Baseball Recap Netherlands vs. Atlanta Braves March 5, 2006

Compiled and Copyright © 1997-2006 by Marco Stoovelaar

Dutch team finish exhibition series with loss
Nederlands
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (USA) - The Netherlands National Team closed its 4-game exhibiton series on Sunday-afternoon with a 4-0 loss against a Major League split squad of the Atlanta Braves at the beautiful Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.
The game, which was attended by more than 4000 spectators, was the last in its preparations for the World Baseball Classic. On Monday-morning, the team will travel to San Juan (Puerto Rico) where Pool C will be played.

...Beautiful Cracker Jack Stadium... ...Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex... (Photo: Marco Stoovelaar)

Dutch starter Calvin Maduro gave up two quick runs in the first inning when the Braves had two basehits, but the Dutch defense also committed two errors.
Atlanta doubled its lead in the third inning when David Kelton hit a homerun off of Diegomar Markwell, who took over for Maduro in this at bat.
After going hitless in five innings, the Dutch offense produced its first two basehits in the sixth inning, which were the be the lone Dutch basehits in the game.
Markwell was followed by Jair Jurrjens, Shairon Martis, Gregory Gustina and Dave Draijer.
Sean White took over for Smoltz in the third inning and was relieved by Kevin Barry in the fifth. Ryan Basner, Travis Smith and Glenn Tucker pitched the last three innings for the Braves.
In this game, Major Leaguer Andruw Jones made his Dutch team-debut. The centerfielder, who plays since 1996 for the Atlanta Braves, batted fourth in the starting line-up for Manager Robert Eenhoorn. In his first two at bats, he grounded out to third base.
Jones, who was the designated hitter, left the game in the sixth inning when Sharnol Adriana pinch-hit for him.

The Dutch team started a little nervous, as two double play-grounders ended in errors and eventually two runs for the Braves in the first inning. Michael Ryan led off with a single, then veteran short stop Edgar Renteria grounded to his Dutch colleague Raily Legito for a potential double play, but Legito committed an error and that resulted in runners on first and second base. Next, the bases were loaded when Brian Jordan singled. Brian McCann then grounded towards second baseman Michael Duursma which could be a double play, but again an error followed, this time resulting in two runs. The bases were loaded again when James Jurries walked, but now the Dutch team recovered and starting pitcher Calvin Maduro retired the next three batters to end the inning.

From this point on, it only got better with the Dutch squad, which had great pitching this afternoon. Six pitchers gave up only seven basehits in the game and two more additional runs. Those runs were scored in the third inning when David Kelton hit a 2-run homerun off Diegomar Markwell. Kelton and Markwell knew each other as they played against each other a few years ago in the minors. After the two runs in the third, the Braves were blanked by the Dutch pitching staff. Manager Robert Eenhoorn agreed satisfied that his pitchers did a good job in this game. The last six innings were a great pitching match-up by the two teams in this fast game, which lasted just over two hours.

The Dutch team got one real scoring opportunity, which came in the fifth inning. With one out, Ivanon Coffie and Dirk van 't Klooster singled off Kevin Barry, Atlanta's third pitcher in the game. In the second inning, Coffie barely missed hitting a homerun off Major League-veteran John Smoltz, as his fly to rightfield went foul by only a few feet. With Coffie and Van 't Klooster on base, Chairon Isenia loaded the bases when he walked. But then Barry settled things and made an end to the Dutch scoring chance by striking out Raily Legito and pinch-hitter Hainley Statia.

The split squad of the Braves was compiled of a combination of roster-players, non-roster invitees and minor league-players. In the game, five of the 21 players that participated, are on the Braves 40-man Major League-roster (Luis Hernandez, James Jurries, Brian McCann, Edgar Renteria and John Smoltz). Ten players are non-roster invitees to Spring Training and six were players from the Minor Leagues. Another Braves split squad played in Winter Haven against the Cleveland Indians.
(March 5)

Box Score
Complete Play-by-Play Game Four Atlanta Braves vs. Netherlands