The Atlanta Braves handed the Tampa Bay Rays a 11-2 loss at CoolToday Park on Monday in spring training play. Despite Nick Fortes's 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI effort at the plate, the Rays could not overcome a sizable deficit. Nick Martinez worked 4.0 innings on the mound, allowing 7 earned runs on 10 hits. The Braves out-hit the Rays 15-9 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Rays continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Nick Fortes was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and an RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Rays will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Raynel Delgado provided support, going 3-for-4 with a double and an RBI, Ben Williamson also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double, and Justyn-Henry Malloy chipped in, going 1-for-4. The Rays showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Drake Baldwin led the Braves offense with a 2-for-4 with a home run, a triple, and four RBI day. Eli White also contributed, going 2-for-2 with a home run and two RBI. Ozzie Albies added a 1-for-3 with two RBI effort as well. The Braves offense proved to be too much for the Rays pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Nick Martinez took the loss after running into trouble, working 4.0 innings while allowing 7 earned runs on 10 hits with one strikeout. He threw 72 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.0 innings of work, allowing 4 earned runs while striking out two. The Rays continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Bryan Baker stood out with 1.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Braves got on the board first with four runs in the second inning. Braves pushed across two runs in the fourth. Braves plated two runs in the fifth. The Rays answered with a run in the sixth. The Rays tacked on a run in the seventh. Braves countered with three runs in the eighth. The Braves were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Braves out-hit the Rays 15-9, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 6,325 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Rays will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.
