Spring Training – Page 9 – Dodger Thoughts

Category: Spring Training (Page 9 of 13)

Billingsley shines, Dodgers win in 10th

By Jon Weisman

On March 22, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesChad Billingsley (shown here on St. Patrick’s Day)

Dodgers 2, Cubs 1 (10)

Highlights:

In the finest outing by a Dodger pitcher this spring, Chad Billingsley threw six shutout innings, allowing four hits and three walks while striking out three. Starting in the second inning, he retired 12 batters in a row before allowing a single and two walks with two out in the sixth, but Billingsley then retired Jeff Baker on a fly to center.
Dodger farmhand Kyle Russell doubled with one out in the 10th, then scored on Orlando Mercado’s game-winning hit.
Hector Gimenez’s charmed spring added another clover when, in his first inning in left field, he threw out Tyler Colvin at the plate. Dodger Thoughts reader BHSportsGuy said Colvin had barely passed third when Gimenez picked up the ball, but it was a good, low throw to Rod Barajas.
Scott Elbert relieved Lance Cormier with two on and two out in the seventh, and struck out Colvin.
Rafael Furcal singled and doubled.
Xavier Paul singled in Eugenio Velez (2 for 3) in the fifth to give the Dodgers their initial 1-0 lead.
Hong-Chih Kuo pitched a perfect inning, striking out Carlos Pena and Geovany Soto.
Minor-leaguer Corey Smith singled and walked — in nine plate appearances this spring, he has a single, a double, two homers and two walks. OPS: 2.611.

Lowlights:

Velez hurt himself while bunting for a hit in the seventh inning.
Ramon Troncoso gave up a game-tying homer to the first batter he faced in the ninth inning, Baker, before retiring the next three hitters.
Gimenez’s charmed spring lost a clover when he went 0 for 4 at the plate with three strikeouts.
Jay Gibbons went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts.

Sidelights:

Good work by Eric Stephen of True Blue L.A., showing how the Camelback Ranch attendance drop reported by Steve Dilbeck of the Times was overblown.
Logan White told Mark Timmons and Jared Massey of LADodgertalk.com, “I’d rather be a Dodger than a GM,” adding that his heart really wasn’t into the job interviews he has had.
Blake DeWitt tripled off Cormier to start the Cubs’ thwarted seventh-inning rally.
Even though Stanford lost, this was the highlight of my day:

March 20 game chat

By Jon Weisman

On March 20, 2011

In Game chat, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Dodgers at White Sox, 1:05 p.m.

Dodgers, Brewers take Route 6-6

By Jon Weisman

On March 19, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training

Dodgers 6, Brewers 6

Highlights:

Aaron Miles went 2 for 4 with a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth that led to the tying run, completing the Dodgers’ rally from a 6-2 deficit.
Juan Castro also doubled and singled.
Scott Elbert pitched a perfect inning. He stayed around the plate for the first two batters, before going to a three-ball count on the third.

Lowlights:

Ramon Troncoso replaced Hiroki Kuroda with two out in the sixth inning, score tied 1-1 and two runners on base. By the time he got the third out, the score was 4-1 Brewers.
Two more runs came off of Travis Schlichting in the seventh inning.

Sidelights:

Vicente Padilla’s rehabilitation seems to be progressing rapidly, reports Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com.
San Francisco closer Brian Wilson has a ribcage strain and might miss the start of the regular season, says The Press that is Associated.

Happy birthday, Clayton Kershaw

By Jon Weisman

On March 19, 2011

In Spring Training

Our hero is a wizened 23 …

Rubby De La Rosa gets featured play from Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com and Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Though a comeback is unrealistic, you can tell in this piece by Gurnick that Darren Dreifort misses baseball.
Fifty years ago, $37.50 would get you eight Saturdays of instruction at Leo Durocher’s California Baseball School. Check out the ad at the Daily Mirror.
“Brooklyn Dodgers in Cuba” author Jim Vitti was interviewed by Ernest Reyes of Blue Heaven.
Spring Training attendance for the Dodgers and Angels has dropped more than 40% this year so far, notes Steve Dilbeck of the Times, though this weekend’s games should start a rebound.
Here’s how Rockies blog Purple Row assess the Dodgers.
Please make sure you don’t skip over Hollywood Joe Benardello’s guest piece, “A has-been’s and never-was’ perspective of Camelback Ranch.”

