The Los Angeles Dodgers played the Chicago Cubs for the second time this spring on Saturday, this time under the lights in front of a soldout crowd at Camelback Ranch. The result was different than their first meeting, as the Dodgers erased a 5-2 deficit and came away with a walk-off 6-5 win on a sacrifice fly by Donovan Solano.
The first three hitters reached base for the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth, as Kyle Farmer walked and Travis Taijeron and Edwin Rios both singled, paving the way for Solano’s game-winning fly ball.
Rich Hill made his second Cactus League start this spring, and he looked as sharp as ever as he allowed just one runner to reach base in four innings of work.
He gave up one unearned run in the first inning as he picked a runner off first base but Cody Bellinger’s throw went into left field allowing the runner to go all the way to third base. He later scored on a sacrifice fly by Addison Russell. Hill retired nine straight batters to finish off his outing though.
The Dodgers got that run back in the bottom half of the first inning though, as they doubled up the Cubs with two runs. Chris Taylor and Andrew Toles led off the inning with back-to-back doubles, and then Toles later scored on a single to right field by Yasiel Puig.
Pedro Baez took over for Hill in the top of the fifth and got two quick outs. He struggled from there though as he allowed five straight runners to reach base, giving up four hits and issuing one walk. The Cubs took a 4-2 lead as Baez did not get out of the inning.
Yimi Garcia ran into some similar trouble in the top half of the seventh inning, as he got two quick outs but couldn’t get out of the inning. He gave up a single and a double as the Cubs took a 5-2 lead midway through seven.
The Dodgers offense broke through in the bottom half of the seventh inning though, as Joc Pederson singled and Farmer walked to begin the inning. Kiké Hernandez then continued to be a Cubs killer as he drilled a three-run home run to right center to tie the game at five.
Walker Buehler entered in the top of the eighth inning to make his much-anticipated Cactus League debut, and he got off to a good start as he pitched a 1-2-3 first inning, striking out two and getting a groundout. He then came back out for the ninth and gave up a leadoff single, but then proceeded to strikeout the side to finish with five in two innings.
