The Boston Red Sox earned a 7-6 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park on Friday in spring training action. Carlos Narváez paced the offense, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. On the mound, Johan Oviedo turned in a solid outing, working 3.1 innings of 2-run ball with five strikeouts. The Sox finished with 14 hits on the day while holding the Rays to 9. The victory gives the Sox positive momentum heading into the final stretch of spring training. The coaching staff will look to build on the strong showing in the games ahead.
Key Performers
Carlos Narváez was the standout at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His ability to drive the ball out of the park was the highlight of the afternoon. Performances like this give the Sox confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Jason Delay added to the attack, going 1-for-1 with a home run and an RBI, Caleb Durbin provided support, going 3-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI, and Marcelo Mayer also contributed, going 2-for-2 with an RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Austin Overn led the Rays offense with a 1-for-2 with a home run and two RBI day. Jonny DeLuca also contributed, going 1-for-3 with two RBI. Blake Sabol added a 1-for-2 with a double and an RBI effort as well. Despite those contributions, the Sox pitching staff did enough to limit the damage and secure the victory.
On the Mound
Johan Oviedo got the start, putting together a workmanlike effort, working 3.1 innings while allowing 2 earned runs on 3 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 64 pitches in the outing. It was a useful learning experience as the Sox evaluate their pitching depth heading into the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.5 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out three. Spring training gives the coaching staff a chance to evaluate bullpen depth, and today was an encouraging showing from the relievers. Each reliever is auditioning for a roster spot, and innings like these factor into those decisions. Tayron Guerrero recorded the save to close out the game.
How It Happened
Rays got on the board first with two runs in the third inning. The Sox responded with a run in the third. The Sox pushed across three runs in the fifth. The Sox plated two runs in the sixth. Rays answered with four runs in the seventh. The Sox responded with a run in the seventh. The Sox spread their scoring across four different innings, applying consistent pressure throughout the game. The Sox out-hit Rays 14-9 on the day, with both teams playing clean defense. A crowd of 8,639 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
As the exhibition schedule nears its conclusion, the Sox can point to this game as a step in the right direction. The combination of solid pitching and timely hitting is exactly what the coaching staff hopes to see at this stage of the spring. The focus now shifts to maintaining this level of play with the regular season just around the corner.