BASEBALL: Spring training roundup - Red Sox build big lead, hold off Rays

Red Sox 7, Rays 5

Boston pitching dominated early as the Red Sox held on for a 7-5 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday in Fort Myers, Fla. The Rays trailed 7-0 in the fourth inning but brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth following an RBI triple by Marshall Toole.

Left-hander Garrett Crochet started for Boston, pitching two scoreless innings. Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the third, and right-hander Greg Weissert cruised through the fourth to earn the win. Boston scored all seven runs in the fourth inning, with no earned runs charged to T.J. Nichols before he exited after recording just two outs. The rally began when third baseman Andruw Monasterio reached on a second baseman Ben Williamson error, allowing Caleb Durbin to score and Kristian Campbell to advance.

Right-hander Devin Sweet closed out the game, securing the save with two hits allowed, one run, and two strikeouts. Trevor Story drove in two runs in the seven-run fourth, while Toole had two hits for Tampa Bay.

Orioles 6, Tigers 5

Jordan Sanchez delivered a walk-off single to lift Baltimore over Detroit in Sarasota, Fla., keeping the Tigers winless in seven spring games. Sanchez, 20, entered in the No. 9 spot, replacing second baseman Jeremiah Jackson, who had two hits along with first baseman Pete Alonso. Tyler O’Neill went 3-for-3 with a first-inning home run to raise his average to .778.

Detroit tied the game at 5 after falling behind 5-2, thanks to a two-run homer by Eduardo Valencia in the sixth and a solo shot by Carson Rucker in the seventh, both off Baltimore’s Trey Gibson. Sanchez scored the game-winning run in the ninth with a single past shortstop Jack Penney.

Mets 5, Astros (ss) 0

Nolan McLean tossed four scoreless innings with six strikeouts as New York cruised past Houston in West Palm Beach, Fla., aided by home runs from Tyrone Taylor and Marcus Semien. Reliever Robert Stock added six strikeouts over three innings. Houston was held to two hits, struck out 15 times, and had only one non-starter reach base.

Yankees 7, Braves 3

Spencer Jones’ solo homer helped New York overpower Atlanta at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla. The Yankees jumped to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, with five of eight hits going for extra bases. Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm also homered. Elmer Rodriguez earned the win with four strikeouts and two runs allowed over three innings.

Phillies 7, Nationals 3

Bryce Harper drove in two and scored a run to lead Philadelphia past Washington in Clearwater, Fla. The Phillies broke a 1-1 tie with a four-run third inning, highlighted by Kehden Hettiger’s homer and a double by Bryson Stott. Harper added an RBI sacrifice fly in the fifth.

Pirates 6, Twins 4

Shawn Ross’ two-run homer in the eighth lifted Pittsburgh over Minnesota in Bradenton, Fla. Right-hander Jose Urquidy started for the Pirates, giving up three runs in 1 1/3 innings. Both teams had 11 hits, and Minnesota had tied the game in the seventh.

Cardinals 9, Astros (ss) 4

Yohel Pozo hit one of four St. Louis homers as the Cardinals beat Houston in Jupiter, Fla. Alec Burleson added a three-run blast in the fifth. Matthew Liberatore allowed one run in three innings, striking out three.

Marlins 8, Blue Jays 7

Chase Jaworsky’s three-run triple sparked Miami’s comeback in Dunedin, Fla. The Blue Jays had jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but Miami tied the game in the ninth before Jaworsky’s big hit.

Athletics 7, Rangers (ss) 3

Brent Rooker homered and drove in three runs as Oakland defeated Texas in Mesa, Ariz. Tyler Soderstrom added two hits, scored twice, and drove in two RBIs.

Rockies 11, Giants 3

Brett Sullivan went 3-for-4 with two runs scored, helping Colorado hit four homers to rout San Francisco in Scottsdale, Ariz. Charlie Condon, T.J. Rumfield, Chad Stevens, and Ryan Ritter also homered.

Dodgers 7, White Sox 6

Will Smith homered and was one of four Los Angeles hitters with two hits in a win over Chicago at Phoenix. Keston Hiura and Hyeseong Kim also went deep, while Smith added a double.

Brewers 5, Rangers (ss) 1

Tyler Black went 3-for-4 with two RBIs as Milwaukee topped Texas in Surprise, Ariz. Black narrowly missed hitting for the cycle while Brandon Lockridge scored twice.

Angels 5, Cubs 4

Chris Taylor’s tiebreaking double capped a four-run fifth inning as Los Angeles edged Chicago in Tempe, Ariz. Gustavo Campero added a two-run triple and Kyren Paris drove in a run with a single.

Reds 11, Padres 10

Elly De La Cruz’s two-run double and Noelvi Marte’s three-RBI hit helped Cincinnati outlast San Diego in Goodyear, Ariz. Manny Machado had two homers and six RBIs for the Padres. Tyler Callihan and Cam Collier contributed key hits in the eighth inning for the Reds.

Diamondbacks 13, Royals 10

Arizona rallied from an 8-0 deficit to defeat Kansas City in Scottsdale, Ariz. Luken Baker’s three-run homer broke the tie, while Jose Fernandez and Oscar Mercado also drove in three runs each.

Mariners 8, Guardians 7

Cal Raleigh went 2-for-2 with two RBIs to help Seattle top Cleveland in Peoria, Ariz. Brock Rodden homered, and Colt Emerson had an RBI triple. Domingo Gonzalez earned the save. -Field Level Media/Reuters