Detroit Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez practices during spring training, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026, at Tigertown in Lakeland, Florida. Framber Valdez, a valuable free agent pitcher this season, had an impressive spring debut for the Detroit Tigers in a 5-2 loss to the Atlanta Braves in Lakeland, Florida.
Valdez pitched three scoreless innings, striking out three and allowing just two hits. He threw 30 of 43 pitches for strikes and struck out three in the second inning. Valdez signed a three-year, $115 million contract with Detroit last month after eight seasons in Houston and is scheduled to start the Tigers’ home opener on April 3.
DaShawn Keirsey Jr. hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning to extend Atlanta’s lead to 3-0. Braves starter Bryce Elder allowed three hits and no runs with one strikeout over three innings.
Brett Callahan broke the scoreless streak with a home run in the seventh inning. Tomas Nido added a home run in the ninth for the Tigers.
Pirates 4, Race 1
Yordani de los Santos and Javier Rivas hit consecutive home runs in the seventh inning as host Pittsburgh continued its hot springs with a win over Tampa Bay in Bradenton, Florida.
Pittsburgh has the best record of any Grapefruit League or Cactus League team, improving to 9-2. Pirates starting pitcher Mike Clevinger, who won 38 games in Cleveland from 2017-19 but has struggled with injuries since then, struck out three batters and did not allow a run in three innings.
The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Alika Williams scored on a botched pickoff attempt by Rays starter Mason Englert. Tampa Bay tied the game one inning later on a Logan Davidson single to left field.
Red Sox 7, Blue Jays 6
Nathan Hickey hit a two-run, two-out home run in the eighth inning in Dunedin, Florida, to tie the game at 5-5 and give Boston a win over Toronto.
Mickey Gasper and Allan Castro also homered one of their two hits for the Red Sox, with Gasper having 12 hits and driving in three runs against Toronto. Red Sox starting pitcher Johan Oviedo struck out four batters and allowed just two hits over three innings.
The Blue Jays scored five of the six runs in the fifth inning to take a 5-4 lead. Addison Barger had an explosive performance with a grand slam to right field.
Cardinals 3, Marlins 2
Colton Ledbetter’s two-out single in the ninth inning off pinch runner Michael Antico gave Tampa Bay a win over host St. Louis in Jupiter, Florida.
Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante allowed three hits and one run over three innings while striking out two. St. Louis scored in the seventh inning on Yohel Pozo and Jeremy Rivas to tie the Cardinals at 2-2.
Kemp Alderman homered in the fourth inning to go 2-for-3 for the Marlins. Adam Mazur started and allowed only one baserunner (a walk) in two innings.
Nationals 3, Astros 3
Houston’s poor spring continued as they fell to 1-6-3 after a tie with Washington in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Houston starter Hunter Brown allowed three runs and struck out over 2 2/3 innings. The host Astros scored singles in the seventh and eighth to tie the game on James Nelson’s single to left field.
Washington catcher Keibert Lewis tied the score at 1-1 with a solo home run to right field in the fourth inning. Brady House, who had two hits in three appearances, added a double to left field one inning later. Andrew Alvarez, who started five games for the Nats in September 2025, pitched three scoreless innings, walked three, and fanned three.
–Field level media
