Spring training roundup: Forrest Wall (2 HRs, 6 RBIs) powers Braves

 

[March 01, 2024]  Forrest Wall hit three-run home runs in back-to-back innings for the Atlanta Braves, who held on for a 12-9 win over the host Tampa Bay Rays in spring training action on Thursday in Port Charlotte, Fla.

Wall chased Rays starter Zach Eflin (0-1) with a bomb to right field in the second inning before expanding Atlanta's lead to 10-0 in the second by taking Naoyuki Uwasawa to left. Wall is up to three home runs this spring.

David Fletcher stole home for the Braves and went 3-for-4 with a double, an RBI single and two runs. Marcell Ozuna added a solo shot and starter Dylan Dodd (1-0) tossed two spotless innings with two strikeouts.

Tampa Bay trailed 12-2 entering the bottom of the sixth but scored the final seven runs of the game before running out of time. Austin Shenton racked up four RBIs on two infield singles.

Braves 5, Twins 0

Spencer Strider fanned five over three scoreless innings as host Atlanta swept its pair of games by blanking Minnesota in North Port, Fla.

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit an RBI double to open the scoring and Michael Harris II drove in runs on singles in the fourth and sixth innings for the Braves. Atlanta held Minnesota to five hits while striking out 11 batters.

Kody Funderburk (0-1) gave up four runs (three earned) on four hits and a walk while striking out two over 1 2/3 innings in relief of starter Chris Paddack, who had two scoreless, hitless innings.

Orioles 9, Pirates 8

Daniel Johnson drove in Errol Robinson to complete a four-run comeback in the bottom of the ninth as host Baltimore edged Pittsburgh in Sarasota, Fla.

With one out, pinch hitter Silas Ardoin hit a two-run triple to begin the charge, and Robinson singled Ardoin home to tie the game before stealing second. Their heroics made a winner out of reliever Tucker Davidson (1-0), who struck out two while giving up a run on two hits over two innings.

Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall draft pick by the Pirates in 2021, hit a three-run homer off Orioles starter Corbin Burnes in the top of the first. Connor Sadzeck (0-1) blew the save.

Red Sox 5, Tigers 2

Rafael Devers hit a solo home run and finished 2-for-3 with two runs as Boston defeated visiting Detroit in Fort Myers, Fla.

Trevor Story added RBIs on a double and a bases-loaded walk, while starter Garrett Whitlock (1-0) fanned six batters over three innings, yielding a run on three hits.

Ryan Kreidler and Trei Cruz drove in the Tigers' runs. Reese Olson (0-2) allowed two runs on four hits over two innings but struck out three.

Nationals 3, Cardinals 1

Lane Thomas and James Wood hit back-to-back home runs to lead off the game to lift Washington past host St. Louis in Jupiter, Fla.

Thomas' homer to left and Wood's shot to center came off Kyle Gibson (0-1), who later allowed a third earned run on a wild pitch. Nationals starter Patrick Corbin (1-1) struck out four and allowed three hits in three scoreless frames.

Cesar Prieto drove in the Cardinals' only run of the game on a single in the bottom of the ninth. Both teams managed just five hits.

Phillies 5, Blue Jays 0

Trea Turner went 2-for-3 with an RBI and seven Philadelphia pitchers combined to allow just four hits in a shutout of host Toronto in Dunedin, Fla.

Max Castillo and Kolby Allard (1-0) set the tone by each pitching two innings with one hit, one walk and one strikeout. The final five relievers combined to yield just two hits while accounting for five of the Jays batters' seven strikeouts. Colin Pache added a solo homer for the Phillies.

Jose Berrios started for the Blue Jays and gave up two hits in two scoreless innings. Connor Cooke (0-1) allowed Turner's go-ahead hit.

Rockies 10, Cubs 9

Ezequiel Tovar went 3-for-3 with a solo home run, Julio Carreras and Elehuris Montero also went yard and visiting Colorado got past Chicago in Mesa, Ariz.

Warming Bernabel hit a pair of RBI singles, the second coming in the top of the ninth and allowed the Rockies to withstand Chicago's final run, which scored on a wild pitch. Starter Dakota Hudson (1-0) worked around a hit and two walks in one inning.

Owen Caissie went 3-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI for the Cubs. Joe Hudson and David Bote homered as Chicago rallied from down 9-4 over the final three innings. Starter Drew Smyly (1-1) was dinged for five runs on seven hits in two innings.

White Sox 6, Royals 1

Gavin Sheets hit two solo homers as Chicago beat visiting Kansas City in Phoenix.

