Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training Thread

[Lets Go Rays]

The Twins just took a 1-0 lead in their first game against former teammate Matt Garza as Nick Punto singled, went to third on Denard Span's single and scored on Alexi Casilla's sac fly.

[Lets Go Rays]

Sonnanstine did a nice job getting out of a bases loaded jam. Though he gave up two runs in the inning, he stranded the bases loaded after getting a couple flyouts.

Rays 5, Red Sox 2

Sonnanstine got in his first bit of trouble here in the fourth, giving up back to back doubles and is now facing David Ortiz with a runner on second.

Rays 5, Red Sox 1

Matt Joyce just crushed the first pitch he saw in the fourth for a two-run homer to right-center, his first homer of the spring.

Gabe Gross came up later and hit a two-run homer of his own.

Rays 5, Red Sox 0

The Rays took a 1-0 lead with Ben Zobrist's RBI triple in the third.

[Lets Go Rays]

Jon Weber hit his third homer this spring, a two-run shot and absolute blast, into the parking lot over the rightfield fence. Rays 7, Red Sox 2

[Lets Go Rays]

Sonnanstine has become the first Rays pitcher this spring to pitch into the seventh, but the inning hasn't gotten off to a great start.

There was a walk, and a grounder that just got under Aybar's glove at third.

[Lets Go Rays]

Balfour gave up a two-run double to Nick Green with two outs in the eighth, allowing the Red Sox to tie the game at 7-7. The runner advanced to third when Joyce had trouble picking the ball up on the left-center warning track. Joyce was charged with an error.
Angel Chavez knocked in the go-ahead run with a single up the middle.

Red Sox 8, Rays 7

[DirtyKash]

Balfour

[Lets Go Rays]

Balfour

Are you a Rays fan?

[DirtyKash]

No, but I had money on the Rays at +135, hehe.

[Lets Go Rays]

The Rays lose 8-7 to the Red Sox, stranding the tying run at third in the ninth.

Maddon said Sonnanstine threw the ball well, and Sonnanstine was pleased with the progression of his changeup, which he threw 12-15 times, as well as how he felt physically, after throwing 90-plus pitches.

Maddon said with Balfour, it was just location on his fastball, saying some of those pitches he threw were fastballs he would have threw by hitters last season, but the velocity isn't quite there yet. "He'll be fine," Maddon said.