The Los Angeles Dodgers closed out Cactus League play Wednesday afternoon with a tie against the Seattle Mariners at Peoria Sports Complex. In his final spring tuneup, Clayton Kershaw went three innings, allowing two runs on two hits, all coming in the first inning.
Entering Thursday, Los Angeles has three more exhibition games before the start of the regular season. The first two of the exhibition Freeway Series will be played in Anaheim, with the series finale taking place at Dodger Stadium on Saturday.
In what will be his final outing before facing the San Diego Padres in the regular season, Kenta Maeda takes the mound Thursday night for a tuneup against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
Maeda, who is now the Dodgers’ No. 2 starter to break up the lefties Kershaw and Rich Hill, was solid through his second go-around in the Cactus League. He threw 12 innings across four starts, allowed five runs on 10 hits (3.75 ERA), while striking out 11 and walking four.
In his last start against the Chicago White Sox, Maeda went 4.1 innings yielding just one run and five hits. He held the Angels to one run and had seven strikeouts in 3.2 innings during a March 13 start at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
The Angels counter veteran right-hander Yusmiero Petit. He’s no stranger to the Dodgers, having spent three seasons with the Arizona Diamondbacks and four with the San Francisco Giants. In 50.2 career innings against the Dodgers, Petit has a 5.51 ERA and 1.28 WHIP.
He was battling for a spot in the starting rotation, but the bulk of Petit’s career experience is as a long reliever and spot starter. The 32-year-old has allowed just one run on eight hits and has 12 strikeouts to one walk in 12 innings pitched this spring.
Logan Forsythe and Justin Turner have both excelled for the Dodgers, with the former batting .419/.490/.488 in Cactus League play. Turner hit .391/.472/.674 with three home runs and 15 RBIs in 18 games.
Forsythe’s 18 hits tied with Yasmani Grandal and Turner for the team lead. Maeda will face an Angels lineup that’s anchored by reigning American League MVP Mike Trout. The superstar center fielder had a solid spring, batting .308/.429/.519 with a home run and six RBIs in 20 games.
Thursday’s game is being televised by SportsNet LA and KCOP. The first pitch at Angel Stadium is set for 7:07 p.m. PT.
Dodgers lineup:
2B: Logan Forsythe
LF: Andrew Toles
3B: Justin Turner
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Yasmani Grandal
CF: Joc Pederson
DH: Chase Utley
RF: Yasiel Puig
SS: Kiké Hernandez
Angels lineup:
3B: Yunel Escobar
RF: Kole Calhoun
CF: Mike Trout
DH: Albert Pujols
1B: C.J. Cron
LF: Cameron Maybin
2B: Danny Espinosa
SS: Cliff Pennington
C: Martin Maldonado
