The Los Angeles Dodgers saw more signs of a promising 2019 season lying ahead for Cody Bellinger, albeit in a 6-5 loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick.
With a pair of walks and error loading the bases, Bellinger gave the Dodgers a lead in the third inning by delivering a two-run double off left-hander Robby Scott. The extra-base hit was his second of the game and third this spring.
Kiké Hernandez’s sacrifice fly and Chris Taylor’s RBI single extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-1 before Scott could get out of the inning. Kyle Garlick’s RBI double in the seventh inning added an insurance run.
Jaime Schultz, Yimi Garcia and Dustin May backed Brock Stewart with scoreless work, only for Josh Sborz and Joe Broussard to lose the lead in the late innings.
Stewart allowed one hit — a solo home run to Domingo Leyba — over his two innings of work in his second start of the spring. Stewart retired the side in order on just seven pitches in the second inning, and finished the day by throwing another inning in the bullpen.
Meanwhile, Garcia added to his encouraging showings thus far in spring. He struck out a pair, giving him six strikeouts over three scoreless innings across three appearances this year.
The bullpen’s scoreless work came to an end in the bottom of the seventh when Sborz entered and immediately struggled. An error and double put two on with nobody out, and Sborz compounded matters by walking the next two batters, with the second free pass bringing in a run.
Tim Locastro’s sacrifice fly then cut the Dodgers’ lead to 5-3. Broussard entered with two outs and promptly hit a batter before giving up a bases-clearing double to Yasmany Tomas that gave the Diamondbacks a decided lead.
