The Los Angeles Dodgers remained undefeated in Cactus League play — albeit with one tie — by defeating the Colorado Rockies, 9-4, on the road.
The game was preceded by reports of the Dodgers trading Manuel Margot to the Minnesota Twins, which were quickly followed by Kiké Hernández announcing he agreed to re-sign with the team.
As for matters at Salt River Fields, walks by Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández were eventually cashed in by Gavin Lux on his two-out RBI single in the first inning. Lux went 1-for-3 with the RBI in his third game of 2024 Spring Training but first at shortstop.
Lux played shortstop for the first time since tearing the ACL and LCL in his right knee on Feb. 27, 2023.
Mookie Betts’ RBI double and a base hit from Freeman extended the Dodgers’ lead to 3-0 in the second inning. Freeman is in the midst of playing three consecutive games and he’ll be in the Dodgers lineup again on Tuesday, when Shohei Ohtani makes his debut.
Betts presumably will start as well, with manager Dave Roberts previously suggesting Ohtani’s debut would coincide with getting the first look at the top of the Dodgers lineup order with the three former MVPs.
Dodgers prospects lead rally
The Dodgers went into a drought after Freeman’s single in the second inning and it kept pressure on their pitching staff that ultimately was not able to protect the lead.
Ryan Yarbrough issued a walk but otherwise collected three strikeouts over 1.2 hitless innings.
Nabil Crismatt surrendered a solo homer to Kris Bryant in the bottom of the third, and the Rockies scored two runs off Gus Varland in the fourth inning. Colorado then tied the game in the seventh on a sacrifice fly.
But just as quickly as they pulled even, the Dodgers stormed back ahead with a five-run eighth inning that was propelled by prospects delivering.
Travis Swaggerty’s sacrifice fly broke the tie and led to more runs being driven in by Ryan Ward, Dalton Rushing, Kody Hoese and Hunter Feduccia.
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