Boston, MA
Detroit Tigers’ Jack Flaherty, Kenta Maeda hit by top prospects from Red Sox in 6-5 loss
Bobby Scales on Colt Keith’s move to first base and player progression
Detroit Tigers radio analyst Bobby Scales talks what fans could expect with Colt Keith’s new role and what other players he’s keeping an eye on.
LAKELAND, Fla. — The Detroit Tigers lost, 6-5, to the Boston Red Sox in Thursday’s split-squad game at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. The Tigers played against the Tampa Bay Rays in the other split-squad game at Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida.
The Tigers are 2-3 in Grapefruit League play.
What happened
The Red Sox, led by manager Alex Cora, put three of the best prospects in baseball at the top of the lineup: left fielder Roman Anthony (ranked No. 2 on MLB Pipeline’s top-100 list) batting first, second baseman Kristian Campbell (No. 7) batting second, and third baseman Marcelo Mayer (No. 12) batting third.
“I told AC he’s flexing a little bit by bringing those three,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said before Thursday’s game. “Those kids are good players.”
The prospects went 4-for-8 with four RBIs, one walk and two strikeouts in nine plate appearances against right-handers Jack Flaherty and Kenta Maeda.
Mayer — whom the Tigers passed on in favor of right-hander Jackson Jobe at No. 3 overall in the 2021 draft — led the way with three hits in three trips to the plate: an RBI triple off Flaherty in the first inning, a leadoff single off Maeda in the fourth inning and a two-run home run off Maeda in the fifth inning.
All three prospects could start the 2025 season in Triple-A Worcester.
[ MUST LISTEN: Make “Days of Roar” your go-to Detroit Tigers podcast, available anywhere you listen to podcasts (Apple, Spotify) ]
Starting off
Flaherty made his first start of spring training.
The 29-year-old allowed one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts across two innings, throwing 15 of 28 pitches for strikes. He felt good about the way his pitches moved, but he struggled with his command at times.
The Red Sox tagged him for the lone run in the first inning, when Mayer made Flaherty pay for an eight-pitch walk to Campbell by driving a hanging slider to center field for an RBI triple.
Flaherty threw 15 four-seam fastballs, six sliders, four sinkers, two changeups and one curveball. He generated three whiffs on 11 swings (for a 27.3% whiff rate). His fastball averaged 93.5 mph.
At the plate
The Tigers threatened in the first inning against right-hander Quinn Priester, with a double from Riley Greene (hit with a 111.9 mph exit velocity), a nine-pitch walk from Gleyber Torres and an infield single from Kerry Carpenter.
But Colt Keith grounded into a double play.
The Tigers scored one run in the fourth inning and three runs in the seventh.
In the fourth, Jake Rogers hit a solo home run off right-handed reliever Josh Winckowski’s first-pitch 96.1 mph sinker, located middle-middle in the strike zone. The wind was blowing to right-center, and the ball kept carrying.
On the mound
After Flaherty, Maeda came out of the bullpen for the third, fourth and fifth innings. The 36-year-old allowed three runs on five hits and zero walks with five strikeouts across three innings, throwing 32 of 50 pitches for strikes.
Maeda retired all three batters in the third and worked around a pair of singles in the fourth, but he ran into trouble in the fifth with three extra-base hits.
The big swings: Trayce Thompson’s leadoff double, Anthony’s RBI double with one out and Mayer’s two-run home run with two outs. The homer from Mayer was significantly aided by the wind blowing out to right, as he hit Maeda’s 91.3 mph fastball with a 94.9 mph exit velocity.
Maeda, whose fastball averaged 91.8 mph, generated seven whiffs on 23 swings for a 30.4% whiff rate on four splitters, two sweepers and one fastball.
Right-handed reliever Will Vest surrendered two home runs in the sixth inning. Jason Foley, a fellow right-handed reliever, shut down all three batters he faced with one strikeout.
