Red Sox Outslug Blue Jays 11–10 in Wild Spring Shootout
Eaton’s two-run double caps six-run sixth as Boston survives ninth-inning scare at JetBlue
If you enjoy calm, stress-free spring baseball… this was not your afternoon.
The Red Sox coughed up four runs before some fans had even finished their first beer, trailed again late, then detonated a six-run sixth inning and barely held on in a ninth-inning adventure to beat the Blue Jays, 11–10.
Yes. Eleven to ten. In February. Your heart rate did not need that.
Game at a Glance
Bello Gets Tagged Early
The first inning was ugly.
Myles Straw single. Walk. Eloy Jiménez RBI double. Another RBI single. Sac fly. Yet another RBI knock.
Before you could blink, it was 4–0 Toronto and Brayan Bello was headed for an early shower.
That’s spring training for you — one inning you’re working on your changeup, the next you’re watching four runs trot home.
To Boston’s credit, they didn’t flinch.
Immediate Response
Bottom of the first: chaos in a good way.
Roman Anthony reached on an error. Jarren Duran ripped a double. Willson Contreras grounded out to plate a run. Caleb Durbin delivered an RBI single.
Then Ceddanne Rafaela stepped in and lasered a two-run double to left.
Just like that? 4–4.
Momentum erased. Crowd awake. Game on.
Toronto Punches Back
After a few quiet innings and some bullpen carousel action, Toronto landed another blow in the sixth.
Eloy Jiménez crushed a solo homer to left to make it 5–4. Then Josh Kasevich followed with a two-run shot.
7–4 Blue Jays.
Spring reminder: if you hang it, they’ll hit it — even in March.
The Six-Run Sixth (Because Subtlety Is Overrated)
Then came the turning point.
Boston entered the bottom of the sixth trailing 7–4.
They exited leading 10–7.
It started with a Nate Eaton double. Then singles. Walks. Infield chaos. Relievers scrambling.
Key blows:
Roman Anthony RBI single
Braiden Ward RBI single
Tyler McDonough RBI single
HBP with bases loaded
Nate Eaton two-run ground-rule double to right-center
Eaton’s blast flipped the scoreboard and completely flipped the tone.
JetBlue went from polite clapping to “why does this feel like a playoff inning?”
Depth guys forcing the issue. Speed. Aggression. Quality contact.
This wasn’t lucky. It was pressure.
Ward Turns Into a Track Meet
If you blinked in the seventh, you missed Braiden Ward turning into Rickey Henderson.
Single. RBI. Stolen base. Another stolen base. Absolute menace on the basepaths.
Ward scored again to push the lead to 11–7 and made sure Toronto pitchers never got comfortable.
Spring roster battles? He’s making noise.
The Ninth-Inning Horror Movie
Naturally… it couldn’t end clean.
Toronto opened the ninth with a flurry of doubles. Suddenly it was 11–8. Then 11–9. Then 11–10.
Line drives everywhere. Tension rising. The bullpen door probably sweating.
With the tying run in scoring position, Jay Allmer finally shut it down with a strikeout of Sean Keys to end it.
Exhale.
Standout Performers
Nate Eaton: 3 hits, 3 RBI, go-ahead two-run double
Braiden Ward: RBI, multiple stolen bases, constant pressure
Ceddanne Rafaela: Two-run double in first
Roman Anthony: RBI knock in rally
Bullpen (mostly): Bent, didn’t fully break
Sixteen hits. Eleven runs. Zero errors. That’s the kind of offensive depth you want bubbling underneath your big-league lineup.
The Bigger Picture
Yes, the pitching was uneven. Yes, giving up 10 runs isn’t exactly a clinic.
But here’s what matters in spring:
Immediate response after adversity
Young players producing in leverage spots
Aggression on the bases
Lineup depth refusing to die
This wasn’t a lazy February exhibition. This was competitive baseball with real roster implications.
The Red Sox improved to 2–0 this spring — and more importantly, they showed they can absorb a punch and fire back harder.
If this is the tone of camp?
Get comfortable. It’s going to be loud.