Andrew Benintendi went 2-for-3 with an RBI for the White Sox, while reliever Tanner Banks (1-0) threw two scoreless innings with one hit, one walk and one strikeout.

The Royals couldn't get on the board until Luca Tresh drove in Tyler Tolbert with a ninth-inning single. Alec Marsh (0-1) gave up Sheets' first dinger but struck out four over two innings.

White Sox 6, Mariners 5

Zach Remillard homered and Danny Mendick hit the go-ahead two-run double to cap a seventh-inning comeback as Chicago's split squad defeated host Seattle in Peoria, Ariz.

The win was credited to reliever Josimar Cousin (1-0), who struck out three batters over the fifth and sixth innings. White Sox batters struck out 12 times but outhit the Mariners 10-9.

Brian Anderson had a two-run home run and Cade Marlowe finished 2-for-2 with an RBI and two runs for the Mariners. Casey Lawrence (0-1) allowed Chicago's comeback during the seventh.

Rangers 7, Brewers 5

Andrew Knizner, Ezequiel Duran and Josh Smith hit RBI doubles and host Texas outlasted Milwaukee in Surprise, Ariz.

Davis Wendzel drew a bases-loaded walk off Chad Patrick (0-1) for the Rangers' go-ahead run in the sixth. Matt Whatley did the same off Jacob Polancic two batters later. Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi fanned five and allowed one run on two hits over three innings before Emiliano Teodo (1-0) earned the win in relief.

The Brewers' Joey Ortiz tied the game at 5-5 in the top of the sixth with a two-run home run. Brock Wilken and Eric Haase each had an RBI double among two hits.

Padres 5, Athletics 3

Luis Campusano, Kyle Higashioka and Graham Pauley teamed up for a four-run fourth inning as visiting San Diego topped Oakland in Mesa, Ariz.

After Campusano and Higashioka hit back-to-back RBI doubles, Pauley followed with a two-run triple for the Padres. Starter Pedro Avila (1-1) limited the Athletics to one run on two hits over the first three innings.

Zack Gelof homered off Avila in the first inning for the A's. Starter Joe Boyle (0-1) went 3 1/3 innings and yielded two runs (one earned) on two hits with two strikeouts.

Angels 4, Guardians 1

Zach Neto and Ehire Adrianza hit solo homers as host Los Angeles beat Cleveland in Tempe, Ariz.

Angels starter Patrick Sandoval pitched two perfect innings with two strikeouts before giving way to eight relievers. Chase Silseth (1-0) pitched the third and fourth innings with one hit, one walk and one K.

Will Brennan had an RBI triple in the ninth to score the Guardians' only run. Tim Herrin (0-1) allowed Neto's homer in the third.

Diamondbacks 2, Giants 1

Starter Ryne Nelson struck out five over three innings as host Arizona beat San Francisco in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Nelson (2-0) gave up one run on two hits after getting all of his run support in the first inning. Gabriel Moreno had an RBI groundout and Jake McCarthy scored on a wild pitch by Giants starter Logan Webb (0-2).

Webb went three innings and struck out two while yielding two runs (one earned) on three hits. New signing Jung Hoo Lee from South Korea hit his first home run of the spring off Nelson in the third.

Astros 2, Mets 1

Starter Ronel Blanco threw 2 2/3 scoreless innings, leading host Houston to a win over New York in West Palm Beach, Fla.

RBI singles by Mauricio Dubon and Cesar Salazar staked the Astros to a 2-0 lead in the second inning.

The Mets didn't get on the board until Luisangel Acuna hit a run-scoring single with one out in the ninth. Lucas Ritter followed by grounding into a game-ending double play.

Marlins 0, Yankees 0

Miami and host New York played to a scoreless, nine-inning tie in Tampa.

Yankees starter Clayton Beeter threw three innings of three-hit ball, walking one and striking out four. Ian Hamilton, Ron Marinaccio, Tanner Tully and Anthony Misiewicz finished the five-hit shutout.

Miami starter Ryan Weathers fanned five while allowing one hit and one walk in 2 2/3 innings. Austin Roberts, Anthony Bender, Max Meyer, Anthony Maldonado and Bryan Hoeing capped a two-hit shutout.

Reds 5, Dodgers 4

Edwin Arroyo hit a tiebreaking, two-run double in the seventh inning, lifting host Cincinnati over Los Angeles in Goodyear, Ariz.

Graham Ashcraft tossed two scoreless, hitless innings for the Reds, and Alexis Diaz struck out all three batters he faced.

Mookie Betts and Trey Sweeney homered for Los Angeles. In his Dodgers debut, James Paxton pitched two innings, allowing one run on two hits and striking out four.

--Field Level Media

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