* * *

Brewers at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m. (KCAL)

Rubby doobie doo: Four no-hit innings for De La Rosa

By Jon Weisman

On March 18, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

APRubby De La Rosa

Just as there’s no denying how meaningless Spring Training performances generally are, there’s also no denying how much fun it can be when you see a top prospect excel. Has there been a better March memory this century than Clayton Kershaw’s Public Enemy No. 1 from 2008? (It helps when you have Vin Scully documenting it.)

Though it’s hardly been the best of Dodger Spring Trainings in 2011 (albeit one devoid of controversy), the organization’s reigning players of the year have far from disappointed. Jerry Sands was red hot at the plate in the early going, and now there’s pitcher Rubby De La Rosa, who fired four no-hit innings in a start against San Francisco today.

De La Rosa walked three (his first free passes of the spring) and struck out two. In exhibition play, the player who will become the centerpiece of the Dodgers’ 2013 “Rubby Tuesday” marketing campaign has thrown 10 innings and allowed seven baserunners while striking out seven and posting a 1.80 ERA.

De La Rosa will start the season in the minors, but will we have to wait until 2012 for his arrival? If he can pitch consistently into the summer, maybe not …

However unrealistic (at least in the short term), it’s fun sometimes to just tune out the noise and think about guys like Sands and De La Rosa as potential saviors.

* * *

Dodgers 6, Giants 3

Highlights:

Um, Hector Gimenez homered again, this time off Guillermo Mota. Gimenez is a combination of fun and scary. Dare I even consider falling in love with this guy? How about a no-strings-attached fling?
Matt Kemp was in the thick of things again, with a triple, walk and sacrifice fly.
Second base, the position that could open up if Casey Blake goes on the disabled list, looked nice to Ivan De Jesus,Jr., who started there and went 3 for 4 with a double.
Xavier Paul, who also homered off Mota, upped his spring OBP to .343 and slugging percentage to .625.
Rafael Furcal and James Loney had two-hit games.

Lowlights:

Blake Hawksworth allowed two runs in the fifth inning.
Kenley Jansen struck out two but allowed back-to-back extra-base hits in between.

Sidelights:

Batters retired by De La Rosa: Mike Fontenot, Miguel Tejada, Aubrey Huff, Nate Schierholtz, Aaron Rowand, Travis Ishikawa, Jeff Suppan, Tejada, Huff, Pablo Sandoval, Schierholtz.
In 31 plate appearances this spring, Loney has 10 singles, no extra-base hits and one walk.
In their past two games, the Dodgers have 25 hits and one walk.
Confession: While checking in on the game via MLB Gameday, I saw Eugenio Velez homered in the ninth inning, and I groaned. Then, I saw that he had added to the Dodger lead, and remembered he was on the team. Then I saw that Gameday had made a mistake, and it was really Paul who hit the homer.

Gimenez rallies Dodgers with three-run blast

By Jon Weisman

On March 17, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training

Dodgers 6, Diamondbacks 4

Highlights:

Look out, ’cause the Hector Gimenez bandwagon is rollin’. The Dodgers trailed the entire game today and were down 4-2 in the eighth inning until Gimenez followed singles by Tony Gwynn Jr. and Juan Castro with a homer to left field off Rafael Rodriguez.
The next batter, Gabe Kapler, followed with another homer to left.
Matt Kemp narrowed the Dodgers’ early 3-0 deficit with a two-run homer, his third of the spring, in the bottom of the fourth after Andre Ethier singled.
In his first at-bat since his return from the eye doctor, Jay Gibbons singled.
Pitching the sixth inning, Jonathan Broxton got his first two strikeouts of the spring.

