(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Productive day (homerun) for Jurickson Profar
Nederlands
    MESA / TEMPE, Arizona / KISSIMMEE / JUPITER, Florida (USA) -
On Friday (March 1), four Dutch players participated in a Major League Spring Training-game.
Jurickson Profar (Oakland Athletics) had a successful and productive afternoon, as he was 2-for-3 with a 2-run homerun.
Ray-Patrick Didder (Atlanta Braves), Carter Kieboom (Washington Nationals) and Andrelton Simmons (Los Angeles Angels) also played on Friday.
At Hohokam Stadium in Mesa (Arizona), Oakland Athletics played at home against Colorado Rockies and won 6-3.
Oakland rallied for four runs in the fourth inning and added two more in the sixth.
The team collected seven basehits, including two by Jurickson Profar, who was the starting second baseman.
Profar scored twice and also batted in two runs.
In the bottom of the second inning, Profar grounded out.
With one out in the fourth inning, Matt Chapman walked and Stephen Piscotty doubled.
Both scored on a following single by Matt Olson, who then moved to second base when Profar also delivered a basehit.
With two outs, both Olson and Profar scored on a double by Chad Pinder.
After Colorado cut its deficit in half in the top of the fifth, Oakland took more distance in the bottom of the sixth.
Facing new pitcher Chris Rusin, Franklin Barreto led off with a double.
With one out, Profar also connected well and hit a 2-run homerun.
He was then replaced in the top of the seventh.
At Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe (Arizona), Los Angeles Angels played at home and recorded a 10-7 win against Kansas City Royals.
Both teams collected 16 basehits.
Andrelton Simmons was the starting short stop for Los Angeles and batted 1-for-3, but also struckout twice.
With one out in the first inning, Simmons struckout with a runner on second base.
Trailing 1-0, Los Angeles then rallied for four runs in the second at bat.
With two outs and a runner on first base, Kevin Smith singled, followed by a runscoring single by Cesar Puello.
Hereafter, Kole Calhoun delivered a 2-run triple.
A pitching change followed, then Calhoun scored on a wild pitch from new pitcher Josh Staumont, who then walked Mike Trout.
Hereafter, Simmons singled, which led to runners at the corners.
But the inning ended when Simmons was forced on a following grounder.
In the fourth, with one out, Trout walked.
Simmons then struckout and that ended in a double play, as Trout was caught stealing.
In the top of the third inning, Kansas City also had scored four runs.
With the score at 6-6, Los Angeles decided the game by scoring three runs in the seventh inning.
Simmons left the game in the top of the sixth.
At Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee (Florida), Atlanta Braves won 4-3 at home against a split-squad of Toronto Blue Jays.
In the top of the sixth inning, Ray-Patrick Didder entered the game as new short stop for Atlanta.
He got his lone at bat in the seventh with two outs and a runner on first base, but he then hit a force play-grounder.
In the ninth inning, Sean Kazmar led off for Atlanta with a single and moved to third base on an one-out double by Drew Waters.
Moments later, Atlanta won on a walk-off wild pitch from pitcher Hector Perez.
At Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter (Florida), Washington Nationals visited Miami Marlins and won 5-4.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Carter Kieboom entered the game and this time, he played at second base for Washington.
He then was the second batter in the top of the seventh and struckout.
It was to be his lone at bat in this game.
(March 1)
Related Articles:
 Ozzie Albies & Xander Bogaerts both hit two basehits. (February 28)
Carter Kieboom hits another Spring Training-basehit. (February 27)
Didder & Profar lone two Dutch players to play on Tuesday. (February 26)
Four Dutch players in one game; Czech makes Spring Training-debut. (February 25)
Basehits for Albies, Profar & Kieboom. (February 24)
Two more Dutch players in Spring Training; Kieboom HRs. (February 23)
Jurickson Profar first Dutch MLB-player to get into action. (February 21)
| 
