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(Story by Marco Stoovelaar; Photos by Billings Mustangs, Palm Beach Cardinals & Marco Stoovelaar) Hendrik Clementina and Darren Seferina in Major League Spring Training Nederlands CLEARWATER / KISSIMMEE / SARASOTA / FORT MYERS / WEST PALM BEACH, Florida / PEORIA / PHOENIX / SURPRISE / GOODYEAR, Arizona (USA) - On Saturday (March 17), eight Dutch players participated in Major League Spring Training-games in Florida and Arizona. A total of 20 games was played on Saturday, as eight teams all had two games scheduled to be played by a split-squad. Earlier in the day, two Curaçao-born Minor League-players were added to a Major League main-squad, being catcher Hendrik Clementina (Cincinnati Reds) and infielder Darren Seferina (St. Louis Cardinals). It was the first time for both that they were in a Major League Spring Training Camp. However, both didn't get into action. ...Hendrik... ...Clementina... (© Photo: Billings Mustangs) With the additon of Clementina and Seferina, 21 Dutch players have now been part of Major League Spring Training this year with three of them not playing (so far). Last year, there were 16 Dutch players in Spring Training with two of them not playing. It marks the third time that 20 or more Dutch players were with a Major League-team during a Spring Training. In 2015, there were 22 (five didn't play) and in 2016, there were 21(two didn't play). 20-year old catcher Hendrik Clementina was added to the main squad Cincinnati for the game against a split-squad of San Francisco Giants at Goodyear, Arizona. Cincinnati won the game 5-4. Clementina plays professional since 2014, all seasons in Rookie League. Last year, he played for two Rookie League-teams and batted .303 (57-for-188) in 51 games. Clementina recorded 11 doubles and six homeruns, scored 30 runs and batted in 35. ...Darren... ...Seferina... (© Ph: Palm Beach Cardinals) 24-year old second baseman Darren Seferina was added to the team of St. Louis for the game against a split-quad of Atlanta Braves in Kissimmee, Florida. Atlanta won the game 3-0. Seferina also plays professional baseball since 2014. He played all his seasons at the Single-A level. Last year, Seferina played for two teams and batted .278 (123-for-443) in 118 games with 17 doubles, 10 triples and seven homeruns. He scored 67 runs and batted in 45. In their four professional years, both Clementina and Seferina played in three All Star Games. The eight players who got into action on Saturday were Ozzie Albies, Xander Bogaerts, Ray-Patrick Didder, Kenley Jansen, Spencer Kieboom, Jurickson Profar, Sharlon Schoop and Andrelton Simmons. (March 17) Related Articles: Ozzie Albies hits 2 homeruns (from both sides) for Atlanta. (March 16) Spring-debut Jansen; Simmons returns; Schoop HRs again. (March 15) Jonathan Schoop helps Baltimore to win with 4th homerun. (March 14) Didi Gregorius hits third homerun in Spring Training. (March 13) Sharlon Schoop in Spring Training; Italian Gasparini makes debut. (March 12) Gregorius HRs; Sicnarf Loopstok, Jiandido Tromp in action. (March 11) Schoop hits 2nd Spring Training-HR; Pieters doubles. (March 10) Spring Training-debut Kenley Jansen postponed. (March 9) Gregorius homers, Simmons injured in Spring Training. (March 8) 3 Hits & 2 Runs by Dutch players in Spring Training. (March 7) Xander Bogaerts homers for Boston. (March 6) Only two Dutch players in Spring Training-action on Monday. (March 5) Productive day Dutch players in League Spring Training. (March 4) Another Kieboom in Major League Spring Training. (March 3) Didi Gregorius collects three hits in Spring Training-game. (March 2) Spencer Kieboom, Chadwick Tromp deliver game-winning hits. (March 1) Andrelton Simmons plays in first Spring Training-game. (February 28) Seattle adds Aruban Eugene Helder for Spring Training-game. (February 27) Jonathan Schoop homers for Baltimore. (February 26) Spencer Kieboom collects 2 basehits for Washington. (February 25) Baltimore adds 2 Curaçao-players for Spring Training-game. (February 24) First Dutch players in action in Major League Spring Training. (February 23) Major League Spring Training-season opens. (February 21)

At Clearwater, a split-squad of Atlanta Braves played at Philadelphia Phillies and lost 10-6. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Philadelphia broke a 6-6 tie by scoring three runs, then added another run in the seventh. Ozzie Albies led off for the Braves and started at second base. After hitting two homeruns the day before, he now was 0-for-3. Albies led off three times in the game. He flied out in the top of the first inning, grounded out in the third, then flied out again in the fifth. Albies was replaced in the bottom of the sixth inning by Marcus Mooney, who also became the new second baseman.

