The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their success in Spring Training on Thursday with an 8-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics. Kenta Maeda led the way from the mound with three scoreless innings pitched, while A.J. Ellis led the attack offensively with three RBIs.
The Dodgers continue their Spring Training schedule with a second game in three days against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They played to a 13-13 tie at Tempe Diablo Stadium on Wednesday.
The Dodgers won five of six games against the Angels in 2015, including a sweep at Chavez Ravine. With the Dodgers’ fifth spot in the rotation very much up for grabs, each audition for the spot becomes that much more important.
The spotlight again shifts to Zach Lee, as he makes his second start of the spring. Lee tossed two scoreless innings with one strikeout against the San Francisco Giants in his debut.
Lee made one start for the Dodgers last season, allowing seven runs over 4.2 innings in a spot start against the New York Mets. He otherwise spent the 2015 season with Triple-A Oklahoma City, going 11-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.11 WHIP in 19 starts.
Also expected to pitch on Friday in no particular order are Julio Urias, Pedro Baez, Kenley Jansen, Louis Coleman, J.P. Howell, Jacob Rhame, and Ian Thomas. Urias is making his 2016 Spring Training debut after being slowed by groin soreness.
Taking the hill for the Angels is Nick Tropeano. In his first Spring Training start, the right-handed posted a strong outing. Just like Lee, the 25 year old tossed two scoreless innings against the Kansas City Royals.
Tropeano is entering his third season in Major League Baseball, with one career outing against the Dodgers. In the start, Tropeano threw 4.1 innings, allowing eight hits, three runs, issuing one walk and striking out five.
Joc Pederson starts in center field and bats leadoff after not playing on Thursday, however he will be replaced by Trayce Thompson, who has had a strong showing, after one inning. Austin Barnes is behind the plate to form the battery with Lee. Yasmani Grandal is expected to miss the next few games due to a right arm contusion.
Corey Brown is in left field, while Corey Seager returns to shortstop and bats second in the lineup. Micah Johnson gets the start at second base and Adrian Gonzalez returns to first base, batting fourth in the lineup.
Conversely, the Angels’ lineup very much has the feeling of one that’s seen in the latter stages of a Spring Training game.
Dodgers Lineup:
CF: Joc Pederson/Trayce Thompson
SS: Corey Seager
RF: Yasiel Puig
1B: Adrian Gonzalez
C: Austin Barnes
3B: Rob Segedin
DH: Shawn Zarraga
LF: Corey Brown
2B: Micah Johnson
Angels Lineup:
SS: Cliff Pennington
RF: Rafael Ortega
DH: C.J. Cron
1B: Ji-Man Choi
C: Geovany Soto
CF: Craig Gentry
LF: Todd Cunningham
3B: Rey Navarro
2B: Sherman Johnson
