MLB Exhibition DOHs

Every year during the MLB spring training there are games between a MLB team and their minor league players. Every once in awhile the underdogs make good and best the big leaguers. It could be compared to little brothers finally outperforming their big brothers. Today that feat was achieved in three exhibition games. 

Triple A Louisville jumped on the Reds Homer Bailey in the first inning for a run and held on to win 1-0 a in six inning shortened game on the Bats home field. A pair of outfielders combined on that winning run as right fielder Felix Perez got the RBI on his team's only hit to score center fielder Ryan LaMarre. Louisville was also aided on the mound by RHP Mike Leake who is slated to be the Reds number four starter this season. Leake didn't hold back by keep the Reds bats in check as he went the distance with a line of 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 4 K while facing 20 batters. 

Double A Montgomery got big organization bragging rights as they beat the Rays 6-5 in a game that went the whole nine innings. The Rays RHP Chris Archer shit down Montgomery over the first four innings scattering three hits while striking out six. Yet over the last three innings the Rays used RHP Dylan Floro and LHP Jim Patterson who don't have a MLB inning of experience between them and were called up in the days before the game. The Biscuits hit Floro well as they had five hits including a two run home run by outfielder Jeff Malm and scored fours runs in Floro's only inning. The appearance was likely a reward for Floro as in 2013 he was 9-2, 1.81 ERA, 85 K, 1.12 WHIP in 109.1 IP over 19 games at Class A Bowling Green and was 2-0, 1.61 ERA, 14 K, 0.79 WHIP in 28.0 IP over 4 games at Class A Advanced Charlotte. Patterson picked up the loss as he surrendered a solo home run to outfielder Taylor Motter in the seventh and gave up the go ahead run in the eighth as catcher Luke Maile scored on a flyout by third baseman Richie Shaffer. RHP Mike Colla picked up the win as he pitched the final four innings with a line of 4.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 2 K while facing 17 batters.

The Atlanta Braves enduring the biggest trouncing of the day as they fell 13-4 to the Braves Futures team. Mike Minor did his part for the Braves starting the games with 1.1 hitless innings before handing the ball over. Craig Kimbrel ended up picking up the loss after he surrendered one run in the fourth to make it 2-1 but the Futures blew the game open in the seventh for eight more runs. LHP Atahualpa Severino took the brunt of that as he managed only one out as his line was 0.1 IP, 5 H, 7 R, 7 ER, 2 BB, 0 K as he faced eight batters. Severino also gave up a grand slam to left fielder Josh Elander and posted a cringe worthy 189.00 ERA. In 2013 Elander hit .318/.381/.536 with 11 HR, 61 RBI, 47 R, 6 SB in 74 games at Class A Rome and hit .262/.345/.371 with 4 HR, 32 RBI, 28 R, 3 SB in 61 games at Class A Advanced Lynchburg.

Once you get past the initial glance of the box score these games turned out to contain some organizational roster juggling. Yet the winners still get bragging rights.