Well, the Atlanta Braves Grapefruit League Offensive Barrage keeps on truckin’, as the Braves are now 16-5 after a blowout 11-2 win over the Rays. They basically bonked Nick Martinez for four innings, and then bonked some Rays relievers/roster hopefuls for more runs later.
The bonking started early — Mike Yastrzemski doubled to lead off the second, scored on an Ozzie Albies single, and then there was an Eli White single, a sac fly, a Mauricio Dubon single, and a Drake Baldwin “triple” on a diving catch in center gone awry. Two innings later, White pulled a two-run homer into the left-field seats. After Martinez departed, it was time to bonk Kevin Kelly, with another Yastrzemski double and a few run-scoring outs. Drake Baldwin hit a three-run homer off Yoendrys Gomez in the eighth (why was he still playing in the eighth?).
On the pitching end, Chris Sale had another pretty normal tuneup. He lasted six innings and had “just” a 3/0 K/BB ratio. Around his final inning of work, he was mostly just pumping fastballs in, but then Nick Fortes homered on one of those fastballs, and Sale went back to less lackadaisical secondaries until leaving the game. Raisel Iglesias was victimized by a bunch of bloops but got two outs via strikeout before being forced out due to, I guess, pitch count. Aaron Bummer had a 2/1 K/BB ratio in his inning of work, and Ian Hamilton finished things off with a strikeout in one of his frames.
The Rays sent over a hodgepodge get-it-over-with lineup and didn’t really ever threaten, just scattering hits to go with that Fortes homer. Braves batters had more fun, with Yastrzemski collecting three hits (two doubles) and Baldwin getting a “triple” and homer.
There will be even more Spring Training (yes, I’m sure) tomorrow, as the Braves head to Fort Myers to hang out with the Red Sox.
