Boston draws seven walks but cannot convert at JetBlue Park.
The Boston Red Sox continued their Grapefruit League schedule Tuesday afternoon, and the result looked familiar.
For the second straight meeting this spring, the Detroit Tigers handled Boston comfortably, pulling away for a 7-2 win at JetBlue Park. Detroit outscored the Red Sox 18-5 across their two matchups.
Still playing without several regulars who remain at the World Baseball Classic, Boston’s lineup struggled to generate consistent offense.
The Red Sox finished with just four singles, though they did manage to work seven walks and put runners on base throughout the afternoon.
They simply couldn’t convert.
…sound familiar?
Boston went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine men, including a bases-loaded opportunity in the sixth inning that could have changed the tone of the game.
Mar 6, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers second baseman Max Anderson (82) flips the ball to first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) for an out against Boston Red Sox second baseman Tyler McDonough (91) during the third inning at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)On the mound, Sonny Gray turned in a fairly typical spring outing.
The veteran right-hander allowed two earned runs on three hits over four innings, striking out four and walking one while throwing 59 pitches. One of the few notable moments during his start came in the second inning, when catcher Carlos Narvaez successfully challenged a ball call using the automated ball-strike system to turn a 1-1 count into a strike on Jace Jung.
Detroit eventually broke the game open against Boston’s bullpen.
Aroldis Chapman followed Gray and allowed a run in his inning of work - a rare sight for the veteran left-hander in any game context - before the Tigers added four more runs late against Wyatt Olds and Cooper Adams. Detroit’s Riley Greene and Corey Julks each connected on home runs.
Boston’s hits came from Kristian Campbell, Marcelo Mayer, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tyler McDonough, with Campbell opening the game by lining a single to center field.
The most eye-catching performance, however, belonged to a player who never stepped into the batter’s box.
Non-roster invitee Braiden Ward continued his remarkable spring on the basepaths, pulling off a double steal in the third inning.
The swipe pushed his preseason total to 16 steals in 17 attempts through just 15 appearances - a number that already ranks among the most recorded in a single spring training in nearly two decades.
For a Red Sox team still waiting for much of its lineup to return from international duty, moments like that have become one of the more intriguing storylines of the spring.
Boston, now 8-9 in Grapefruit League play, will get their only scheduled off day on Wednesday before traveling to face the Minnesota Twins on Thursday.
Mar 6, 2026; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers first baseman Spencer Torkelson (20) safe at first in front of Boston Red Sox first baseman Nathan Hickey (82) during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. (Mike Watters/Imagn Images)JOIN THE CONVERSATION:
Remember to join our RED SOX on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Red Sox fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.