Roger Arrieta
I-5 RIVALS: The Dodgers travel to Tempe to face the Angels in the clubs’ only meeting during Cactus League play. The two clubs will square off three more times during the exhibition season in the Freeway Series, March 27-28, in Los Angeles and March 29 in Anaheim, and meet four times during the regular season in early August. Since the advent of Interleague Play, the Dodgers trail 56-40 in the all-time series.
Two weeks from today, the Dodgers will play Team Australia in an exhibition game at the Sydney Cricket Ground followed by two games against the D-backs in MLB’s Opening Series, March 22-23. Opening Day is just 16 days away!
UP FOR THE CHALLENGE: Don Mattingly and the Dodgers will get their first taste of the new instant replay system today against the Angels in Tempe, as Mattingly will have the ability to challenge umpires’ calls. Los Angeles has a total of five Cactus League games where replay will be used; today, March 11 at Kansas City, March 12 vs. Arizona, March 15 vs. Chicago-AL and March 16 vs. Colorado, and the system will be in place for all three Freeway Series games against the Angels.
Dodger video coordinator John Pratt will be assisting with the replay process today and during Spring Training from the visiting clubhouse. Pratt is in his third season as the club’s video coordinator after joining the organization in 2011 as the Triple-A Albuquerque video coordinator.
FAMILIAR FACES:Dan Haren will face his former Angels’ teammates today as he makes his second start of the spring after allowing one run on three hits on Saturday against the Brewers. Haren, in his first season with the Dodgers, pitched for the Angels for three seasons from 2010-12, going 33-27 with a 3.52 ERA in 79 games (78 starts) with the club, before spending the 2013 season in Washington.
Scheduled to make his third 2014 Cactus League appearance today is right-hander Javy Guerra, who has two scoreless outings under his belt (2.0 IP), last pitching on Saturday against the Brewers. Last season, the reliever spent the majority of the season with Triple-A Albuquerque and allowed nine runs (eight earned) in 10.2 innings in nine appearances during his only stint with Los Angeles from April 30-May 30.
Non-roster invitee Carlos Frias will also take the mound today after allowing one run in his first outing (1.0 IP) a week ago vs. the Diamondbacks. Frias, 24, is coming off an impressive stint with Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League, going 1-0 with a 1.62 ERA in 15 relief appearances.
Zack Greinke threw off a mound again today after a mini-bullpen yesterday. Greinke made just four pitches in his only Spring Training appearance on Feb. 27 against the D-backs before suffering a mild right calf strain.
SEEMS LIKE ONLY YESTERDAY: Los Angeles scored a bounceback win last night with two home runs, a grand slam by Alex Guerrero and a solo shot by Adrian Gonzalez, in a 10-3 victory over the Reds in Goodyear. Gonzalez had two hits, while Mike Baxter (2-for-3, R) and Juan Uribe (2-for-3, 2 R, RBI) also posted multi-hit games in the Dodgers’ 10-hit outburst. Hyun-Jin Ryu picked up the win, allowing two runs on four hits with three strikeouts in 4.0 innings, and Matt Magill earned the save, striking out three in 3.0 innings of one-run ball.
HELLO HALOS: Longtime Angel Chone Figgins will face his former teammates today after spending eight years with the Halos from 2002-2009. The 2009 All-Star compiled a .291 batting average with 31 home runs and 341 RBI in 936 games as an Angel before signing with Seattle as a free agent prior to the 2010 campaign. Figgins, who is in the starting lineup today at third base, has made starts at five different positions for the Dodgers this spring; second base, third base, shortstop, left field and center field.
PENGUINS IN ARIZONA?: Six-time All-Star Ron Cey made his first appearance of the spring at Camelback Ranch-Glendale today and will serve as a special instructor through Monday. Cey played 12 of his 17 Major League seasons with Los Angeles (1971-81), posting a .261 career batting mark and averaging 25 home runs and 89 RBI per 162 games played.
ROLLING DEEP: The Dodgers will have eight minor leaguers suiting up for today’s game in Tempe: RHP Henry Sosa (#95), RHP Sam Demel (#38), LHP Daniel Moskos (#47), RHP Chris Anderson (#94), OF Jon Garcia (#86), OF Jeremy Hazelbaker (#89), OF Scott Schebler (#90) and INF Darnell Sweeney (#87).
Chris Anderson will don the Dodger uniform for the first time today after he was selected with the 18th overall pick in last year’s draft out of Jacksonville University. Anderson, who enters the season rated by Baseball America as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect, made 12 starts for Single-A Great Lakes in his first professional seasons, posting a 3-0 record with a 1.96 ERA. The 21-year-old limited opponents to a .201 batting average and struck out 50 in 46.0 innings.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Date/Time Opponent Location Probables TV/RADIO
March 7 / 1:05 p.m. vs. TEX Glendale RHP Zach Lee vs. LHP Martin Perez SNLA/KLAC
March 8 / 1:05 p.m. at TEX (ss) Surprise LHP Paul Maholm vs. RHP Tanner Scheppers KLAC
7:05 p.m. vs. SEA (ss) Glendale RHP Josh Beckett vs. RHP Erasmo Ramirez SNLA/KTNQ
via Los Angeles Dodgers