Lowlights:

A two-run double by Miguel Montero in the top of the fourth helped saddle Chad Billingsley with a three-runs-in-five-innings day.
Mike MacDougal loaded the bases in the ninth on two walks and a hit batter, escaping when Adam Eaton (no, not that Adam Eaton) lined into a game-ending double play (Justin Sellers to Eugenio Velez).

Sidelights:

The Dodgers got 12 hits today from 12 different players, and no walks.
Kim Ng gets the headlines, but Alex Remington of Fangraphs thinks we should be seeing even more women in prominent roles in major-league baseball.
Steve Dilbeck of the Times talks about how St. Patrick’s Day used to be the highlight of Spring Training at Dodgertown in Vero Beach and laments its passing.
At Baseball Savvy, Howard Cole’s latest interview subject is … well, there’s no other way to put this … me.

State of the Opening Day roster: Update

By Jon Weisman

On March 16, 2011

In Season preview, Spring Training

Jake Roth/US PresswireDespite a 7.23 ERA last year with St. Louis, Mike MacDougal has taken advantage of Dodger injuries to carve out a chance at a roster spot.

On the last off day before the start of the season, this seems like a good time to check in on how the Dodger 25-man Opening Day roster is shaping up.

On track (18):

Starting pitchers (4): Clayton Kershaw, Chad Billingsley, Hiroki Kuroda, Ted Lilly

Relief pitchers (5): Jonathan Broxton, Hong-Chih Kuo, Matt Guerrier, Blake Hawksworth, Kenley Jansen

Catchers (1): Rod Barajas

Infielders (4): James Loney, Juan Uribe, Rafael Furcal, Jamey Carroll

Outfielders (4): Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Tony Gwynn Jr., Marcus Thames

Likely (3):

1) Casey Blake, 3B: The latest news on Blake sounds about as good as one might have expected – inflammation with no evidence of a muscle strain. So while anything could happen, we won’t assume that he’ll be on the disabled list March 31.

2) Mike MacDougal, RP: A 0.00 spring ERA, veteran’s moxie and all the positive things people are saying about him in the press make MacDougal this year’s most likely prize off the scrap heap.

3) Dioner Navarro, C: A.J. Ellis can still be optioned to the minors, so we’ll put him aside. Though Hector Gimenez presents an alternative, Navarro seems safe.

Roster spot battles (4):

Norm Hall/Getty ImagesAn .847 spring OPS has helped make Hector Gimenez a longshot as opposed to a no-shot.

1) Jay Gibbons vs. Xavier Paul vs. Trent Oeltjen, OF, vs. Hector Gimenez, C/1B: Gibbons’ spring has been a nightmare, to the extent that Tony Gwynn Jr. might already have passed him in the pecking order for playing time. Xavier Paul, seemingly healthy and performing better as the month goes on, is now adding to the pressure while the eyesight-plagued Gibbons tries to solve his vision problems. A third-party candidate is Trent Oeltjen, who has been hitting all spring – and we’ll even leave open the possibility that Gimenez could take this spot instead of a sixth outfielder. Chances: Gibbons 45%, Paul 35%, Oeltjen 10%, Gimenez 10%.

2) Aaron Miles vs. Ivan De Jesus Jr. vs. Justin Sellers vs. Juan Castro, IF: A veteran has the automatic edge when you’re talking backup infielder, so it seems safe to knock out De Jesus and Sellers, neither of whom have seized the day. Miles has had a better spring than Castro and is also centuries younger. Castro has that Brad Ausmus-like zen quality that Ned Colletti admires, but Miles has sufficient experience to fill the role. Chances: Miles 80%, Castro 10%, De Jesus 5%, Sellers 5%.

