RED SOX HIGHLIGHTS Red Sox vs Blue Jays Johan Oveido Makes Stellar 2nd Start in Spring Training YouTube

On a beautiful day in downtown Dunedin, maybe the best of the spring so far, we get set for an AL East match of the Toronto Blue Jays welcoming the Boston Red Sox to TD Ballpark and we get to see one Blue Jay pitching Dunedin for the first time. Everyone, and welcome inside TD Ballpark. Thanks so much for tuning in today. I'm Ben Schulman alongside Joe Siddle. Arden Swelling will join us from the field momentarily. We get to see Joe today, one of the Blue Jays' biggest acquisitions, both in size and in his impact on the team. Cody Ponce is a changed man, a very different pitcher than the one that broke into the major leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates six years ago. He took his craft to Japan for a few years and then to Korea for two years. That ended up with an MVP finish last year. He's a regular starter, 29 starts, a sub-two ERA and racking up the strikeouts and he's done it a different way. He's added velocity, he's added an outstanding change-up that John Schneider referred to this morning as a difference maker. It's a second start of the spring but it's the first look for all of us, all of Blue Jays fans. Ponce pitched on Wednesday against the Tigers in Lakeland, just one inning, 22 pitches. It took him 11 pitches to retire the first batter. He's looking to go two innings and up to about 30 pitches today, according to John Schneider. I'm as excited as I'm sure our fan base is to see him. And speaking of new faces, Joe, there's a prospect turning some heads in Blue Jays' camp. For more on that, here's Arden Swelling. Well, that's right, Ben. His name is Josh Kasevich and it is safe to say he is making the most of his opportunity this spring. He is 5-for-10 so far with a couple of walks and a couple of stolen bases. He's displaying that Ernie Clement-esque contact ability. He's showing a bit of pop as well. Only Eloy Jimenez and Alejandro Kirk have more hard hit balls put in play. And as you're going to see here, Kasevich has been flashing the glove at short as well. That is another thing that prospect evaluators have knocked him on over the years, but he seems to be bringing that power in that defense right now. Of course, if you talk to Kasevich, he'll tell you he's just happy to be playing, period. He missed almost all of last season with back and wrist issues. But with the Blue Jays' infield all gone off to the WBC, there's gonna be plenty of runway for Kasevich coming up to show he can make a big league impact this season. And we will see him do that behind Cody Ponce, who is making his first outing in Dunedin as a Blue Jay. All of that is coming up more, so stick around for the first Ponce outing at TD Ballpark. It's next on Sportsnet. Yohan Oviedo to Davis Schneider. First pitch hit off the mound. Arias glove flip to second. Barrett in. Toss to first for a pretty 6-4-3. Aiming, ending, double play. Behind him in here first time in a game. Off on the pitch is Castro, and he'll get in there. Picked a good pitch to run on, and he steals off of that down and in cutter. He's always going to be splits down and out of the cell. On the ground right side and through, past the dive of Toronto. A fair ball. Coming around third, Alan Castro scores. Ferguson dives in head first to second, beating the throw with an RBI double, and the Red Sox strike first. It's 1-0. All hard and just tucked it inside that first base bag past Tirada to put the Red Sox on the board. Arm angle is different. More importantly than anything, he can get righties and lefties. He's going to have to make a play here. Bare hands in the flip, not in time. Almost could not have placed, or offline I should say, almost could not have placed the swinging bunt better than that. And Brayden Ward again, really quick. He's tapped two balls to the right side. He's two for two. You will take that. Rogers is going to get a lot of soft contact. It works for the Blue Jays because they have a very good infield defense. But, when it's hit back to the pitcher, there's not much else you can do. Ian Heinemann in agreement. And the 0-2 is a soft liner headed toward left center and down in front of Sanchez for a base hit. Ward scores, and the Red Sox add another run. It's a rare time that someone lifts the ball off of Tyler Rogers. Well, and I like the way you described it. It looked like a soft liner toward the end of the bat there, and he just kind of clipped it, but he got it perfectly to land it in front of the left fielder. Soft season. 2-1. Hit high to center field. Back goes Miles Straw in a sprint. He'll turn at the wall, and it's gone. E. Gasper hits that curveball out of the yard. It just kept carrying, and the Red Sox double their advantage. They're up 4-0. Well, Mickey Gasper hit this ball very well, but when you get something up in the zone like that, those flags are blowing exactly in that direction. Out to center, right center field. You see how it stays up in the zone. You just get it up in the air, and it just kept carrying. There was a group of hitters at the PDC this morning taking batting practice on field one, and it's about the same direction. Changes started happening that provided Josh Schneier with all kinds of flexibility. Bouncer right side. First baseman Sodor goes back to the pitcher covering and wants him to the bag. A run comes in to score, and got Josh Kasevich on an RBI ground out from Lucas. Blue Jays on the board. It's 4-1. Nathan Lucas will take the RBI, but you know he's trying to cash in more than that. Back here where you're down 4-0, but gets the Blue Jays on the board. That's where the context. A head start on this pitch, and Barger launches this one. It is fair, and it is legal. Tinting grand slam for Addison Barger puts the Blue Jays right in front 5-4. You're not too familiar with the pitcher on the mound. You're facing a lot of guys that have been in the minor leagues. I guess you just see ball, hit ball. He pulled that ball, fouled the pitch before, but then gets this off-speed offering, and he got it in the air. And that's what I mean about more middle out over the plate. That's the one he likes to do his damage on. This ball is hit high to deep center field. Jake Casey, the new center fielder, going all the way back, and that ball is just over the fence. It sneaks out for a home run. Al Castro leaving the yard, and we're tied at five. Took a second pitch, and this looked like a cutter that just stayed flat right in the middle of the plate. We talked about the breeze up there today at TD Ballpark, and he just got it up in the air, and I think Miles knew it right off the bat. Hickey to hitter, and he smokes it while the right is going to get out of here in a hurry. Sweeper broke down and in, and he hit it 109 miles an hour over the right field fence. A 438-foot blast. Such a dangerous pitch to a left-handed batter because it's coming into him. It's one thing if you try to maybe backdoor it, keep it away, but you see what this is. It stayed pretty flat. Didn't do a whole lot either. Happy zone for left-handed batters. And he hits this ball hard, but on the ground is short. Bobbled by Willie. He'll throw to second. No, it's dropped there, and they get him out. Parker tagged out. Heads up from Alcantara to stick with the play. It's first and third two down. Well, lesson learned for base runners. This is why when there is a play being made on you, you have to slide hard into the bag and hang on to the bag. You may initially think of breaking up a double play, but regardless, there's no reason to go in. 1-1 pitch is lifted to left center field, and deep Taylor and a jog. McAdoo's left the yard, and the Blue Jays trail by one. Home just yet. Charles McAdoo has the Blue Jays within one, and has this spot in the lineup ever done some damage today? Remember, he replaced Addison Barger earlier today at a grand slam, and this was a no-doubter. He's in the eighth inning. Can he get another here? The 1-2. Swing and a miss. Strike three, and the Red Sox win the game. The Blue Jays score six runs on the back of two homers, including a Barger grand slam, but Boston outlasts them, and they take the win here on the road in Dunedin.