After being scratched from his last start with left forearm tightness, Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Alex Wood was back on the mound Thursday afternoon as the Los Angeles Dodgers hosted the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals.
The Royals sent Kris Medlen to the mound in what’s the only spring matchup between the two teams. Wood allowed a pair of singles in the first inning, but a double play ball and a strikeout helped him throw a scoreless frame.
With two outs in the bottom of the first, Joc Pederson doubled off the right field wall, which was followed by an RBI single by Scott Van Slyke, giving the Dodgers a 1-0 lead.
Former Dodgers catcher Drew Butera doubled high off the left field fence with one out in the second inning. Two batters later, Royals third baseman Angel Franco singled to right scoring Butera and tying the game.
Other than a walk by Alex Gordon, neither team was able to come up with any offense in the third, which wound up being Wood’s final inning of the day. Kenley Jansen entered in the fourth and looked the sharpest he has all spring, striking out the side.
Van Slyke continued his hot hitting on the day, knocking a double off the fence in left-center field with one out in the bottom of the fourth. He was stranded however, as Alex Guerrero grounded out and Austin Barnes struck out swinging.
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