3) + 4) Ron Mahay vs. Scott Elbert vs. Ramon Troncoso vs. Lance Cormier, RP, vs. John Ely vs. Tim Redding, SP, vs. position player: These two final spots seem very much up for grabs at this point, compounded by the uncertainty over whether the Dodgers will start the year with four or five starting pitchers, and whether they’ll start with 11 pitchers overall or 12.

If they keep a fifth starter, it’s still an open battle. Both Redding and Ely can be sent to the minors, though the difference is if Redding is placed on the major-league roster, he would then have to clear waivers before he could go to Albuquerque (once, say, Vicente Padilla or Jon Garland was healthy). The Dodgers can yank Ely up and down this year at will.

Both Ely and Redding started the spring excellently, then faltered (like every other Dodger starter in the past week). Ely is on the upside of his career but with something to prove; Redding is on the downside of his career with something to prove. My guess is that even if Ely wins the job, the Dodgers won’t want him to lose his rhythm by pitching in long relief during the opening days of the season – meaning he would start the season in the minors and then come up April 12 when he is needed. I’m not sure they’d have those reservations with Redding.

Among the lefthanders, Mahay finally had a decent inning Tuesday, though the four batters he faced had 19 career major-league homers. Still, it’s hard to imagine that, short of a 180-degree turnaround, the Dodgers are ready to rely on Elbert, who has walked nine of 20 batters he has faced this spring.

Troncoso has outpitched both lefties, though I’m not sure the Dodgers are convinced he’s all the way back from his 2010 struggles. If he were, he and MacDougal would exchange places. Lance Cormier has gotten little attention while throwing four innings and allowing seven hits while striking out one, but he remains in the running.

And then there’s the chance the Dodgers go with an 11-man staff and keep six guys on the bench. Gimenez, anyone?

If the Dodgers were making their final cuts today, I’d predict they keep two relievers at the outset and fly Ely to San Francisco on April 12. Chances: Troncoso 45%, Mahay 45%, Cormier 30%, Ely 30%, Redding 25%, position player 20%, Elbert 5%.

Scrubs wash away Dodger losing streak

By Jon Weisman

On March 15, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Jake Roth/US PresswireRafael Furcal stands before the world’s largest unicycle.

Dodgers 7, Rangers 6

After a 4-2 lead turned into a 6-4 deficit, the Dodgers came back to end their eight-game losing streak.

Highlights:

Ivan DeJesus, Jr. singled twice and scored two runs.
Juan Uribe drove in three runs with a bases-loaded walk and a two-run double.
Another hit for Trent Oeltjen, who is batting .467. His leadoff single in the eighth keyed a three-run Dodger rally.
Xavier Paul, Gabe Kapler and Eugenio Velez added singles in the eighth. Kapler took second on a wild pitch and scored the go-ahead run thanks to Velez.
Hong-Chih Kuo struck out two in a scoreless inning.
Blake Hawksworth and Ron Mahay pitched the final two shutout innings to seal the victory.

Lowlights:

James Loney and Rod Barajas each left the bases loaded in the first inning and went 0 for 3.
Uribe muffed a ball at third base for an error, leading to an unearned run off Clayton Kershaw.
Kershaw allowed 10 singles and a double, leading to five earned runs in 5 2/3 innings that marred his 0.00 ERA. He struck out three and walked none.

Sidelights:

It hasn’t been decided what will happen with the Japanese baseball season (via Baseball Think Factory).

March Mudness

By Jon Weisman

On March 14, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Rangers 5, Dodgers 4

Earl Pomerantz passes along this important lesson from Bill Cosby about panic.

… It’s the morning of the “table reading”, where the actors read the script out loud before the assembled production staff – fifty or so people – so we can see what’s working and what needs to be fixed. At this point, the actor who will play the freaked out father-to-be has not yet been hired. Dr. Cosby asks me to fill in for the missing actor and perform that part at the table reading.

I am immediately terrified.

Why? Well, in my own memorable words,

“What if I mess up?” (Though I may not have used the word “mess.”)

