa Bay starter T.J. Nichols was charged with no earned runs despite lasting just two-thirds of an inning. The Red Sox rally ignited when third baseman Andruw Monasterio reached base on an error by second baseman Ben Williamson, allowing Caleb Durbin to cross home plate while Kristian Campbell moved to second base.

Red Sox closer Devin Sweet locked down the save despite some ninth-inning drama, surrendering two hits and one run while recording two strikeouts in the final frame.

Toole collected two hits to lead Tampa Bay’s offensive effort, while Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story contributed two RBIs during Boston’s decisive fourth-inning outburst.

Orioles 6, Tigers 5

Twenty-year-old Jordan Sanchez delivered a clutch walk-off single through the middle against Detroit lefty Carlos Pena in Sarasota, Florida, extending the Tigers’ winless streak to seven games this spring.

Sanchez entered as a ninth-inning substitute for second baseman Jeremiah Jackson and came through in dramatic fashion. Jackson had recorded two hits before his replacement, as did first baseman Pete Alonso. Tyler O’Neill went a perfect 3-for-3 with a first-inning home run, boosting his spring average to .778.

Detroit rallied from a 5-2 deficit with late-game power. Eduardo Valencia launched a two-run blast to left field in the sixth, followed by Carson Rucker’s game-tying solo shot in the seventh – both hits coming off Baltimore’s Trey Gibson.

The Orioles collected 15 hits while stranding seven Tigers runners who reached scoring position. Sanchez’s game-winner came when he connected with a Pena fastball and drove it past diving shortstop Jack Penney, scoring Aron Estrada with the decisive run.

Detroit’s winless spring record includes two tie games.

Mets 5, Astros 0

Nolan McLean dominated Houston hitters for four shutout innings with six strikeouts, while home runs from Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien powered New York past the Astros in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Right-hander Robert Stock took over in the fifth inning and continued the strikeout parade, fanning six batters across three innings of work.

Houston’s offense struggled mightily, managing just two hits while striking out 15 times in 28 at-bats. Among the Astros’ non-starters, only outfielder Anthony Huezo reached base via a walk.

Taylor connected on a two-run blast to center field in the second inning, followed by Semien’s first home run as a Met – a shot to left-center off Bryan King. Semien finished 2-for-3 at the plate. King entered after left-hander Steven Okert, who absorbed the loss after allowing three runs and a walk in one inning.

Yankees 7, Braves 3

Left-handed power hitter Spencer Jones launched a towering solo home run out of George Steinbrenner Field as New York overpowered Atlanta in Tampa, Florida.

The Yankees seized control with a five-run first inning and collected eight hits, with five going for extra bases.

New York’s long ball attack featured homers from Jones, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm, who started the assault on Braves veteran Carlos Carrasco with a two-run blast in the opening frame. Jones’ mammoth shot cleared the bleachers and reached the parking lot beyond the right-center field wall.

Atlanta’s Ben Gamel connected for his second spring training homer, while center fielder Jose Azocar contributed two hits. Carrasco lasted just 1⅔ innings, surrendering five runs in his brief outing.

Elmer Rodriguez earned the win for New York, striking out four while allowing two runs over three innings.

Phillies 7, Nationals 3

Bryce Harper knocked in two runs and scored once as Philadelphia defeated Washington in Clearwater, Florida.

The Phillies broke open a 1-1 tie with a four-run third inning, highlighted by designated hitter Kehden Hettiger’s home run to left-center field. Bryson Stott, who had homered in the first inning, reached base ahead of Harper and scored on a double to the right field corner. Harper then came home on a single by catcher Garrett Stubbs.

Washington right-hander Gus Varland was pulled before completing the third inning after allowing four runs in two-thirds of an inning.

Nationals first baseman Andres Chaparro pulled the visitors within 5-3 in the fourth with a two-run homer that stayed just inside the left field foul pole.

Harper extended Philadelphia’s lead to 6-3 with a sacrifice fly in the fifth inning, driving home Hettiger.