The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers met Tuesday afternoon for the second time this spring, and for the first of two games in five days. Los Angeles was the designated road team on Tuesday, which will also be the case Saturday.
Jose Quintana set the Dodgers down in order in the first inning, retiring Kiké Hernandez, Howie Kendrick and Adrian Gonzalez on a trio of groundouts. Adam Eaton reached on a Chase Utley error to open the bottom of the first, but was caught stealing soon after.
Kenta Maeda worked around a Jose Abreu two-out single to keep the game scoreless through the first inning. As they’ve often done this spring, the Dodgers once again jumped out to an early lead.
Following a Scott Van Slyke leadoff walk in the second inning, Andre Ethier hit an opposite-field, two-run home run. In the bottom half of the second, Ethier misjudged a slicing line drive to left, resulting in a one-out triple for Brett Lawrie.
Lawrie was then thrown out at the plate by Utley, who was playing on the grass and fielded a hard-hit chopper. Alex Avila drew a two-out walk to put two runners on for the White Sox and extend the inning.
However, it came to an end as Austin Barnes, receiving his first start at second base, went into shallow center field to make a backhanded catch on a blooper. Hernandez added to the Dodgers’ lead in the third inning with a no-doubt solo home run that cleared the bullpen in left field.
Maeda retired the first two batters faced in the bottom of the third, including striking out Jimmy Rollins swinging. Abreu improved to 2-for-2 on the day by sneaking a double down the third base line. Maeda struck out Todd Frazier to escape the jam and end the inning.
CONTINUE READING: Dodgers, White Sox combine to hit five home runs in final three innings
Van Slyke led off the fourth with a base hit to left-center field, only to be picked off on a quick move by Quintana. The left-hander then proceeded to strikeout Ethier (check swing) and Utley (looking) to end the inning.
Lawrie reached on an uncharacteristic two-base error by Gonzalez, who dropped a pop-up with one out. After striking out Austin Jackson, Maeda got squeezed on multiple pitches and walked Avila. J.B. Shuck followed with an RBI single, cutting the Dodgers’ lead to 3-1.
Maeda was lifted in favor of Luis Avilan after 3.2 innings pitched. The run, unearned, was the first Maeda has allowed of the spring. Avilan gave up an RBI single to Eaton before managing to get out of the inning.
Joc Pederson drove a ball over Jackson’s head for a one-out double in the top of the fifth. Pederson then stole second base on what wound up being a wild pitch and was hurt by a no-call as Frazier made contact with the center fielder.
White Sox reliever Matt Albers worked his way out of trouble as he struck out Barnes and Hernandez to end the inning. Chris Hatcher entered for the Dodgers in the bottom of the fifth and retired Abreu, Frazier and Melky Cabrera in order.
An Utley error in the bottom of the sixth inning put the tying run on base, and Jackson later came around to score on a Barnes throwing error. Zach Duke entered in the top of the seventh for the White Sox and promptly retired the side in order.
Minor League pitcher Dustin Richardson was replaced with Jose De Leon after giving up a leadoff single in the bottom of the seventh. De Leon didn’t fare any better as he surrendered a go-ahead, two-run home run to Matt Davidson.
The Dodgers quickly erased their deficit and Barnes atoned for his throwing error with a game-tying, two-run homer in the eighth. The home run was Barnes’ fourth of the spring. Dan Jennings settled in to retire the next three batters faced.
Just as quickly as the Dodgers tied the game, the White Sox responded as De Leon allowed a solo home run to Jason Coats in the bottom of the eighth. Rob Segedin then crushed a solo home run in the ninth, his fourth in Cactus League play, to tie the game at 6-6.
Davidson hit his second two-run home run of the game in the ninth, giving the White Sox a walk-off 8-6 win.