The Boston Red Sox rolled to a 7-5 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays at JetBlue Park on Thursday in spring training action. Trevor Story paced the offense, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI, giving the coaching staff plenty to be encouraged about as the exhibition schedule continues. Garrett Crochet worked 2.0 innings on the mound, allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit. The Rays out-hit the Sox 9-8 on the day. 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
Trevor Story was the key contributor at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and two RBI. His aggressive approach at the plate paid dividends. Performances like this give the Sox confidence that the lineup is rounding into form.
Caleb Durbin chipped in, going 1-for-2 with a double and two RBI, Connor Wong added to the attack, going 1-for-3 with an RBI, and Braiden Ward provided support, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. The depth of production throughout the lineup was encouraging to see.
On the other side of the diamond, Marshall Toole led the Rays offense with a 2-for-2 with a double, a triple, and an RBI day. Carson Williams also contributed, going 1-for-2 with an RBI. Justyn-Henry Malloy added a 1-for-3 with 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
Garrett Crochet got the start, struggling with his command, working 2.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 1 hit. He threw 23 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 5.6 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out nine. 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. Devin Sweet recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Aroldis Chapman stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out three. His performance was one of the day's bright spots from the bullpen.
How It Happened
The Sox struck first, tallying seven runs in the fourth inning. Rays answered with two runs in the fifth. Rays tacked on a run in the sixth. Rays pushed across a run in the seventh. Rays plated a run in the ninth. The Sox made their one big inning count, doing all of their damage in a single frame. Rays out-hit the Sox 9-8, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 8,056 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.