Hours after learning Brett Anderson would miss the next three-to-five months due to back surgery to treat a bulging disk, the Los Angeles Dodgers opened their Cactus League schedule against the Chicago White Sox.
Clayton Kershaw worked around a one-out walk in the first inning by striking out Jose Abreu and getting Todd Frazier to fly out to end the inning. Howie Kendrick led off for the Dodgers by drawing a walk.
John Danks quickly found himself in trouble as Andre Ethier followed with a base hit that put runners on the corners with no outs. Yasiel Puig cashed in early, driving in Kendrick with an RBI single to center field.
Yasmani Grandal dropped an RBI single into right-center field and the Dodgers ended the inning with a 2-0 lead.
After a Melky Cabrera chopper to third, Avisail Garcia was called out on strikes in the second. Former Dodgers catcher Dioner Navarro kept the inning alive with a two-out single to left, however it was to no avail as Tyler Saladino flied to the warning track in left field for the third out.
Kershaw’s day of worked ended after the expected two innings, 30 pitches thrown, two strikeouts, one hit and one walk. Alex Guerrero added to the Dodgers’ lead in the bottom of the second, clubbing a solo home run to left field.
Joe Blanton came on in relief of Kershaw and retired the side in order in the third, collecting one strikeout in the process. Blanton struck out Abreu and Frazier in the fourth as he tossed another perfect frame.
Kiké Hernandez lined a two-out double to left off White Sox reliever Zach Duke in the bottom of the fourth. Nothing would come of it, as Duke got Guerrero to ground out. Yimi Garcia took over in the fifth inning and retired the first batter he faced.
CONTINUE READING: Yimi Garcia Works Out Of Trouble, Dodgers Add To Lead
Trayce Thompson was unable to come up with a diving catch, resulting in a one-out base hit for Navarro. Adam Engel pinch-ran for Navarro and advanced to second base on Garcia’s errant pickoff attempt.
After Jacob May drew a four-pitch walk, Eaton, representing the tying run, flied out to center to end the inning. Jake Petricka took over for the White Sox in the bottom of the fifth and allowed a two-out single to Alex Hassan.
Corey Brown was unable to keep the inning alive as he grounded out to second base. With a new battery comprised of Austin Barnes and Carlos Frias, the Dodgers struggled to protect their three-run lead.
Lawrie drew a leadoff walk and went first to third base on a grounder that Scott Van Slyke bobbled before tossing to Frias at the bag for an out. Frazier’s sacrifice fly cut the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1 before Frias managed to get out of the inning.
Van Slyke led off the bottom of the sixth with a base hit, then promptly moved into scoring position by stealing second base. Austin Barnes extended the Dodgers’ lead to 4-1, however the catcher was thrown out attempting to stretch his single to a double on the play.
A Charlie Culberson one-out triple was followed by Jerry Sands robbing Hernandez of a likely extra-base hit. Culberson managed to tag and score on the play, extending the Dodgers’ lead to 5-1.
Rob Segedin’s RBI double in the bottom of the seventh gave the Dodgers a 6-1 lead. Relief pitchers Adam Liberatore and Matt West combined for two scoreless innings in the Dodgers’ win. Los Angeles improved to 3-6 in Cactus League openers since moving to Camelback Ranch in 2009.