The Los Angeles Dodgers fell just short of a third consecutive game with four runs in the first inning, but hung three on the Chicago Cubs early in an 11-2 rout. Justin Turner opened the scoring with a two-run home run.
The homer was Turner’s first this spring, and he later added an RBI double. Turner improved to 3-for-3 with five runs scored and three RBI in five plate appearances over two Cactus League games.
Austin Barnes and Gavin Lux also contributed at the plate, with an RBI single and run-scoring double, respectively. Daniel Castro’s RBI double in the sixth inning extended the Dodgers’ lead to 8-2.
After being blanked in the second inning, L.A. scored at least one run every inning from the third through the eighth.
While the Cubs eventually mustered a pair of runs, they missed a golden opportunity to put the Dodgers in a deficit. In his 2019 debut, Brock Stewart immediately faced a bases-loaded jam by giving up a double, single, and walking Ian Happ.
One day after clubbing a pair of home runs, D.J. Peters made an impact with the glove by catching a fly ball and throwing out Trent Giambrone at home plate for a timely double play. Stewart issued a second walk to again load the bases before getting out of the inning unscathed.
Josh Fields entered in the third inning and promptly surrendered a home run to Giambrone. Fields then settled in and retired three of the next four batters faced. Consecutive walks issued by Justin DeFratus to start the fourth came back to cost him as Jose Cardona drove in a run on a base hit.
