The Atlanta Braves opened Grapefruit League play Saturday afternoon at CoolToday Park in North Port, FL, tying the Boston Red Sox, 6-6.
Atlanta Braves open Grapefruit League play with 6-6 tie against Red Sox
Drawing the start on the mound for the Braves in the contest was left-hander Kolby Allard, a former first round pick by Atlanta in 2015 whom the club acquired via trade back in November.
Allard would go on to pitch only two innings as well, surrending a hit and one earned run, while also striking out a batter. That run would come during the second inning, as Caleb Hamilton singled to left, driving in Bobby Dalbec.
Replacing Allard in the third inning would be right-hander Jesse Chavez for the veteran's lone inning of work, who would later surrender a two-run home run in the third inning to Dalbec, making the score 3-0 in advantage of Boston.
The Braves would finally get on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third however, as first baseman Matt Olson would hit a two-run home run to right center, driving in Ronald Acuña Jr. in the process to make the score 3-2 Boston.
Left-handed pitching prospect Dylan Dodd would then take the mound for the next two innings, and would certainly impress by allowing no hits or runs, while also striking out three of the six batters he faced. Atlanta would also tie the game 3-3 on the bottom of the fifth on an RBI double by Eli White, who drove in Eddie Rosario.
Another prospect would also come in, and impress, to begin the sixth in right-hander Darius Vines, who would go an inning, while also striking out three batters with one hit allowed.
The Red Sox would eventually pull away in the top of the eighth inning, striking for three runs against Braves prospect Victor Vodnik.
However, Atlanta would later come back in the bottom of the ninth inning, striking for three runs to tie Boston, 6-6.
Noteworthy Stats
- Matt Olson - 2/2, HR, 2 RBI
- LHP Dylan Dodd - 2 IP, 3 K
- Darius Vines - 1 IP, 1 H, 3 K
What's Next?
The Atlanta Braves will return to Grapefruit League action Sunday at 1:05 PM ET, traveling to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa to face yet another AL East opponent, the New York Yankees. Bryce Elder will be drawing the start on the mound for the Braves, with the Yankees countering with another right-hander, Clarke Schmidt.