Dr. Cosby instantly replies to my exaggerated concern, and herein lies the life lesson,

“Bases loaded, two outs, bottom of the first.” …

Highlights:

Trying to find his way onto the team, Xavier Paul sings “Let My Love Open the Door” with a single and a triple (to go with a caught stealing as a coda).
Trent Oeltjen sings “Don’t You Forget About Me.” His double raised his spring OPS to 1.044 before the eyes of the impressionable Dodger management.
Jamie Hoffmann warbles “I’ll Be There For You” with a double, boosting his OBP in the spring to .400.
Marcus Thames doesn’t need to sing for his Opening Day supper, but he just had his fifth double of the spring, in 25 at-bats.
Trayvon Robinson singled in two runs in the ninth inning as the Dodgers tried to rally and avoid their eighth straight loss.
Lance Cormier pitched a shutout sixth inning. Cormier’s chances of making the team remain alive, given the struggles of Scott Elbert and Ron Mahay.
John Ely threw four walkless innings, giving him 10 this spring.

Lowlights:

Overall, Ely continued the trend of faltering Dodger starters. After a perfect first inning that included strikeouts of Elvis Andrus and Josh Hamilton, Ely allowed four runs (three earned) on six hits, including a three-run Hamilton homer. Ely struck out three.
After allowing a two-out single, Elbert walked two in the fifth inning, escaping the bases-loaded jam on a deep flyout by David Murphy.
Kenley Jansen had a rough eighth, allowing a run on two hits and a walk.

Sidelights:

In a rare start against a frontline pitcher (Texas’ Neftali Feliz, who suddenly might be in the starting pitcher racket), Jerry Sands went 0 for 2.
Hector Gimenez had a double, then was doubled off second base on a ball hit by Gabe Kapler.
From The Associated Press: “Told that Ely was trying to locate an inside fastball off the plate that didn’t quite break far enough, Hamilton said smilingly, ‘Tell him thank you for me.’ “
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com writes about the upside of the San Diego Padres, post-Adrian Gonzalez.
Rob Neyer of SB Nation looks at how the Yankees’ starting pitching crisis.
Only three of 30 MLB general managers played in the majors, writes Jayson Stark of ESPN.com.
At his blog, Former major-leaguer Morgan Ensberg hints at a harrowing story.
Mitchell Page, who passed away Saturday, is remembered at the Hardball Times by Bruce Markusen, who compares Page to Willie Davis.
This Jay Gibbons update from Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com sounds a mixed note about the outfielder’s near-term future.

… Gibbons underwent PRK (photorefractive keratectomy) surgery on the eye last fall as a follow-up procedure to the laser procedure he underwent in 2004. But a side effect of PRK is that it lengthens and flattens the cornea, which is why the contact — which Gibbons wasn’t sure he would need again after the original surgery — no longer fits as tightly as it should and tends to pop out.

Gibbons said he was told he’d likely need a follow-up procedure after his initial laser surgery. “So that was pretty much what my thought process was, to get a tune-up, and [the vision] went south a little bit last year,” he said.

The issues after the follow-up surgery, though, began almost immediately, causing Gibbons to return home from winter ball earlier than he planned. Gibbons and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly sounded optimistic this doctor’s consultation would be sufficient to solve the problem. The Dodgers are off Wednesday, so the hope was Gibbons would miss only one day.

“We need to get this resolved,” Mattingly said. “If your [vision] isn’t right on and you’re trying to hit a breaking ball, it’s just not going to work.” …
Last but certainly not least, the Dodgers are staging a drive-through charity effort at Dodger Stadium on Tuesday to benefit victims of the disaster in Japan.

Five days, seven losses

By Jon Weisman

On March 13, 2011

In Spring Training, Uncategorized

Julie Jacobson/APRubby De La Rosa got the start against the Cubs today.

