Coming off a win against the Oakland Athletics, the Los Angeles Dodgers head to Goodyear Ballpark for their second and final Spring Training matchup with the Cleveland Guardians this year.
The Dodgers earned their first victory of Cactus League play against the Guardians last week. Overall this spring L.A. has won just three games in comparison to five losses and four ties.
Julio Urias makes his second start and looks for better results. In his 2022 debut against the San Diego Padres, he allowed three runs on three hits (two home runs) across two innings of work.
Aside from the mistakes, Urias finished with four strikeouts and did not walk a batter. He felt generally pleased with his pitches and noted allowing homers during Spring Training is preferred to doing so in the regular season.
Urias went an overall 20-3 with a 2.96 ERA, 3.13 FIP and 1.02 WHIP across 32 starts in his first full season being a permanent member of the Dodgers’ rotation. He was the Majors’ only 20-game winner last year and logged a career-high 185.2 innings en route to earning the 2021 Warren Spahn Award.
On the heels of a career year, Urias reported to Camelback Ranch with a slimmed-down physique. “He looks fantastic,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts recently said of Urias.
“Julio, we’ve talked a lot about over the last six years. It’s gone from prospect to kid to a man to a superstar. The maturity that we’ve seen, and to come off the last couple years and last year, to come in in shape and ready to go, speaks a lot to his maturation. I’m excited for him.”
The Guardians counter with pitching prospect Konnor Pilkington, who also makes his second appearance of the spring. In his first appearance against the San Francisco Giants, he allowed four hits but did not give up a run over 1.2 innings pitched.
David Price is expected to follow Urias at some point for what will mark his 2022 debut. Although Price wanted to earn a spot in the Dodgers’ starting rotation, he appears primed for another year spent in the bullpen.
Brusdar Graterol, Evan Phillips, Garrett Cleavinger, Yency Almonte, Shane Greene and Reyes Moronta are also Dodgers probables for their second consecutive night game.
Dodgers lineup
RF: Mookie Betts
2B: Gavin Lux
LF: AJ Pollock
3B: Max Muncy
CF: Cody Bellinger
SS: Hanser Alberto
C: Austin Barnes
DH: Edwin RÍos
1B: Jake Lamb
Guardians lineup
CF: Myles Straw
LF: Amed Rosario
3B: José Ramírez
DH: Franmil Reyes
2B: Yu Chang
RF: Oscar Mercado
1B: Bobby Bradley
SS: Erine Clement
C: Austin Hedges
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