Tuesday, March 11
Cleveland 4 at Los Angeles 10
Camelback Ranch
Temp: 77 at 1:05 first pitch
Dodgers Walk All Over Guardians
After two innings, the LA had a commanding 8-zip lead, thanks to four hits and eight walks. Their six-spot in the first came courtesy of a two-run blast from Tommy Edman, a two-run double off the bat of Max Muncy and bases-loaded walks to Shohei Ohtani and Edman as they sent 12 men to the plate. Edman’s free pass was the fourth straight as Cleveland hurlers lost the plate. Ohtani had three at bats before the 8th and 9th spots in the Cleveland order came up for the first time in the third.
To be fair, this was second stringer day for the Guardians. It was not a split-squad game but Cleveland’s starting lineup was without Bo Naylor, Carlos Santana, Juan Brito, Jose Ramirez, Brayan Rocchio, Steven Kwan and Lane Thomas. LF Will Brennan and 1B Kyle Manzardo were the only Cleveland starters to play.
Did I say there were a lot of walks? Cleveland pitchers walked ten Dodgers in the first three innings. Starter Doug Nikhazy logged four of those walks in a forgettable day that saw him allow 7 ER in an inning and two-thirds. Andy Pages’ two-out single in the second cashed in Teoscar and Kiki Hernandez with LA’s seventh and eighth runs. The Hernandez Show continued an inning later when Kiki singled home Teoscar with run number nine. In the fifth, Chris Newell’s sac fly scored Michael Chavis, he of the wild hair, to make it a double-digit Dodger lead, 10-0.
By then the starters for both clubs had subbed out. Cleveland pushed across a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh innings. In the sixth, Micah Pries tripled into the RF corner to drive in Kahlil Watson before Ralphy scored Pries with a sac fly. In the seventh Guy Lipscomb doubled home Christian Knapszyk. Lipscomb then scored on a Johnathan Rodriguez groundout to make the final 10-4.
Dodger starter Roki Sasaki, in his second spring outing, looked very sharp. He hit 95 and 96 mph consistently in his four scoreless innings of work. Sasaki’s only hit allowed was a lead-off single to Gabriel Arias in the second. Sasaki struck out two, giving him seven strikeouts this spring over seven innings and he has yet to allow a run. Batters are only hitting .182 against him and his WHIP is 0.86.
Ballpark Buzz … Kudos to the Camelback Ranch staff for handing out a program AND a pack of sun screen to each fan. Yes, Martha, the program had a scorecard. Unlike yesterday at Peoria Sports Complex where I had to make my own on the back of a roster sheet. After all, spring training baseball IS having a beer with a ballpark dog and keeping score. One fan told me that’s how he learned math. … As I was driving, the drink of choice today was a blue Gatorade. … Attendance: 10,509. … Tomorrow’s report will be from Peoria with the Royals-Mariners game, my final installment of Cactus Fever for 2025. Looking forward to a Bobby Witt sighting.
David Belisle 