At Kissimmee, another split-squad of Atlanta Braves played at home against St. Louis Cardinals and lost 3-0. St. Louis scored a run in the top of the fifth, then added two runs in the seventh. Atlanta recorded only one basehit in this game. That was hit with two outs in the bottom of the first inning by Freddie Freeman. In the remainder of the game, four more players of Atlanta would reach base, but they all walked. In the top of the eighth inning, Ray-Patrick Didder entered the game for Christian Colón and became the new second baseman for Atlanta. He did not get an at bat.

At Sarasota, Baltimore Orioles played at home against a split-squad of Toronto Blue Jays and lost 5-3. Toronto broke an 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth by scoring three runs. In the top of the eighth inning, Sharlon Schoop entered the game for Baltimore to become the new second baseman. Schoop was added to the main squad again for today's game. In the bottom of the ninth, Alex Presley delivered a runscoring triple for Baltimore. With two outs and Presley on third base, the game ended when Schoop grounded out in his lone at bat.

At Fort Myers, Boston Red Sox played at home against Tampa Bay Rays and won 4-3. Trailing 3-1, Boston scored three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning to turn the game its way. Xander Bogaerts started as short stop for Boston and was 0-for-2. Bogaerts led off the bottom of the second inning and then flied out. He again flied out to end the fourth inning. In the top of the sixth, Bogaerts was replaced by Chad De La Guerra, who moved to third base. Ivan De Jesus, Jr. entered the game as new short stop.

At West Palm Beach, Washington Nationals played at home against New York Mets and lost 9-7. Washington led 6-5 after seven innings, then New York scored four runs in the top of the eighth. In the top of the sixth inning, Spencer Kieboom entered the game for Washington, replaced Miguel Montero and became the new catcher. Trailing 5-3 in the bottom of the seventh, Washington took a 6-5 lead when Moises Sierra hit a 3-run homerun with two outs. Hereafter, then inning ended when Kieboom grounded out. In the bottom of the ninth, Sierra delivered a runscoring single with one out which made it a 9-7 score. With runners on first and second base and one out, Kieboom got his second at bat, but he grounded into a double play that ended the game.

...Peoria Stadium, the Spring Training-home of... ...the Seattle Mariners & San Diego Padres... (© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) At Peoria, Los Angeles Angels played against Seattle Mariners at Peoria Stadium. This is located at Peoria Sports Complex, which is the Spring Training-home of both the Mariners and San Diego Padres since 1994. In that first year, a team of Haarlem-based Kinheim from the Netherlands participated in the Senior World Series. The Peoria Sports Complex was one of the playing sites of the event. Seattle shutout Los Angeles 7-0. The Angels were limited to only three basehits. Andrelton Simmons was the lead-off hitter for the Angels and was the designated hitter. He was 0-for-3. Simmons led off the game with a grounder in the top of the first inning off of starter Marco Gonzales. He grounded out again to close the third at bat. 26-year old lefthander Gonzales gave up only one basehit in the 5 2/3 inning he pitched and struckout three hitters. He gave up the lone hit to Rymer Liriano, who led off the third inning with a single. With two outs in the top of the sixth, Gonzales was relieved by Juan Nicasio. The first batter he faced was Simmons, but he grounded out again. In the top of the ninth, Simmons was replaced by pinch-hitter Jordan Zimmerman, who also grounded out.

At Phoenix, Los Angeles Dodgers played at Chicago White Sox and lost 5-2. Chicago opened the score with three runs in the bottom of the first inning, then added two more in the second at bat. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Kenley Jansen made his second pitching appearance for the Dodgers. He retired the side in his first outing last Thursday and he did the same again today. Ryan Cordell, the first batter he faced, grounded out. Jansen then struckout Tim Anderson and made the putout at first base himself for the third out when Yolmer Sanchez grounded to first baseman Chase Utley. In the bottom of the sixth, Jansen was relieved by Dominican righthander Pedro Báez.

At Surprise, a split-squad of Texas Rangers hosted a split-squad of Kansas City Royals in a game that ended with a 5-5 score. Kansas City led 5-2 halfway the eighth inning after having scored three runs in the top of the seventh and another one in the next at bat. Texas then scored twice in the bottom of the eighth and came alongside in the ninth. Jurickson Profar started as short stop for Texas and was 1-for-2, scored a run and batted in anothher. Profar grounded into a double play to end the bottom of the first inning. In the fourth inning, Profar contributed in giving Texas a 2-1 lead. With Kansas City leading 1-0, Delino DeShields led off for Texas with a walk. With one out, he scored on a line drive double by Profar to make it an 1-1 score. Hereafter, Profar moved to third base on a grounder by Nomar Mazara and scored the go-ahead run when next hitter Ryan Rua reached on an error. Profar left the game in the top of the sixth, when he was replaced by new short stop Brendon Davis.

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