Three stars
1. Rogers; 2. Greene; 3. Foley.
Next up
Friday (1:07, no TV or radio) vs. Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, Florida.
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold.
Listen to our weekly Tigers show “Days of Roar” every Monday afternoon on demand at freep.com, Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. And catch all of our podcasts and daily voice briefing at freep.com/podcasts.
Boston, MA
Red Sox at Reds preview: Sonny Gray makes his first start for Boston – The Boston Globe
Gray, acquired in a November trade from the St. Louis Cardinals, was one of Boston’s key rotation additions, along with Ranger Suarez, in the offseason. He was 14-8 with a 4.28 ERA in 2025.
“He’s very specific about his work. Every day has a purpose,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Gray. “Two hundred strikeouts, that’s something that we were looking for. The competitor. Every five days, this guy is going to give you everything.”
In his five career appearances against the Reds, Gray is 1-3 with a 4.18 ERA.
“It’s pretty much one of the only things that is continuing to push me, is to get to a World Series, to win a World Series, to pitch in big games,” said Gray. “I love the moment, and I am chasing that moment.”
Here’s the preview:
RED SOX (1-0): TBA
Pitching: RHP Sonny Gray
REDS (0-1): TBA
Pitching: RHP Brady Singer
Time: 4:10 p.m.
TV, radio: NESN, WEEI-FM 93.7
Red Sox vs. Singer: Wilyer Abreu 2-5, Roman Anthony 1-2, Willson Contreras 2-7, Jarren Duran 3-10, Caleb Durbin 0-1, Isiah Kiner-Falefa 6-16, Marcelo Mayer 0-1, Andruw Monasterio 1-4, Carlos Narváez 1-1, Ceddanne Rafaela 1-5, Trevor Story 0-4, Connor Wong 2-8, Masataka Yoshida 2-7
Reds vs. Gray: Will Benson 0-5, Elly De La Cruz 5-11, TJ Friedl 1-8, Ke’Bryan Hayes 4-17, Nathaniel Lowe 2-10, Noelvi Marte 0-5, Matt McLain 2-2, Spencer Steer 4-9, Tyler Stephenson 0-8, Eugenio Suárez 7-13, Jose Trevino 0-2
Stat of the day: Sal Stewart become the first Cincinnati rookie since 1958 to record three hits on Opening Day.
Notes: Cincinnati sends righthander Brady Singer (14-12, 4.03 in 2025) to the mound … With Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo already on the injured list to start the season, Singer is considered one of Cincinnati’s most durable pitchers, leading the Reds with 32 starts last season … Singer has made five career starts against Boston, posting a 2-2 record with a 4.88 ERA over 24 innings … His last appearance against the Red Sox, on July 1 in Boston, ended after just three innings when he allowed two earned runs on three hits.
Cam Kerry can be reached at cam.kerry@globe.com.
Boston, MA
Mayor Robert Van Campen talks about priorities in Everett
Nearly three months since assuming office as mayor of Everett, Massachusetts, Mayor Robert Van Campen isn’t wasting any time.
The former city councilor ousted 18-year incumbent Carlo DeMaria in decisive fashion last November, but even so, issues surrounding his predecessor still linger at City Hall.
A state-led salary audit of DeMaria found $180,000 in overpayment, a finding the former mayor disputes. Van Campen says the city is monitoring ongoing investigations.
“What I’ve conveyed to my partners in government here, locally, is to allow that state process to play itself out, and then we, as a community, will make a decision,” the mayor said. “In addition to that, I recently met with Inspector General Jeff Shapiro, who visited me at City Hall. We had a great conversation about transparency in government, best practices, putting in the right systems to ensure that that type of financial oversight doesn’t happen in the future.”
Beyond the audit, Van Campen is placing emphasis on school overcrowding.
“My objective is to try to implement solutions as quickly as I can,” he said. “Our high school today, which was built for I think 1,650 students, now houses around 2,200.”
