(Story by Marco Stoovelaar)
    Spring-season opens; Two Antillian players in action
Nederlands
 FORT MYERS, Florida (USA) -
The 2022 Spring Training-exhibition season went underway with four games on Thursday (March 17), which was St. Patrick's Day.
Two Antillian players came into action on the first day.
Earlier today, Minor Leaguers Ceddanne Rafaela and Izzy Wilson were both added to the team of Boston Red Sox as extra players for today's game and both were inserted.
Boston-regular Xander Bogaerts didn't play yet.
At jetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Boston Red Sox played at home against Minnesota Twins and won 14-1.
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| ...Ceddanne Rafaela & Izzy Wilson... |
With Boston leading 4-1 in the top of the fifth inning, Ceddanne Rafaela (playing with uniform number 85) entered the game as new centerfielder, replacing Jarren Duran.
The 21-year Rafaela, whose full name is Ceddanne Chipper Nicasio Marte Rafaela, got his first at bat in the bottom of the sixth and then hit a lead-off double down the rightfield-line.
The Curaçao-born Rafaela then grounded out in the seventh at bat.
In the eighth, he reached on an error and scored a run.
24-year old Izzy Wilson (uniform number 84), who was born on Saint Maarten, came into the game into the top of the sixth as the new rightfielder for Boston.
He also got a basehit in his first at bat, recording a single in the seventh inning.
Moments later he scored on a ground-rule double by Tyreque Reed.
In the eighth, Wilson walked to load the bases, then Elih Marrerro followed with a 3-run double.
For Rafaela, this is the first time he plays in Major League Spring Training.
Rafaela plays professionally since 2018.
Last season, he played in Single-A for Salem Red Sox and batted .251 in 102 games with ten homeruns and 53 RBI's.
Wilson earlier played in Major League Spring Training in 2018 and 2019 when he was with Atlanta Braves.
Last year, Wilson played in 83 games in Double-A in the Los Angeles Angels-organization, hitting .247 with 21 homeruns and 53 runs batted in for Rocket City Trash Pandas.
(March 17)
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