Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 18 / Road Game 9

Throughout Spring Training the Dodgers PR department sends out helpful daily notes from Camelback Ranch, and I am happy to pass them along.  See what they've written below.

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Los Angeles Dodgers(8-3-6) at Oakland Athletics (10-7-1)
Friday, March 20, 2015 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Hohokam Stadium

LHP Clayton Kershaw (2-0, 2.16) vs. RHP Sonny Gray (1-0, 5.68)
TV: SNLA Radio: None

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MESA MADNESS: The Dodgers, who have the Cactus League’s best winning percentage at .727,  travel to Mesa to take on the Athletics in the second and final meeting of the spring between the two clubs following Los Angeles’ 10-5 win in Glendale on Monday. The teams, who haven’t met during the regular season since 2012, will have a home-and-home, two-game series during the regular season, in Los Angeles July 28-29 and in Oakland Aug. 18-19.

• A split-squad of Dodgers that includes Yasmani Grandal, Adrian Gonzalez, Justin Turner, Alex Guerrero, Darwin Barney, Yasiel Puig and Joc Pederson among others, traveled to San Antonio last night and will take on the Rangers this evening at the Alamodome. The pitching matchups for the two-game Big League Weekend series feature left-hander Erik Bedard for the Dodgers against Texas right-hander Anthony Bass tonight, followed by RHP Zack Greinke vs. RHP Anthony Ranaudo tomorrow afternoon.

NICE TIE: The Dodgers established a record with their sixth tie of the spring yesterday, tying the Angels, 7-7, at Camelback Ranch. Los Angeles pounded another 11 hits, including a three-run homer by Alex Guerrero, to raise his spring batting average to .400. Andre Ethier and Justin Turner both posted multi-hit games in the victory, as Turner hit safely for the eighth consecutive game and is now hitting .423 this spring. Brett Anderson lasted just 1.2 innings in his third start of the spring, allowing three runs on seven hits in a no-decision.

• Yesterday marked the Dodgers’ sixth consecutive game with double-digit hits as the club raised its cumulative batting average to .271 in 17 games this spring.

  

  (Guerrero 3-run home run, via Dodgers on tumblr)

OH HAPPY DAY!: The Dodgers would like to wish a very happy birthday to Pat Corrales, who turns 74 today! Corrales is in his third season with the Dodger organization as a special advisor to the GM following a nine-year MLB playing career and a nine-year run as a big league manager.

ON THE MOUND: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw, who celebrated his 27th birthday yesterday, will make his fourth start of the spring today after allowing one run on four hits in 3.1 innings in his last start, Sunday at Seattle. Kershaw has faced the A’s twice in his career, in 2009 and in 2012, allowing just one run and striking out 15 in 13.2 innings (0-0, 0.66 ERA).

• LHP J.P. Howell is expected to make his fourth appearance of the spring today, last pitching 0.2 innings on Tuesday against the Rangers.
• RHP David Aardsma, who last pitched on Tuesday against the Rangers, is expected to make his fifth appearance of the spring today.
• LHP Adam Liberatore has struck out four in 5.0 scoreless innings in five Cactus League outings, last pitching on Wednesday against the Cubs.
• Kershaw will bat ninth today as Dodger pitchers hit for themselves for the first time this spring. Last year, Kershaw hit .175 with his first-career triple and three RBI, while Dodger pitchers combined to lead the National League with both a .163 batting average and a .207 on-base percentage.
• Kershaw and Howell, along with Brandon McCarthy and Brett Anderson, will be featured on a special “Connected With…the Pitching Staff,” which debuts tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA.

(Clayton Kershaw, pic via @Dodgers on twitter)

LET THE GAMES BEGIN: Today marks the first day of exhibition games for Dodger minor leaguers as the club’s Triple-A and Double-A teams take on the Rangers at Camelback Ranch. The Single-A clubs begin games on Sunday.

NEWEST DODGER: Congratulations to Lisa and David Huff on the birth of a son, Ethan Thomas Allen Huff, yesterday! Huff’s next start has been pushed back to Sunday, with Chad Gaudin taking the hill Saturday against Colorado at Talking Stick.

RYU UPDATE: On Wednesday, Dodger left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu reported feeling tightness in his left shoulder, similar to the discomfort he experienced last season, and after consulting with Dr. Neal ElAttrache, he elected to have an inflammation-reducing injection. Ryu will not throw for three days and his next step will be determined at that time. Ryu pitched 3.0 innings on Tuesday against the Rangers, allowing three runs (two earned) on three hits, and has tossed 5.0 innings this spring.

ROSTER UPDATE: Yesterday, the Dodgers reassigned RHP Ben Rowen to minor league camp.  Including Brandon Beachy and Chris Withrow, who are on the 60-day disabled list, the Dodgers have 43 players remaining in big league camp.

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