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Matthew Mesa/Los Angeles Dodgers
By Jon Weisman
Spirits soared with Julio Urias’ first inning on a Cactus League mound this year, before his second inning reminded us of his youth.
Taking the mound in the seventh inning today against the Angels, Urias struck out the side — before allowing a single, double, triple and walk to the four batters he faced in the eighth inning of what became an 8-4 Dodger loss, recapped by MLB.com.
Urias told AM 570 Dodger Talk’s David Vassegh that he struggled with his fastball command in his second inning of work. Hopefully, it wasn’t from his coffee run earlier today.
.@theteenager7 y @JDL_87 entre los jugadores que fueron por 65 órdenes de @Starbucks por la mañana. (Foto: @kFarm17) pic.twitter.com/nuDFYnJGfv
— Los Dodgers (@LosDodgers) March 11, 2016
The Dodgers lost despite holding the Angels hitless from the second through seventh innings. Zach Lee gave up three hits in the first inning, including a three-run homer, but then faced the minimum over the next two innings. Kenley Jansen, J.P. Howell, Pedro Baez and Louis Coleman each pitched an inning of hitless ball. They were helped by Charlie Culberson, who made two outstanding plays at shortstop today.
What else have we got?
- Austin Barnes (2 for 3) made his first start of the month at catcher and hit his second homer of Spring Training, while Adrian Gonzalez hit his first.
- Although Trayce Thompson is receiving a lot of playing time this spring, Joc Pederson will be the Dodgers’ Opening Day center fielder, Dave Roberts told reporters today (including Ken Gurnick of MLB.com).
- Pederson, who rallied from an 0-2 count to hit a sharp full-count single the opposite way to lead off the bottom of the first, left today’s game thereafter for a personal appointment, Roberts told J.P. Hoornstra of the Daily News.
- In addition, Corey Seager had an early exit after two plate appearances (1 for 2), for what was termed minor knee pain, according to Roberts. Seager will take Saturday off.
- Yasmani Grandal joined the walking wounded with a forearm contusion, as Mike DiGiovanna of the Times notes. Grandal, Howie Kendrick and Justin Turner are all expected to see Cactus League action next week.
- ESPN’s Keith Law shared his impressions of Kenta Maeda and Jose De Leon from Thursday’s game.
- Fernando Valenzuela received the blessed Josh Wilker treatment at Cardboard Gods.
- Congrats to Brandon and Amanda McCarthy, who today became new parents …
We made a thing and named her Cassidy pic.twitter.com/t0lSnblp9R
— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) March 11, 2016
oldbrooklynfan
While I was watching a delayed version of Urias striking out the side on MLB Network, the bottom line on the screen was telling me he lost the game.