RED SOX HIGHLIGHTS- Braves vs. Red Sox - Marcelo Mayer Homers in Spring Training Debut

You are starting the weekend off right from the Gulf Coast, North Port, Florida. It's Atlanta Braves Spring Training Baseball as they host the Boston Red Sox on a sparkling Friday afternoon from Cool Today Park. Thrilled to have you with us this afternoon with WBC coming up. We figured why not add a little international flavor. We got Peter Moylan, mustache and all. And Peter, I know when you saw the pitching assignments for this afternoon, you were downright giddy. Absolutely. How could you not be? Chris Sale, fresh off that extension, takes the mound today. His second appearance of this spring training. The numbers over the years have been incredible. The all-star appearances, Cy Young votes, even MVP votes. But the last two innings for the spring training debut were fantastic. He's back in rare form. We've got two other guys. I'm a bullpen guy. You know that. We've had some additions. Robert Suarez and Raisel Iglesias are going to take the back end of this game. There's two guys that you look at that led the league in saves the last two years. Iggy's got 96 over the last three years. When you talk about a back end, there's no one better than those two. And all the Braves were excited to see those additions to the bullpen. Of course, Braves fans excited to see Chris Sale as well, making his second start of the spring. And he will tow the rubber when we come back. The first pitch of this Friday afternoon tilt. Just misses inside, and we are underway, Braves and Red Sox. This is the seventh game of the spring for Atlanta. Get back on the mound the first time. The ball lifted high in the air. Acuna looking up, and Jaron Duran into his trot. And that ball is way out of here. Jaron Duran gives the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. How do a lot of guys go left on left against Chris Sale? Especially after the first pitch changeup. He went left on left changeup first pitch. I think Duran was up there looking for that slider. Off goes Ronald from first. The pitch is a strike. And he's got second base stolen. Ronald's trying for third. In the dirt, and he'll make it without a throw. Rofar sends a 3-2 pitch in the air. Will it be deep enough? And a collision out in left-center field. Ronald will come in to score, but both Roman Anthony and Sadan Rafaela are down. Counter for left, currently in third base, but he can play all over the place. And Anthony on his feet. Fist bump there for Alex Cora. Let's see. Looks like he might be staying in the game. He and Rafaela are going to talk things over. That's a good sign they'll appear Red Sox fan. All right, Peter, how many cowboy boots do you have to choose from? As Mike Jastrzemski blasts one deep to right. And Yaz against the Red Sox has gone yard. Ground ball, and that'll get past Ozzie Albies. Just enough behind it for a base hit for Roman Anthony. He collided with Rafaela out in left field in the first. Good to see him stay in the game. Lifted in the air, deep right-center. Harris slowing. He's not even going to make it to the track as that is off the bullpen suite in right-center, and Sadan Rafaela puts the Red Sox in front. Rafaela. There's a change-up. Didn't get the same sort of bite we're used to seeing. Stayed up in the zone. Slow roller up the third baseline. Hunter for left, but charging, and Mateo beats it out. Infield knock. There goes Mateo. And the pitch is lifted softly left field. It drops. Gaffer can't get there, and Mateo's in the third. Krofar blasts it deep to center. Rafaela's going back, and it is off the top of the wall. Mateo scores, and now with second base open, Krofar will get to second. High leverage situation, two strikes. Kostromski pops this one up down the left field line. Could be trouble, and it drops. Acuna's racing home and sliding into third is Krofar. It'll be an RBI single for Mike Kostromski, and the Braves are back in front, 4-3. That's about how you got to say it down there. 2-2. In the air, deep left. Anthony's racing back. It's off the top of the wall. Krofar scores. Olsen right on his heels. It's a two-run double for Ozzie Albies. Gets out of the glove of delay and coming in to score. That's Kostromski. Braves up 7-3. And right back off of Labriola, and that'll die in the infield grass. That's Michael Harris with a RBI single. That is the third infield hit of the inning. 3-0. Acuna sends it high, deep. Does it have the legs? It does. Ronald Acuna Jr. with a grand slam. And the Braves have put up ten runs in this third inning, first over of the year for Acuna. Venezuela. Matt Olsen, high in the air, deep right center. That ball is carrying, and it is gone. A home run for Matt Olsen. Second of the inning for the Braves and second of the spring for Matt Eos. He sent that one off the facade beneath the Truist Pavilion. Was the reality of that month of May. And the 3-1 is clobbered and gone. Marcelo Meyer making his spring training debut. That'll make a strong impression. I know you didn't exactly play third base at the big league level, as Yaz blasts one. Deep center. That one is gone. Mike Yastrzemski with his second homer of the day. Just torturing Boston. This is a great sign for Bryce fans. Serve down the left field line and fair. Michael racing around first. Anthony, a little trouble picking it up in the corner. It's going to be a double for Michael Harris. And Heim paints a line fair down into the left field corner. Sykes will pick it up on the track, and it's going to be a double for Jonah Heim. Braves with more runners in scoring position and nobody else. Belted deep left center. Long way and great effort. But that's going to be off the wall, and it's going to be a double for Nate Baez. That ball is ambushed deep to right. Carey looking up, and it is gone. That is the eighth homerun of the day between these two teams, and it comes from Nathan Hickey. He beat out an infield single his first time up. And he hooks that one into right center field. Two for two for Brayden Ward. And he's going to take second base on a hustle double. One, two. Hard hit. Stopped by Smith. Can he get it to Stratton in time? No. And now here comes Ward trying to score, and he does. Or maybe even fun is it to see Ronald running without any, I don't want to say without any restrictions, but without any concern it might have been. After striking out three straight, McDonough drives it deep and in to the Braves' Red Sox bullpen. And a homerun for the Red Sox and Tyler McDonough. This is Brayden Ward. And that's the ballgame. J.R. Ritchie closes it out with two innings and five strikeouts as the Braves, behind an 11-run third inning, pick up their fifth win of the spring. They've won three straight at home.