Roger Arrieta
PLAY BALL: The Dodgers take on the Mariners for the first of two games this spring, with the clubs meeting again Saturday night at Camelback Ranch. Los Angeles is 12-13 in 25 all-time meetings against the Mariners during Interleague Play, last playing Seattle in 2012, with the Dodgers winning two of three games at SAFECO Field. Scott Van Slyke’s father, Andy, will be in uniform for Seattle this afternoon as he enters his first season as the Mariners’ first base coach.
John Shoemaker, who has been a player, coach, manager or coordinator in the Dodger organization since 1977, will throw a ceremonial first pitch prior to today’s game. Shoemaker will manage the Rookie-level AZL Dodgers in 2014.
Three minor leaguers will dress for the club today: RHP Romulo Sanchez (#97), OF Trayvon Robinson (#89) and OF Jeremy Hazelbaker (#91).
The Dodgers made their first cuts of the spring today, optioning RHP Pedro Baez, OF Nick Buss, RHP Stephen Fife, RHP Yimi Garcia and LHP Jarret Martin to minor league camp and reassigning RHP Sam Demel, C Griff Erickson, LHP Daniel Moskos, C Chris O’Brien and LHP Chris Reed to minor league camp.
The Dodgers will touch down in Sydney two weeks from today for MLB’s Opening Series against the D-backs and are just 18 days away from Opening Day in Australia!
SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY: The Dodgers allowed seven runs to the A’s during a third-inning rally and fell, 7-3, yesterday in Phoenix. Andre Ethier (2-for-3, RBI) and Miguel Olivo (2-for-3, 2 R) posted multi-hit games, while Dee Gordon drove in a pair with a two-run triple in the second inning. Seth Rosin tossed 3.0 scoreless innings and has allowed four hits while striking out eight in 5.0 frames of scoreless baseball this spring.
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: Expanded instant replay with manager challenges made its debut at three Spring Training games yesterday, but Don Mattingly and the Dodgers will get their first taste of the new system on Thursday against the Angels in Tempe. Los Angeles has a total of five Cactus League games where replay will be used; March 11 at Kansas City, March 12 vs. Arizona, March 15vs. Chicago-AL and March 16 vs. Colorado, and the system will be in place for all three Freeway Series games against the Angels.
ON THE TUBE: MLB Network’s 30 Clubs in 30 Days made its annual visit to Camelback Ranch today, with Dan Plesac interviewing Dodger personalities and conducting a baserunning tutorial with speedsters Dee Gordon and Maury Wills. The episode will debut tonight at 7:00 p.m. PT.
This week, SportsNet LA will air a series of interviews with Dodger coaches at 7:15 p.m. PT on SportsNet: Access Dodgers. Tonight, Davey Lopes’ interview will air live before interviews with Mark McGwire on Thursday and Tim Wallach on Friday.
CONGRATS!: Tomorrow, Dodger President and CEO Stan Kasten will be presented with the 2013 Sports Executive of the Year Award by the L.A. Sports Council at the 9th Annual LA Sports Awards at the Beverly Hilton. The ceremony will be televised on Prime Ticket at a later date.
BULLPEN DAY!: Brian Wilson gets the start today for the Dodgers as the club will send exclusively relievers to the mound. Wilson will make his second appearance of the spring after tossing a scoreless inning on Friday against the White Sox and has never made a Major League regular season start during the course of his career (333 relief appearances). Wilson was originally signed by the Dodgers on July 30, 2013 and went 2-1 with a 0.66 ERA in 18 regular season appearances before making six scoreless appearances (6.0 IP) in the postseason. Wilson, who turns 32 on March 16, was re-signed by the Dodgers to a one-year free-agent contract with a player option for 2015.
Kenley Jansen will also take the hill today for his second appearance of the spring after firing a scoreless frame on Friday against the White Sox. Jansen, 26, ranked second among MLB relievers with 111 strikeouts last year, finishing the campaign with a 4-3 record, a career-high 28 saves and a 1.88 ERA in 75 appearances. Jansen ended the 2013 campaign on a roll, going 2-0 with 21 saves in 22 opportunities and a 1.26 ERA (5 ER/35.2 IP) in his final 34 games from July 31 through the end of the season.
J.P. Howell last pitched on Friday against the White Sox and struck out one in a scoreless inning. Howell, 30, posted career-best marks with a 2.03 ERA, a .193 opponents’ batting average and a 1.05 WHIP, going 4-1 in 67 relief appearances with the Dodgers last year, and was re-signed this offseason to a two-year contract with a vesting third-year option this offseason.
Chris Perez will make his second appearance of the spring after striking out one in a scoreless inning on Friday against the White Sox. Perez, 28, spent the last five seasons with the Indians and since 2010 when he became a full-time closer, his 123 saves rank sixth in Major League Baseball, trailing just Craig Kimbrel (139), Jonathan Papelbon (135), Rafael Soriano (132), Mariano Rivera (126) and Heath Bell (124).
Jamey Wright picked up the win on Friday against the White Sox in his first appearance of the spring, a scoreless inning, and enters his second stint with the Dodgers after appearing in 66 games with the club in 2012. Wright pitched with the Rays last year and enters 2014 just 33.2 frames shy of 2,000 career innings pitched in 18 MLB seasons.
Chris Withrow surrendered two runs in 1.1 innings in his first appearance of the spring on Thursday against the D-backs. In that game, Withrow issued three walks and struck out one, which is the opposite of how he fared in his first big league action last season, when he struck out 43 and issued only 13 walks in 34.2 innings with the Dodgers.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Date/Time Opponent Location Probables TV/RADIO
March 5 / 7:05 p.m. at CIN Goodyear LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu vs. RHP Homer Bailey SNLA/KLAC
March 6 / 1:05 p.m. at LAA Tempe RHP Dan Haren vs. LHP C.J. Wilson SNLA/KLAC
via Los Angeles Dodgers
