Friday brought a classic spring training mix for bettors, one game flipped by a nine-run inning, another turned on a two-out grand slam, and a couple spots where the separation came later after a tight start. If you were playing live, the biggest edges showed up when the crooked innings landed, not in slow, steady scoring.
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Top Takeaways
- Philadelphia’s nine-run fourth completely changed the game state, a single inning erased a 3-0 deficit and flipped every live angle.
- Pittsburgh still got all the way back to 10-10 by the eighth, then one ninth-inning error opened the door for the winning run and a late three-run blast added separation.
- Toronto’s two-out grand slam in the fourth was the clear inflection point after Pittsburgh scored first, one swing, one huge shift.
- St. Louis turned a 1-1 game with back-to-back RBI singles in the fifth, then Baltimore’s middle relief got hit hard and the margin grew fast.
- Detroit did all its damage between the fifth and eighth, a late scoring window that matters when the early innings look calm.
- Houston paired clean starting pitching with extra-base damage and never gave Washington room to play from even.
MLB Game Recaps
Philadelphia Phillies vs Pittsburgh Pirates Recap: Philadelphia Phillies wins 14-10
Rafael Marchan hit two doubles and drove in four runs in one inning as the Phillies beat the Pirates split squad 14-10 in Bradenton, Fla. Otto Kemp and Paul McIntosh had two hits, and Bryan De La Cruz also finished with two hits.
The turning point was a nine-run fourth inning after Pittsburgh went up 3-0 on Ryan O’Hearn’s three-run homer in the third. Marchan brought in the first run, Felix Reyes doubled to tie it, bases-loaded walks pushed Philadelphia ahead, then Marchan ripped a three-run double and De La Cruz added an RBI double to close the inning. Pittsburgh rallied with homers from Yordany De Los Santos, Derek Berg and Omar Alfonzo to tie it 10-10 by the eighth, but De La Cruz scored the go-ahead run on an error in the ninth and Carson DeMartini’s three-run homer provided the cushion.
Toronto Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates Recap: Toronto Blue Jays wins 9-2
Nathan Lukes hit a two-out grand slam in the fourth, and that swing carried Toronto to a 9-2 win over the Pirates split squad in Dunedin, Fla. Yohendrick Pinango and Edward Micheletti homered late to pad the margin.
Pittsburgh scored first on Termarr Johnson’s single and Dominic Fletcher’s solo homer, but the game flipped on Lukes’ grand slam. Jose Berrios worked four innings, allowing two runs on five hits with three strikeouts. Bubba Chandler struck out five in three innings, but he issued three walks and the Jays’ big inning decided the direction.
St. Louis Cardinals vs Baltimore Orioles Recap: St. Louis Cardinals wins 10-2
Nelson Velazquez and Joshua Baez homered as St. Louis beat Baltimore 10-2 in Sarasota, Fla. Yohel Pozo went 2-for-2 with a two-run double, and Jeremy Rivas and Ivan Herrera each had two hits.
This one was tight early at 1-1, then St. Louis took control with RBI singles from Rivas and Herrera in the fifth. Michael McGreevy struck out four and allowed one run on four hits over four innings for his second win of the spring. For Baltimore, Chris Bassett allowed one unearned run in three innings, but Albert Suarez was tagged for seven runs on nine hits in 2 2/3 innings of middle relief, and that stretch decided the margin.
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Boston Red Sox vs Detroit Tigers Recap: Detroit Tigers wins 11-3
Matt Vierling went 3-for-3 with a homer, a double and four RBIs as Detroit beat Boston 11-3 in Lakeland, Fla. Jace Jung added three RBI singles as the Tigers piled up scoring late.
Detroit scored all 11 runs between the fifth and eighth innings, long after Justin Verlander’s start ended with four strikeouts and two runs allowed in two innings. Boston got a two-run homer from Kristian Campbell in the first and a solo homer from Andrews Opata in the ninth, but the Tigers’ mid-to-late inning surge was the difference.
Washington Nationals vs Houston Astros Recap: Houston Astros wins 7-1
John Garcia homered and Brice Matthews doubled and drove in two runs as Houston beat Washington 7-1 in West Palm Beach, Fla. Jose Altuve drove in a run on a double-play grounder, and starter Mike Burrows struck out four over 3 2/3 innings of one-hit, no-run ball.
Washington’s offense came from Daylen Lile’s homer, and Cade Cavalli struck out six in four innings. From a bettor view, Houston’s early run prevention plus extra-base damage created separation that Washington never answered.
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