The Red Sox played their first spring training game against the Twins on Sunday afternoon and top prospect Jeter Downs had himself quite the day.
In two at-bats, Downs hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to pull the Red Sox within one run of the Twins and then followed it up in the next inning with an RBI single to tie the game up. The Red Sox ultimately went on to lose 7-6, but the team has to be happy with what they saw from Downs in limited action.
“He’s a good player.” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said after the game. “We like him a lot… He’s part of the future, and we know that. Very happy that he was able to perform.”
Downs, of course, was the crown jewel in the Mookie Betts trade that the Red Sox made just a little over a year ago now. Some fans are still feeling a sense of resentment towards the team for shipping the former MVP off to Los Angeles. If Downs can emerge as a franchise cornerstone, it would certainly help to Kent the relationship between Red Sox ownership and the city.
Bobby Dalbec and Michael Chavis also homered in the loss. The Red Sox next game is Monday at 1:05 pm ET against the Atlanta Braves.
Photo: (Elise Amendola – AP Photo)