Freddie Freeman hit his second home run of Spring Training and finished with three RBI but Los Angeles Dodgers bullpen couldn’t uphold the lead in a 5-5 tie with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Camelback Ranch.
After David Peralta led off the bottom of the first inning with a walk against his former team, Freeman lifted a drive that carried over the fence in right-center field. Freeman added to his day by attacking the first pitch he saw in the second inning for an RBI double.
The Diamondbacks cut into their lead in the third, but an Austin Barnes double and Jason Heyward infield single that led to a throwing error allowed the Dodgers to go up 4-1.
Yonny Hernández, a potential dark-horse candidate to make the Opening Day roster, extended the lead with a two-out RBI single in the sixth inning.
However, that wound up being wiped away as the Dodgers bullpen struggled in the late innings. Trouble began when Phil Bickford entered in the seventh inning and exited with the bases loaded.
The Diamondbacks went on to score four runs against Marshall Kasowski, though three of them were charged to Bickford — albeit unearned because of a Hernández throwing error.
The pitching performance undid what began on an encouraging note thanks to Michael Grove, who touched 97 mph during his two scoreless innings of work. The outing was Grove’s second of the spring but first without allowing a run.
Evan Phillips and Alex Vesia each turned in a scoreless inning out of the bullpen. The relief appearance was Phillips’ first of Spring Training.
Neither team managed to pull ahead over the final two innings, and the Dodgers settled for their first tie of the year. L.A. came away empty after putting runners on first and second base with nobody out in the bottom of the ninth.
Dodgers prospect James Outman shines
With the potential need for an additional outfielder because Chris Taylor will now be relied upon in the infield, Outman figures to have an increased opportunity to make the Opening Day roster.
Outman reached in all three plate appearances in the tie, drawing a walk and getting hit by a pitch to go along with his single.
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