White Sox 6, Dodgers 1

Cubs 4, Dodgers 3 (10)

Highlights:

Rubby De La Rosa performed well in his two innings against the Cubs, retiring Kosuke Fukudome, Tyler Colvin, Alfonso Soriano, Blake DeWitt, Reed Johnson, Marquez Smith (who reached on an error) and Koyie Hill. The only baserunner he allowed was a Starlin Castro single.
Carlos Monasterios followed with two shutout innings.
Josh Lindblom pitched out of a ninth-inning jam with the game tied, 3-3.
Rafael Furcal had two hits and an RBI.
Hector Gimenez homered off the Cubs’ Chris Carpenter, who is 10 years younger than the Cardinals’ Chris Carpenter. Jerry Sands also doubled against Carpenter.
Justin Sellers had an RBI double against the White Sox. Dioner Navarro also had a double.
Hiroki Kuroda became the first Dodger pitcher of 2011 to complete six innings, finishing with shutout ball over the final two frames.

Lowlights:

Kuroda gave up four runs in his first four innings, and struck out only one batter in his outing.
Sellers made his fifth error of exhibition play this year, leading to an unearned run.
Three hits (but four walks) for the Dodgers against the White Sox. Two of those hits came against Will Ohman.
Matt Kemp struck out with the bases loaded and two out in the top of the ninth against the Cubs’ Jeff Stevens.

Sidelights:

Casey Blake’s injury is more toward his ribs than his lower back, reports Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com.

… “All I’m doing is really icing it,” he said. “I was pretty sore last night, and I had some trouble sleeping. … I guess I don’t know enough about it to know whether it’s serious or not. I know I am pretty sore right now, but with treatment, that soreness can go away pretty soon. I think they were pretty relieved that it’s where it is, [because] that can go away in a day or two rather than if it were a pulled muscle or something like that. But we don’t know exactly what it is.”

Blake left the game after laying down a sacrifice bunt in the top of the first inning. He ran hard up the first-base line and was called out on a close play. It was when he then turned to return to the dugout that he felt something in his back. …
Jon Huber has been sent to minor-league camp.
A fond look back at “Undeclared” and “Freaks and Geeks.”

Face it: injury-prone players are, in fact, injury-prone

By Jon Weisman

On March 13, 2011

In Spring Training

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesFinally, Matt Kemp masters the art of flying. All he had to do was listen to his coaches.

Royals 19, Dodgers 7

Giants 8, Dodgers 7

Casey Blake’s back tightness, though not considered major at this time, underscores the fact that you can’t keep older, injury-prone players like Blake and Rafael Furcal healthy just by keeping them rested. Blake has not been overexerting himself by any definition. These guys are just going to get hurt no matter what they do, and I see an argument once the season starts for not worrying about rest and getting all the production you can out of them until that next injury comes.

In any case, Tony Jackson has a piece at ESPNLosAngeles.com noting how much Juan Uribe will probably play at shortstop and third base this year.

Highlights:

Tony Gwynn Jr. went 3 for 3 against the Giants and stole his sixth base in as many tries.
Andre Ethier went 2 for 4 with a bases-loaded triple.
Trent Oeltjen went 2 for 2 vs. the Royals and hit a three-run homer off Denny Duffy.
Juan Uribe went 2 for 3 with a double.
Travis Schlichting, Jon Huber and prospect Allen Webster had shutout relief performances.
Trayvon Robinson tripled of Guillermo Mota.
The Dodger defense was charged with no errors in either game.

Lowlights:

Ted Lilly got blasted, ultimately getting charged with six runs in 2 2/3 innings against the Royals. “I wasn’t locating,” Lilly told The Associated Press. I missed quite a bit down in the dirt with my fastball. They just weren’t cleanly thrown balls.”
Ron Mahay is doing all he can to give away his roster spot, allowing his third home run in four short appearances and surrendering four hits, four runs and a walk in two-thirds of an inning.
Ramon Troncoso also got knocked around: five outs, six baserunners, four runs.
Tim Redding surrendered four runs in four innings against the Giants.
Roman Colon gave up four San Francisco singles in the bottom of the ninth as the Dodgers gave up a 7-6 lead.

