Brandon Beachy was next in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ ongoing search for a fifth starting pitcher as he faced the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields. In a competition between Beachy, Mike Bolsinger and Zach Lee, Beachy has battled inconsistency.
Once again placed in the leadoff spot, Andre Ethier opened the game by lining Zack Godley’s first pitch up the middle for a base hit. After Justin Turner drew a walk that put two on with one out, Chase Utley’s broken-bat single got by Paul Goldschmidt.
In his attempt to field the ball in shallow right field, Chris Owings booted it, allowing Ethier to score. Yasiel Puig chipped in with a sacrifice fly, and Yasmani Grandal hit a towering two-run home run, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 4-0 before Godley worked his way out of the inning.
Beachy retired the side in order, receiving some help from Turner and Utley, who both made a nice scoop in the process of recording the second out of the inning.
Beachy labored in the bottom of the second issuing a leadoff walk, which was followed by a base hit and another walk to load the bases with no outs. Welington Castillo’s sacrifice fly got the Diamondbacks on the board.
Godley’s bunt resulted in a force out at third, but Turner’s throwing error prevented a double play from being completed. Evan Marzilli and Owings each drove in a run, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 4-3. Beachy escaped a second bases-loaded jam by striking out Goldschmidt swinging to end the inning.
Howie Kendrick gave the Dodgers some breathing room in the third with a solo home run that carried well beyond the 410′ foot sign in straightaway center field. Turner’s base hit and Puig’s double put runners at second and third with one out.
They were both stranded however, as Grandal flied out and Kiké Hernandez went down swinging.
CONTINUE READING: Brandon Beachy labors through three-plus innings
Beachy continued to struggle in the third inning, issuing a pair of walks and allowing a base hit, which resulted in the Diamondbacks loading the bases with none out. He was pulled after throwing 64 pitches and replaced with Yimi Garcia.
Castillo’s two-run double tied the game, and Marzilli drove in two more on a single to center to give the Diamondbacks a 7-5 lead. Trayce Thompson led off the fourth inning with a double down the third base line.
After advancing to third on a groundout, Thompson scored on Godley’s wild pitch. Ethier drew a one-out walk, but not before fouling a pitch off his right leg that ultimately forced him to be removed from the game. The Dodgers later announced Ethier was taken for x-rays.
Pinch-runner Rico Noel stole second base, then stole third and scored on Castillo’s errant throw. Luis Avilan gave up a pair of doubles in the bottom of the fourth, with the latter of the two giving the Diamondbacks an 8-7 lead.
Avilan gave way to Matt West, who retired Peter O’Brien to end the inning. Diamondbacks reliever Andrew Chafin retired the Dodgers in order in the fifth, bookending the inning with strikeouts.
A Hernandez two-out throwing error in the bottom half of the inning hurt the Dodgers as Goldschmidt followed with a two-run home run, which was his first homer of the spring. Cody Bellinger drove a pitch over the center field fence for a solo home run in the seventh.
The Diamondbacks tacked on another run in the bottom of the inning, and went on to beat the Dodgers, 11-8.