Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.
LOS ANGELES DODGERS (9-6-4) at Chicago White Sox (7-11)
Friday, March 23, 2012 – 1:05 p.m., Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium
RHP Nathan Eovaldi vs. RHP Dylan Axelrod
Spring Game 20/Road Game 10
Todays Starting Lineup:
Dodgers: SS, M Ellis 2B, CF, Ethier RF, Rivera 1B, Gwynn LF, Hairston 3B, C, Fields DH
White Sox: Saladino 2B, Morel 3B, Dunn DH, Alexei Ramirez SS, Fukudome RF, Flowers C, Viciedo, LF, McPherson 1BDanks CF
Upcoming Spring Training Schedule:
There is a split squad games this afternoon. The Dodgers also play the Kansas City Royals in Surprise, AZ at 1:05 PM. Below is that starting lineup:Dodgers: Angle CF, Sands RF, 1B, Uribe 3B, Kennedy 2B, Treanor C, Oeltjen LF, Sellers SS, Harang P
Royals: Dyson 8 Escobar 6 Maier DH Butler 3 Moose 5 Yuni 4 Bourgeois 7 Golson 9 Quintero 2 Hoch 1
IN LOVING MEMORY: The Dodgers and White Sox will meet for game three of their five-game Cactus League series, but the importance of today’s game in Tucson reaches far beyond baseball. All of the proceeds from the game at Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium this afternoon will go to the Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Foundation. The Christina-Taylor Green Memorial Fund was established by Dodger scout John Green and his family to honor the life and memory of his daughter, Christina-Taylor, through charitable and educational projects that reflect and embody her interests, values and dreams. This is the second consecutive year that the Dodgers have played a benefit game in Tucson to help raise funds for the victims and families affected by the tragic events of January 8, 2011. The Dodgers are 2-0 against the White Sox this spring. The rest of the club is in Surprise today, taking on the Royals.
ONE DAY LULL: Despite getting shut out on Wednesday by the Padres, the Dodgers enter play today with the third best on-base percentage among National League teams (.347) and the fourth-best slugging percentage (.444). On the hill, the club’s team ERA is 3.46, which ranks fourth among NL squads.
(Tony Gwynn Jr signing for fans, pic via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2012)
NATE THE GREAT: Dodger right-hander Nathan Eovaldi will start for the club in Tucson today after tossing 3.0 scoreless innings in his last start on March 17 vs. the Rockies in Scottsdale. Eovaldi has made three appearances this month (two starts) and allowed just one run in 7.2 innings of work. The Texas native was selected in the 11th round of the 2008 draft and signed after originally committing to pitch at Texas A&M. Following Eovaldi to the mound in Tucson today will be:
● LHP Allen Webster is set to make his Cactus League debut, along with several other Dodger minor leaguers. Webster enters 2012 ranked by Baseball America as the club’s No. 2 prospect after combining to go 11-5 with a 4.03 ERA at Single-A Rancho Cucamonga (nine starts) and Double-A Chattanooga (17 starts) last season.
● RHP Ethan Martin was the Dodgers’ first round draft choice (No. 15 overall) in 2008 and was promoted to Double-A Chattanooga on June 26 last season. With the Lookouts, he went 5-3 with a 4.02 ERA in 21 games (three starts).
● LHP Chris Reed was the club’s first-round draft choice (No. 16 overall) in 2011 after earning Pac-10 Honorable Mention honors for Stanford last year. Reed made three appearances for Single-A Rancho Cucamonga last year after finishing out his collegiate career.
● RHP Zach Lee was taken with the No. 28 pick in 2010 and signed despite having a shot to play quarterback for the LSU Tigers. According to Baseball America, Lee is the top prospect in the Dodger system and the No. 62 prospect overall. The Texas native went 9-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 24 starts for Single-A Great Lakes last season.
● RHP Angel Sanchez is a native of the Dominican Republic and went 8-4 with a 2.82 ERA in 20 games (16 starts) for Single-A Great Lakes in 2012.
● RHP Shawn Tolleson made his Cactus League debut last Saturday night vs. the Giants and allowed a run in his 1.0 inning. Tolleson was the Dodgers’ Branch Rickey Minor League Player of the Year last season after going a combined 7-2 with 25 saves and a 1.17 ERA in 57 appearances over the three levels.
ROSTER MOVE: Yesterday, the Dodgers designated RHP Ramon Troncoso for assignment and reinstated RHP Ronald Belisario from the restricted list. Due to Major League rule 16(d), Belisario had to be removed from the restricted list 30 days after reporting to Spring Training. The native of Venezuela will serve a 25-game suspension in 2012 due to a violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention Program.
(Dee Gordon turing a double play, pic via Jon SooHoo/ LA Dodgers 2012)
BOUNCE BACK: The Dodgers lost to the Padres, 3-0 on Wednesday, mustering just four scattered singles and a double by Jerry Hairston Jr. On the mound, RHP Jamey Wright fired 2.0 scoreless innings while Mike MacDougal, Scott Rice, Kenley Jansen, John Grabow, Ronald Belisario and Fernando Nieve each tossed a scoreless frame.
Los Angeles’ four draws this spring tie for the second-most all time by the club along with the 2002 and 2008 campaigns. The Dodger record for Spring Training ties was set in 2006, when the team went 15-13-5.
- RUN THIS TOWN TONIGHT: The 7th Annual LA Sports Awards will air on FOX Sports West tonight at 10:30 p.m., immediately following the Lakers game. The show was recorded March 15 and National League Cy Young Award winner Clayton Kershaw received the 2011 Sportsman of the Year award. In addition to Kershaw’s honor, the Dodgers also were involved in two of the Top-10 moments for 2011. Kershaw’s Cy Young Award-winning season was No. 2, while Matt Kemp’s MVP runner-up campaign was the No. 4 Los Angeles sports moment in 2011.