The World Cup is creating buzz across Massachusetts, including in Everett, where the Kraft Group is looking to build a soccer stadium.
To alleviate that problem, the mayor is using federal ARPA funds to repair the old Everett High School and seeking out other spaces that could be used in the future.
“Would I like to build out new classroom space for the students of Everett in the next one to two years? Yes, that’s my ideal,” Van Campen said. “But I want to make sure that if we do it on a quick timeline, it’s done in a correct and proper fashion.”
Also in focus for the mayor is a new soccer stadium for the New England Revolution on the shores of the Mystic River.
The Kraft Group, Boston, Everett and the state Legislature have all taken steps to make the project a reality, but Van Campen says there’s still more work to do.
“It’s a transformative project, it’s a breathtaking project,” said Van Campen. “But I’ve been clear with all the stakeholders around that project, and the other larger developments going on down there, that we have to make sure that transit issues are comprehensively addressed, that pedestrian access issues are comprehensively addressed, that all those issues have to be addressed to perfection in order for these projects to succeed.”
Tune in on Sunday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. for our extended @Issue Sit Down with Van Campen.
Boston, MA
Boston ‘No Kings’ rally expected to draw 100,000; others planned across Mass.
“No Kings” rallies are scheduled in Boston and across Massachusetts on Saturday and are expected to draw large crowds, organizers said.
Organized by the ACLU of Massachusetts, Indivisible Mass Coalition, and Mass 50501, the event is a mass mobilization in protest of the Trump administration.
The No Kings theme was created by the 50501 Movement, a national movement made up of Americans who stand for democracy and against what they call the authoritarian actions of the Trump administration. The name 50501 stands for 50 states, 50 protests, one movement.
“The Trump administration is trying to shred the Constitution; the No Kings movement is an unequivocal statement that we, the people, will not let that happen. This will be the third global No Kings Day, and it’s not just about protesting what’s wrong—it’s about building something better. We intend to show our power, build our power, and power a democracy that advances freedom, equality, justice, and dignity for all,” organizers wrote.
The rally, one of thousands scheduled across the country this weekend, is planned for the Boston Common from 2 to 4 p.m. More than 100,000 people are expected to attend Boston’s rally. Other events are scheduled in Pittsfield, Northampton, Lancaster, Worcester, Framingham, Methuen, Lexington, and towns in southeastern Massachusetts and the Cape. For a map of No Kings events near you, click here.
Speakers include elected officials Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Ed Markey and Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley, and civic leaders Hessann Farooqi Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, Darlene Lombos, president of the Greater Boston Labor Council, Carol Rose, executive director of ACLU of Massachusetts, Jessica Tang, president of the American Federation of Teachers of Massachusetts, and others. It will be moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts.
There will also be performances by the Dropkick Murphys, Boston Area Brigade of Activist Musicians, BVOCAL Chorus, and Jimmy Tingle.
A previous No Kings rally in October drew massive crowds estimated in the tens of thousands.
NBC10 Boston NBC10 Boston An aerial view of the crowd at Boston’s “No Kings” rally on the Common on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025.
-
Detroit, MI1 week agoDrummer Brian Pastoria, longtime Detroit music advocate, dies at 68
-
Movie Reviews1 week ago‘Youth’ Twitter review: Ken Karunaas impresses audiences; Suraj Venjaramoodu adds charm; music wins praise | – The Times of India
-
Sports1 week agoIOC addresses execution of 19-year-old Iranian wrestler Saleh Mohammadi
-
New Mexico6 days agoClovis shooting leaves one dead, four injured
-
Business1 week agoDisney’s new CEO says his focus is on storytelling and creativity
-
Tennessee5 days agoTennessee Police Investigating Alleged Assault Involving ‘Reacher’ Star Alan Ritchson
-
Technology6 days agoYouTube job scam text: How to spot it fast
-
Texas1 week agoHow to buy Houston vs. Texas A&M 2026 March Madness tickets