Spring training games aren’t supposed to feel like this.

They’re supposed to be tidy. Predictable. Maybe a little sloppy in a low-stakes way.

What they’re not supposed to be is a back-and-forth, heart-rate-raising, three-hour roller coaster where you look up in the late innings and realize you’ve been locked in the entire time.

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And yet, that’s exactly what unfolded Sunday afternoon at JetBlue Park, where the Boston Red Sox moved to 2-0 in Grapefruit League play with an 11-10 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in a game that felt far more like mid-season chaos than late February baseball.

The box score will tell you Boston jumped early with a four-run first, then later exploded for six runs in the sixth.

But the real story was how the lineup – one Alex Cora hinted could resemble the Opening Day group – kept answering every punch Toronto threw.

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“I think that’s what we’re going to do, that first inning,” Cora told the media postgame. “We’re going to move the ball around, we’re going to put the ball in play, we’re going to hit the ball hard.”

That approach showed up immediately after the Blue Jays tagged Brayan Bello for four runs in the top of the first. Instead of letting the inning spiral, Boston responded right away, setting the tone for an afternoon where offense came in waves.

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora (13) looks on during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

Jarren Duran, hitting third in what might be a preview of his regular-season role, looked every bit the table-setter with two doubles and loud contact throughout. Nate Eaton matched him with a perfect 3 for 3 day, including a pair of doubles that helped spark the decisive sixth-inning rally when 11 Red Sox came to the plate.

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“I know it’s early but [Duran] seems like a different hitter,” said Cora. “Hitting the ball really hard to the pull side, getting to some pitches that last year he didn’t get, and I’m expecting a lot of big things from him.”

Boston’s bullpen quietly did its job behind the offensive fireworks. Garrett Whitlock, Greg Weissert, and Jovani Moran each spun scoreless innings, with Whitlock needing just 10 pitches – seven for strikes – in a crisp first outing of the spring.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a true Grapefruit League thriller without a little late drama.

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Toronto pushed across three runs in the ninth to make things uncomfortable before Boston finally slammed the door, bringing an entertaining – and unexpectedly tense – afternoon to a close.

If the first couple days of camp are any indication, this lineup looks intent on making noise early, even if the calendar still says February.

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a double during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

Feb 22, 2026; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) hits a double during the first inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at JetBlue Park at Fenway South. (Kim Klement Neitzel/Imagn Images)

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He’s a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.