FORT MYERS, Fla. – The second-most important sporting event between the United States and Canada on Sunday ended without a medal ceremony, but with another victory for the home team.
In their first home game of the Grapefruit League schedule, the Boston Red Sox overcame an instantaneous four-run deficit, and hung on by the tips of their fingers to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 11-10.
The defending American League pennant winners tore into Brayan Bello in the top of the first, but Boston, with a lineup that manager Alex Cora said pregame could be the Opening Day crew, tied things up immediately in the bottom of the inning.
“I think that’s what we’re going to do, that first inning,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said postgame. “We’re going to move the ball around, we’re going to put the ball in play, we’re going to hit the ball hard.”
Cavalcades of bullpen arms maintained the tie for the next four innings before the Blue Jays struck again in the sixth. A pair of home runs by Eloy Jiménez and Josh Kasevich (two-run) put the Jays on top 7-4.
Toronto’s second lead vanished as quickly as the first. Beginning with Nate Eaton’s leadoff double, 11 Boston batters came to the plate and strung together in the bottom of the sixth.
The game crossed the three-hour threshold as the Blue Jays tagged right-hander Patrick Halligan for three runs in the top of the ninth. With two outs and a runner on second, Cora made his final pitching change of the afternoon. Nick Goodwin’s pinch-hit double put another man in scoring position before Jay Allmer struck out Sean Keys looking to bring the AL East rivals’ first battle of the year to a close.
The Red Sox are 2-0 in Grapefruit League play (3-0 including Friday’s exhibition game blowout of the Northeastern University Huskies).
Whitlock dominates
Garrett Whitlock made quick work of the Blue Jays in his first spring training game. Eloy Jimenez challenged a called third strike unsuccessfully for the first out, and the right-hander turned an RJ Schreck single into an inning-ending double play on the very next pitch.
Whitlock, who will pitch for Team USA in next month’s World Baseball Classic, threw 10 pitches, seven for strikes. Greg Weissert and Jovani Moran also posted scoreless innings of relief.
Duran, Eaton stand out
Jarren Duran and Nate Eaton each had banner days at the plate for the Red Sox. Duran went 2 for 3 with two doubles and a run scored, and Eaton went 3 for 3 with two doubles, two RBI and a run scored to help pace the offense.
“I know it’s early but (Duran) seems like a different hitter,” Cora said. “Hitting the ball really hard to the pull side, getting to some pitches that last year he didn’t get, and I’m expecting a lot of big things from him.”
Ceddanne Rafaela (1 for 2) also had a double and two RBI, Roman Anthony went 1 for 4 with an RBI and two runs, and Braiden Ward came on for Duran and picked up where he left off, going 2 for 2 with two RBI and two stolen bases.
Upcoming arms
Connelly Early will get the start for the Red Sox on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays in Port Charlotte, and he’ll be followed out of the bullpen by Zack Kelly, Kyle Keller, Wyatt Olds, Noah Song, T.J. Sikkema and Jeremy Wu-Yelland.
Drew Rasmussen is the scheduled starter for the Rays, and former St. John’s of Shrewsbury star Ian Seymour is among those expected to pitch in relief for Tampa Bay.
Greenwell honored
The Red Sox honored club legend Mike Greenwell prior to Sunday’s game. The longtime Red Sox outfielder died at 62 last October after a battle with thyroid cancer. Fellow Red Sox greats Dwight Evans and Jim Rice participated in the pregame ceremony along with members of Greenwell’s family.
