Veteran Scott Kazmir made his second Spring Training start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Wednesday afternoon as the team traveled to Tempe to take on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
The Angels countered with a veteran of their own, and a former teammate of Kazmir’s, Jered Weaver. Wednesday marked the first of four exhibition games between the two Southern California teams.
Dodgers center fielder Joc Pederson led the game off with a bang, clubbing the second pitch he saw from Weaver well over the right-center field wall to give the Dodgers an early 1-0 lead. The Angels made Kazmir work in the bottom half of the first, starting with Kole Calhoun and Mike Trout drawing walks.
The free passes were followed by three RBI singles from Albert Pujols, Daniel Nava and Andrelton Simmons. Kazmir threw 36 pitches and the Angels led, 3-1, after the first inning.
Weaver gave up another booming solo home run, this time to Austin Barnes as the Dodgers cut their deficit to 3-2. The Angels quickly extended their lead however, as Kazmir gave up two-out hits to Calhoun and Trout.
Scott Van Slyke misplayed Trout’s ball in right field, allowing it to go to the wall and Calhoun to score. Pujols followed with a bloop RBI single to right, marking the end of Kazmir’s day at 1.2 innings pitched, 56 pitches and five runs allowed on six hits.
Jamey Wright came in and retired C.J. Cron to end the innings with the Angels leading, 5-2. Pederson improved to 2-for-2 with a one-out single in the third. He advanced to second base with two outs on a wild pitch, and scored on Adrian Gonzalez’s RBI base hit.
Van Slyke followed with a towering game-tying, two-run home run that knocked Weaver out of the game. He allowed five runs on six hits in 2.2 innings pitched.
Much like Kazmir, Wright was not able to figure out the Angels as he gave up two hits and two runs, allowing the Angels to extend their lead to 7-5 through three innings.
CONTINUE READING: Dodgers Squander Lead In 9th Inning
Barnes led off the fourth with a base hit to right field, but was quickly erased as Rob Segedin grounded into a double play. With two outs and a runner on first base, Pederson flied out to end the fourth.
Trout and Cron connected for doubles off Chris Hatcher in the bottom of the fourth, with the latter of the two scoring a run. Javy Guerra entered in the fifth and worked around a pair of two-out base hits from Van Slyke and pinch-hitter Cody Bellinger to protect the Angels’ 8-5 lead.
Mike Bolsinger retired the side in order in the fifth, becoming the first Dodgers pitcher to do so on the day. A Roberto Baldoquin error that allowed Segedin to reach with one out in the sixth wound up spelling trouble for the Angels.
Herrera followed with a base hit and two batters later, Ethier’s RBI single cut the Angels’ lead to 8-6. Jack Murphy’s two-run double tied the game before Al Alburquerque managed to get out of the inning.
Bellinger led off the seventh with a base hit, then took second base on a Seager force out at third and throwing error. After a wild pitch, Barnes broke up the tie with an RBI single to center field. A trio of singles from Trayce Thompson, Micah Johnson and Charlie Culberson led to the Dodgers extending their lead to 12-8.
Bolsinger allowed two runs in the bottom of the seventh, but the Dodgers answered back in the eighth with one run. Jharel Cotton was unable to protect the Dodgers’ lead in the ninth, allowing the Angels to score three runs and force a 13-13 tie.