Sidelights:

Clayton Kershaw tells Ken Gurnick of MLB.com not to worry about the split fingernail on the middle finger of his pitching hand because he gets them “all the time.” Gee, now I feel much better.
In the same notebook, Gurnick notes that Hong-Chih Kuo is feeling more confident about his developing changeup that could go with his fastball and slider.
John Ely, we’re now told, resisted listening to Dodger coaches who tried to help him during his second-half collapse last season, writes Jim Peltz of the Times.
Major League Baseball’s new official historian, John Thorn, writes an overview in the New York Times on the current state of information of the origins of baseball.

* * *

White Sox at Dodgers, 1:05 p.m.

Dodgers vs. Cubs (at Las Vegas), 1:05 p.m.

Nothing from nothing

By Jon Weisman

On March 11, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training

After two 7-1 victories to start the week, the past few days have had a little something for everyone … meltdowns by the defense, the offense, Jonathan Broxton and Chad Billingsley. Health concerns. Mental mistakes. A feeding frenzy for the pessimistic (or realistic, if you wish).

I believe we call these teaching opportunities for the boys in blue.

Athletics 9, Dodgers 2

Highlights:

Aaron Miles and Matt Kemp continued their battle for the team home run lead, each hitting their second of the spring to tie Rod Barajas and Jerry Sands.
Blake Hawksworth pitched a near-fllawless 1 2/3 relief innings, though he hit one batter with a pitch.
Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect sixth inning with a strikeout.
Tony Gwynn Jr. reached base twice and has a .360 spring on-base percentage.

Lowlights:

Billingsley had only allowed seven baserunners in 6 2/3 innings in March before an all-over-the-place performance today: four hits, four walks, four runs allowed in 3 1/3 innings.
Jay Gibbons went 0 for 3 to fall to 1 for 17.
Infielders Ivan DeJesus Jr., Justin Sellers and Christian Lara made errors.
Javy Guerra allowed four runs (two earned) and walked three in two-thirds of an inning.

Sidelights:

Kirk Gibson’s wife left Game 1 of the 1988 World Series early. Eric Stephen passes along the story at SB Nation.
Juan Castro and his wife Yadira became parents for the second time Thursday night.
Pitcher Luis Vasquez was optioned to the minors.
Former Dodger Andy LaRoche, playing shortstop today for Oakland, drove in two runs.
All members of Takashi Saito’s family in Japan are now accounted for, writes Adam McCalvy of MLB.com.

The knocks on Brox

By Jon Weisman

On March 10, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Christopher Hanewinckel/US PressiwreCasey Blake made no errors in this fan’s eyes.

Padres 8, Dodgers 2

Highlights:

Clayton Kershaw maintained his 0.00 ERA, pitching 4 1/3 innings and allowing an unearned run on four hits and two walks.
Scott Elbert faced four batters in a shutout inning, walking one and striking out one.
Juan Uribe and Marcus Thames had doubles.

Lowlights:

Jonathan Broxton had a terrible, no-good, horrible, very bad day: homer by Jarrett Hoffpauir, single, single, hit batter, walk, exit. Tony Jackson of ESPNLosAngeles.com has details.
Casey Blake made errors on consecutive batters in the first inning and went 0 for 2, dropping to 1 for 13 this spring.
Carlos Monasterios gave up two runs pitching the ninth inning.
Dodger batters had five hits and no walks.
Dodger pitchers allowed 18 baserunners.

Sidelights:

I like the tone of this Dodger promo above (link via The Trolley Dodger).
Sons of Steve Garvey is right: This cap is truly atrocious.
Joe Torre visited Camelback Ranch today in his new capacity as an MLB exec, writes Jackson.
The Dodgers signed Steven Jackson, who has 28 strikeouts and a 4.31 ERA in 54 1/3 career innings, to a minor-league contract, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Jackson turns 29 Tuesday. Eddy also notes that Eric Krebs, one of two players the Dodgers acquired for Delwyn Young two years ago, has retired.
This. Is. Wild. (link via Rob Neyer) Wild.

