Hall of Fame announcer Vin Scully arrived at Camelback Ranch on Friday afternoon to call the first of four exhibition games this year. The first on his docket was a matchup between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants.
Making his first start since entering the picture to replace Mike Bolsinger in the rotation, Carlos Frias erased a one-out Hunter Pence single in the first by getting Buster Posey to ground into a double play.
Carl Crawford opened the bottom of the first with a base hit, then Clayton Blackburn retired Yasiel Puig and Chase Utley. However, the wheels then began to fall off for the Giants right-hander. Adrian Gonzalez fouled off multiple pitches before ultimately drawing a walk to extend the inning.
It paid off as Austin Barnes’ RBI single gave the Dodgers a 1-0 lead. Barnes then stole second base, and with the ball getting away from Brandon Crawford, Gonzalez broke for home to score.
After Joc Pederson drew a walk, Rob Segedin’s RBI single pushed the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0 and knocked Blackburn out of the game. Frias allowed consecutive base hits with none out in the second inning, but kept the Giants off the board by inducing a double play followed by a grounder for the third out.
Puig hit a hustle double with two outs in the bottom of the second, then scored on Utley’s RBI double. Gonzalez followed with an opposite-field two-run home run, giving the Dodgers a comfortable 6-0 lead through two innings.
Frias walked Gregor Blanco with two outs in the third and allowed a base hit to Pence, putting runners on the corners. Nothing came of it however, as Blanco was thrown out by Barnes attempting to score on a wild pitch.
CONTINUE READING: Carlos Frias adds to lead, Dodgers shut out Giants
Adalberto Mejia entered in bottom of the third for the Giants and gave up a one-out single to Segedin. Charlie Culberson delivered an RBI double and Frias an RBI single, though he was thrown out attempting to stretch it to a double.
With the Dodgers playing day-night split-squad games on Saturday, Puig was replaced in right field by Rico Noel after three innings. Crawford hit a one-out single in the fourth and took second base on Mac Williamson’s grounder in front of the mound.
Kelby Tomlinson reached on an infield single, but both runners were stranded as Frias struck out Grant Green swinging. Utley was stranded in the bottom of the fourth after hitting a booming double over Blanco’s head in center field.
Frias exited with four scoreless innings pitched, six hits allowed, one walk and three strikeouts. Adam Liberatore gave up a one-out single to Mejia, who was easily thrown out at home plate as a result of running through a stop sign on Blanco’s double that got by a sliding attempt from Carl Crawford.
Louis Colemand replaced Liberatore and got Pence to ground out to end the inning. Pederson led off the bottom of the fifth with a double to right-center field. Segedin added to his night by plating Pederson on an RBI single.
Matt Winn was replaced by Jason Forjet after issuing back-to-back walks to Culberson and Coleman to load the bases with none out. Noel extended the Dodgers’ lead with a two-run single to center before Forjet could get out of the inning.
Coleman retired the Giants in order in the sixth inning, and Pedro Baez followed suit in the seventh. Yadier Drake hit a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh and advanced to second base on a wild pitch.
He scored with two outs on Adam Law’s RBI single, which gave the Dodgers a 12-0 lead. Jake Henson drove in another run in the eighth with an RBI double to center field. Yaisel Sierra made his Dodgers debut in the ninth and tossed a scoreless inning. The win was the Dodgers first since March 16.