(Story & Photo by Marco Stoovelaar)
 Ray-Patrick Didder homers and scores winning run for Atlanta Braves
Nederlands
   KISSIMMEE / FORT MYERS / JUPITER, Florida (USA) -
Ray-Patrick Didder homered and scored the winning run for Atlanta Braves on Friday (March 8) in an exhibition game against Philadelphia Phillies.
With that, the 24-year old Aruban infielder played another fine game in Spring Training for Atlanta.
While not being a non-roster player, Didder regularly plays for the team.
So far, he has played in eight games and is 3-for-8.
He scored three runs.
In 2017, Didder played in nine Spring Training-games and was 1-for-10, which was a double.
Last year, he also played in nine games and then was 0-for-6.
Last season, Didder hit four homeruns in 122 games at the Single-A and Double-A level.
The speedy player batted .232 (87-for-375) with nine doubles, seven triples and 27 stolen bases.
Ozzie Albies (Atlanta Braves), Spencer Kieboom, Carter Kieboom (both Washington Nationals) and Jonathan Schoop (Minnesota Twins) also played on Friday.
...Beautiful Champion Stadium in Kissimmee...
(© Photo: Marco Stoovelaar) |
At Champion Stadium at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort in Kissimmee (Florida), Atlanta Braves played at home and won 5-4 against Philadelphia Phillies.
Atlanta was outhit 7-5 and trailed 4-0 halfway the fifth inning, but then turned the game around to win.
Ray-Patrick Didder played a big role for Atlanta in the win.
Ozzie Albies started at second base for Atlanta and was 0-for-3.
He lined out to second basman Andrew Romine in the second inning, then struckout in the fourth and sixth inning.
He was then replaced in the top of the seventh.
Trailing 4-0, Atlanta scored twice in the bottom of the fifth, thanks to a 2-run homerun by Cristian Pache.
In the sixth, Atlanta narrowed the deficit to 4-3 on a double by Raffy Lopez.
In the bottom of the seventh, Ray-Patrick Didder was inserted as pinch-hitter and led off with a homerun to make it a 4-4 score!
Didder stayed in the game as designated hitter and got his second at bat in the bottom of the ninth.
Pedro Florimon led off with a single, but was forced out on a grounder by Didder.
While next batter Cristian Pache struckout, Didder stole second.
Moments later, Didder scored the winning run when a grounder by Austin Riley ended in an error.
At Hammond Stadium at the CenturyLink Sports Complex in Fort Myers (Florida), Minnesota Twins played at home against Tampa Bay Rays in a game that ended with a 5-5 tie after nine innings.
Jonathan Schoop was the starting second baseman for Minnesota and was 0-for-3, but he scored a run.
Schoop struckout in the first inning after his team had scored two runs to take a 2-1 lead.
He struckout again in the third at bat.
Trailing 4-2, Minnesota came alongside in the bottom of the fifth.
With two outs, Eddie Rosario singled.
Hereafter, Schoop hit the ball into centerfield, where centerfielder Emilio Bonifacio made an error.
That not only enabled Rosario to score, but Schoop also was able to circle the bases and score the tying run.
Schoop was replaced in the top of the seventh inning.
At Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium in Jupiter (Florida), a split-squad of Washington Nationals visited St. Louis Cardinals and lost 3-2.
All runs were scored in the first inning.
Both Kieboom-brothers got into action in this Washington-team.
Spencer Kieboom (who is a catcher) entered the game in the bottom of the sixth inning to become the new first baseman.
He his first at bat in the top of the seventh, but then hit an inning-ending force play-grounder.
In the bottom of the seventh, Carter Kieboom became the new second baseman.
He lined out to first baseman Rangel Ravelo in the top of the eighth inning.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Kieboom-combination made an out.
Lead-off hitter Tommy Edman then grounded to Carter, who threw the ball to Spencer.
In the ninth, Spencer walked with two outs, which loaded the bases, but all three runners were left behind.
(March 8)
Related Articles:
 Profar, Bogaerts, Schoop hit basehits. (March 7)
Basehits for Ozzie Albies and Ray-Patrick Didder. (March 6)
Jurickson Profar delivers deciding basehit for Oakland. (March 5)
Czech Martin Červenka homers in Spring Training. (March 4)
Schoop homers; Jansen winner in first appearance. (March 3)
Bogaerts homers; Kieboom-brothers hit doubles. (March 2)
Productive day (homerun) for Jurickson Profar. (March 1)
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)
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