Blue Jays Rally to Walk-Off Victory Over Yankees in Dramatic Spring Training Clash

DUNEDIN, Fla. — Carter Cunningham smacked a walk-off home run with two strikes and two outs, propelling the Toronto Blue Jays‘ split squad to a thrilling 6-5 victory over the visiting New York Yankees on Monday.

The game took place at Dunedin Stadium, where the Blue Jays battled back from a late-inning deficit. The Yankees took the lead in the top of the eighth, but Matt Whatley tied it with a solo shot, leading to Cunningham’s dramatic game-winner that sailed to right center.

Yankees reliever Baron Stuart (0-1) was charged with both homers, with Bo Bichette also contributing a two-run homer earlier in the contest.

“It felt great to come through in that moment,” said Cunningham, who was selected in the 10th round of the 2024 draft. “We’ve been working hard all spring, and it’s great to see that pay off for the team.”

Starting pitcher Kevin Gausman for Toronto allowed three runs on four hits over three innings, while Eric Pardinho (1-0) struck out two and earned the win after pitching a scoreless top of the ninth.

The Yankees had taken a lead during the game as well, with Ben Rice hitting a solo homer and knocking in a run. Trent Grisham also contributed with a two-run shot, and Brenny Escanio gave New York a brief 5-4 advantage in the eighth inning.

Earlier in the day, another split-squad of the Blue Jays fell to the Philadelphia Phillies, 4-2, despite home runs by Rainer Nunez and Davis Schneider.

Aaron Nola struck out five in his 4.2-inning start for Philadelphia, while Jordan Romano (1-0) recorded two outs against his former team as part of the Phillies’ pitching effort.

Meanwhile, in other games around the league, the Baltimore Orioles crushed the Boston Red Sox 12-3, with Daz Cameron contributing two RBIs and three runs. The Red Sox struggled against Orioles pitching, with Greg Weissert (0-1) allowing six runs in just two-thirds of an inning.

In a closely contested matchup, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 12-1, thanks to Jonathan India’s impressive performance with four RBIs, including a three-run double.

As teams continue their preparations for the upcoming regular season, today’s game highlighted the resilience of the Blue Jays and the power-packed performances that could be expected from these rosters.