Much of the focus heading into play Thursday was on Trevor Bauer as he’d thrown a combined five scoreless innings in his first two starts with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But by the end of the night the spotlight had been taken by Corey Seager and Tony Gonsolin.
Bauer struggling with his command in the first inning allowed the Seattle Mariners to take a 1-0 lead. He retired only one of five batters faced and threw 26 pitches before the Dodgers rolled the inning over.
The early deficit was quickly erased as Corey Seager lifted a two-run home to left-center field in the bottom of the first. It gave Seager a homer on back-to-back days and one in his past three games. It also marked two in a row hit to the opposite field.
“For him to take a changeup the other way like that, you know he’s locked in,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said after the 4-4 tie. “Corey, like most players, it just comes back to health. He’s in a good place physically.”
Seager is hitting a blistering .438/.550/1.000 with the three homers, eight RBI and four walks through eight Cactus League games thus far.
Gonsolin impresses
While the Dodgers have yet to finalize plans for their Opening Day rotation, Gonsolin made his strongest case yet to be included. Because the game was shortened to seven innings due to inclement weather, Gonsolin finished it on the mound with three scoreless innings.
He was efficient to the tune of 35 pitches and retired all nine batters faced. Gonsolin finished with five strikeouts, which included striking out the side in the fifth inning.
“I think this is exactly what we were hoping to see,” Roberts said. “A pitcher that’s building off last year’s success and wanting to get better, commanding all four pitches that he has to all four quadrants.
“That was the hope, and up to this point in Spring Training he’s done nothing but that.”
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