(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photo by Alswinn Kieboom)
 Spencer Kieboom hits first Major League-homerun
Nederlands
 PHILADELPHIA, Pennsylvania (USA) -
Spencer Kieboom hit his first Major League-homerun on Tuesday-afternoon (September 11) playing for Washington Nationals in the first game of a double-header against Philadelphia Phillies.
The 27-year old Kieboom played in his first Major League-game this season on May 19 after Washington had selected his contract from the club's Triple-A team Syracuse Chiefs.
On that day, the Nationals played against Los Angeles Dodgers and Kieboom batted 1-for-3.
Back then, Kieboom hit a single in his first at bat.
...Spencer Kieboom with his parents during the...
...2014 South Atlantic League All Star Game...
(© Photo: Alswinn Kieboom) |
In 2016, Kieboom made his Major League-debut, playing in one game for Washington.
He then got one at bat, walked and scored a run.
Last year, Kieboom played in 19 games in Double-A and then made his debut in Triple-A, playing in 47 games.
This season, Kieboom started in Triple-A.
He batted .250 (21-for-84) with four doubles and a homerun for Syracuse, while scoring eight runs and batting in ten in 25 games through May 10.
On that day, Kieboom was 4-for-4 and scored twice.
The next day, the Nationals selected his contract and added him to the Major League-roster.
Eight days later, he played in his first Major League-game since 2016.
Since then, Kieboom went on to play in 42 games before today.
In those games, he batted .198 (20-for-101) with five doubles.
Kieboom scored ten runs and batted in six.
Last Thursday, he was 3-for-3 and scored a run against Chicago Cubs.
On Monday, the opener between the Phillies and Nationals rained out and was re-scheduled for Tuesday-afternoon as first game of a double-header.
Washington won the game 3-1, thanks to solid pitching by starter Erick Fedde, who threw 5 2/3 scoreless inning, giving up only two hits.
Kieboom, who this season was used primarily as the back-up of catcher Matt Wieters, started behind the plate.
With one out in the fifth inning, Kieboom hit an opposite-field homerun off of starter Nick Pivetta that gave Washington an 1-0 lead.
After hitting his homerun in the fifth inning, pitcher Erick Fedde singled, which led to a pitching change.
Later in the at bat, with two outs and after another pitching change, Fedde scored on a single by Bryce Harper.
Before hitting his homerun, Kieboom had led off the third inning, but then grounded out.
In the seventh, Kieboom led off with a single, but was forced out.
In the eighth, he hit a force play-grounder.
Spencer Kieboom plays professionally since 2012 in the organization of the Nationals.
Kieboom is the son of Alswinn Kieboom, who played in the Dutch big league and the Netherlands Juniors Team before moving to the USA.
In 2013, Spencer Kieboom was on the preliminary roster for the Netherlands National Team for the World Baseball Classic.
(September 11)
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