Oblique-di, oblique-da, life goes on?

By Jon Weisman

On March 9, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Kirby Lee/Image of Sport/US PresswireJon Garland will take a 0.00 Spring Training ERA to the doctor.

Mariners 9, Dodgers 4

Highlights:

Rod Barajas went 2 for 2 with his second homer of the spring.
Jerry Sands had another hit, briefly raising his Spring Training batting average to .500, before reaching base on an error in the eighth.
Dee Gordon doubled and scored on a Trent Oeltjen single in the eighth.
Josh Lindblom pitched a shutout ninth, striking out two and walking one.

Lowlights:

Obliquely speaking, one trumped all. Apparently, live chickens pass unpleasant mojo to Jon Garland.
Hong-Chih Kuo allowed a home run to his second batter, Jack Wilson.
Wilkin De La Rosa and Jon Huber, neither of them roster contenders, let a close game slip away. De La Rosa allowed two runs in his second inning of work, while Huber gave up a grand slam and five runs total while getting only one out in the seventh.
In his return to the lineup, James Loney went 0 for 2 with an error on Ichiro Suzuki’s leadoff at-bat.
Barajas’ passed ball allowed the Mariners to score an unearned first-inning run
Rafael Furcal, Casey Blake, Matt Kemp, Jay Gibbons, Juan Uribe, Tony Gwynn Jr. and Loney went a combined 0 for 16.

Sidelights:

Former Dodger minor-league manager and coach Luis Salazar, now a minor-league manager with the Braves, suffered frightening injuries after being hit in the face by a line drive today.
Andre Ethier was replaced today in the starting lineup by Gabe Kapler just before gametime.

Dodgers dial long distance for second game in a row

By Jon Weisman

On March 8, 2011

In Game wrap, Spring Training, Uncategorized

Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images (file)Tony Gwynn, Jr., who has five regular-season homers in his major-league career, went yard today.

Dodgers 7, Brewers 1

Highlights:

Tony Gwynn Jr.’s leadoff homer against Takashi Saito kicked off a Dodger power parade, which included circuit clouts by Aaron Miles, Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier. Each member of the latter trio went 2 for 3.
Ethier, Ivan De Jesus Jr. (also 2 for 3), Dioner Navarro and Justin Sellers notched doubles.
Starting against the team that he faced when Elymania launched, John Ely threw three shutout innings, retiring nine of 10 batters and striking out two.
The Dodger defense impressed Milwaukee’s broadcast team, said Dodger Thoughts commenter Bob Hendley.

Lowlights:

Ron Mahay allowed his second homer in three innings this spring, this to left-handed hitting Prince Fielder.
Jay Gibbons, still trying to find his form, went 0 for 3 and is 1 for 12 in the early going.

Sidelights:

Benches cleared in the sixth inning of today’s game, notes The Associated Press, over a Roman Colon fist pump.
Hiroki Kuroda worked on his endurance today in a 4 1/3-inning B-game outing, in which he struck out six while allowing three runs, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.
Jerry Sands was among those who played a doubleheader of sorts today: RBI single in the B game, pinch-walk in the A game. Sellers also had an HBP in the B game.
Milwaukee has bigger things to worry about than today’s loss: Newly acquired pitcher Zack Greinke is nursing a broken rib.
Would Frank McCourt sue Major League Baseball over being denied his recent attempt at a $200 million loan from Fox? Friend of Dodger Thoughts BHSportsGuy wonders in a guest post at True Blue L.A.
As Kim Ng noted this morning, Sandy Koufax visited Camelback Ranch today.
James Loney and Raymond Carver are connected by Jesse Gloyd at Buckshot Boogaloo.

Dodger Thoughts

Jon Weisman's outlet for dealing psychologically with the Los Angeles Dodgers, baseball and life

Category: Spring Training (Page 9 of 13)

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