Mookie Betts and Shohei Ohtani led the Los Angeles Dodgers offense as they came away with a 7-4 victory over the Colorado Rockies. L.A. is now 8-2-1 in Cactus League play.
The Dodgers jumped out to a lead in the first inning with three straight singles from Betts, Ohtani and Freddie Freeman to go up 1-0. That was followed by a sacrifice fly from Will Smith that also allowed Freeman to advance to second and gave the Dodgers a two-run lead.
Following a throwing error from Austin Gomber on a pickoff attempt that advanced Freeman to third, Max Muncy hit another sac fly, giving the Dodgers a 3-0 lead.
The big three once again started the Dodgers off in the second inning, which began with a double from Betts with one out. Ohtani followed with a triple that just fell short of his second homer of Cactus League play, but still gave the Dodgers a four-run lead.
Freeman then hit a hard ground ball to second base, allowing Ohtani to score and putting the Dodgers up 5-0, and he was able to reach on a throwing error. Smith singled, and the Dodgers went on to load the bases when Teoscar Hernández was hit by a pitch, but Jason Heyward struck out to end the threat.
The Dodgers once again added on to their lead in the third inning with key contributions from Betts and Ohtani. Andy Pages started them out with a one-out walk before Betts and Ohtani both singled, with the latter driving in his second run of the game.
Both Betts and Ohtani finished the game 3-for-3 with two runs scored. Ohtani is now hitting .714 with a 2.207 on-base plus slugging with the Dodgers in Cactus League play.
Muncy hit his second homer of Cactus League play in the fourth, giving the Dodgers a 7-0 lead. After getting hit by a pitch for the second time on Saturday, Muncy is seeing no lingering effects of mental hurdles.
Gavin Stone made the start and looked sharp, pitching three scoreless innings while striking out one. He gave up two hits and walked no one, and he only faced one over the minimum due to a double play.
Stone is in contention to open the year as the Dodgers’ fifth starter, and he may very well have the lead on that spot due to Emmet Sheehan’s late start. Ryan Yarbrough is also an option to open the year in the rotation and seems to be the other favorite to claim it.
Dinelson Lamet made his Dodgers debut and recorded two outs in the ninth, but it was Kevin Gowdy who came in to record the save with two runners on.
What’s next on the Dodgers Spring Training schedule?
The Dodgers have a day off on Monday, but they return to the field on Tuesday as they host the Los Angeles Angels at Camelback Ranch. Shohei Ohtani is expected to be in the lineup for the 1st time against his former club.
Bobby Miller is scheduled to start for the Dodgers, facing off against Chase Silseth. First pitch is set for 5:05 p.m. PT.
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