Monday, March 07, 2016

Dodgers Notes from Spring Training: Spring Game 5/Home Game 3


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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Monday, March 7, 2016 – 1:05 p.m. MT | Camelback Ranch - Glendale
Cleveland Indians vs. LA Dodgers
RHP Danny Salazar (0-1, 13.50) vs. LHP Alex Wood (NR)
TV: None Radio: None

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(Lining up for the anthem, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016)

ON A ROLL: The undefeated Dodgers (3-0-1) return home to Camelback Ranch today to take on the Indians (0-4-2) in the first matchup of the spring between the two clubs. Yesterday, the Dodgers downed the Giants 5-2 in Scottsdale after taking the lead in the top of the fifth inning when outfielder Carl Crawford drove in a run with a triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Yasiel Puig. Crawford finished the day going 2-for-3 with two RBI and shortstop Charlie Culberson continued to swing a hot bat, plating two more runs on a single in the top of the eighth in his only at-bat. Zach Lee pitched 2.0 scoreless innings in his first Spring Training start and Ross Stripling recorded the win, tossing 2.0 scoreless frames.
  • The Dodgers last faced the Indians during the regular season in 2014, when the Tribe took two of three at Dodger Stadium.
  • Charlie Culberson has gone 5-for-6 (.833) with a double, a triple and three RBI in four Spring Training games for Los Angeles.
YOUNG GUNS: The Dodgers enter the 2016 season with Baseball America’s top-ranked farm system and seven players ranked among the publication’s top 100 prospects: IF Corey Seager (#1), LHP Julio Urias (#4), RHP Jose De Leon (#23), RHP Kenta Maeda (#50), IF/OF Cody Bellinger (#54), RHP Grant Holmes (#72) and OF Alex Verdugo (#100).
(Dave Roberts, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016)

NEW FRONT MAN: Dave Roberts is in his first season at the helm of the Dodgers after being named the 10th manager in Los Angeles history (28th in franchise history) on Nov. 23, 2015. Roberts, 43, served as the Padres’ bench coach from 2014-15 and was San Diego’s first base coach from 2011-13, after originally joining the organization as a special assistant in 2010. A veteran of 10 MLB seasons, Roberts was the starting center fielder for the Dodgers from 2002-04 and will become the fourth manager in Los Angeles history (15th overall in franchise history) to both play and manage the club.
  • Rick Honeycutt returns for an 11th season as Dodger pitching coach and is the lone returning member of the Los Angeles coaching staff beyond catching instructor Steve Yeager. The new-look staff is comprised of bench coach Bob Geren (2015: Mets’ bench coach), hitting coach Turner Ward (2015: D-backs’ hitting coach), first base coach George Lombard (2015: Red Sox’ minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator), third base coach Chris Woodward (2015: Mariners’ first base coach), bullpen coach Josh Bard (2015: Dodgers’ pro scout), assistant hitting coach Tim Hyers (2015: Red Sox’ minor league hitting coordinator) and quality assurance coach Juan Castro (2015: Dodgers’ minor league infield coordinator).
HOT TICKETS!: The Dodgers notched their first sellout of the spring, with 13,122 fans taking in their victory over Arizona on Saturday. Last year, the Dodgers established team records in total (147,066) and average (9,804) Spring Training attendance, while Camelback Ranch saw a record number of fans with a combined attendance of 232,305 between the Dodgers and the White Sox. So far this season, advance ticket sales have been brisk with Camelback Ranch enjoying its best advance ticket sale in its eight-year history. Three additional Dodger games already have sold out - Friday, March 11 (Los Angeles Angels-Dodgers), Saturday night, March 12 (Chicago Cubs-Dodgers) and Friday night, March 25 (San Francisco Giants-Dodgers).
(Alex Wood, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016)

ON THE MOUND: LHP Alex Wood will make his first start of the spring today. He enters his fourth Major League season and his second with the Dodgers after being acquired by the club in an eight-player deal with the Braves on July 30, 2015. Wood, 25, posted career numbers last season, winning a career-high 12 games (12-12) in 32 combined starts, while posting a 3.84 ERA.
  • LHP Ian Thomas will make his first appearance of the spring this afternoon. A 2015 mid-season acquisition from the Atlanta Braves,  he made nine relief appearances (one start) for the Dodgers going 1-1 with a 4.00 ERA.
  • LHP J.P. Howell, enters his 11th MLB campaign and his fourth season with the Dodgers after leading MLB relievers (min. 40.0 IP) with a 1.43 ERA in a team-high 65 appearances in 2015. He finished the season posting a 6-1 record with one save and tossed scoreless relief in 59 of 65 appearances.
  • RHP Kenley Jansen will make his first appearance of the spring. He enters his seventh big league season after successfully converting 36 of 38 save opportunities last year, the third-highest single-season save percentage in team history (Gagne: 2003-100.0%, 2004-95.7%).
  • RHP Louis Coleman will be making his second appearance of the spring after tossing a scoreless inning of relief on Friday against the Rangers. Coleman enters his first season with the Dodgers after signing with the club on Feb. 19, 2016.
  • RHP Brandon Beachy will make his first appearance of the spring, after making his Dodger debut last season on July 11, 2015 with a start against the Brewers, his first since Aug. 20, 2013. He made two starts with the club after being reinstated from the 60-day disabled list, before being optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City where he went 1-1 with a 3.64 ERA in 10 games (nine starts).
  • RHP Yimi Garcia will be making his second appearance of the spring after striking out one batter in a scoreless inning of relief on Thursday against the White Sox.  He ranked among the NL’s best relievers in WHIP (0.95, 5th), opponents’ batting average (.199, 16th), opponents’ on-base percentage (.242, 4th) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.60, 3rd) last season.
A LOOK BACK: The Dodgers went 92-70 in 2015, with the club claiming its third consecutive and 14th overall National League West title. It marked the first time in franchise history that the team reached the postseason in three consecutive seasons.
  • The Dodgers topped the National League in homers for the first time since 1983, blasting 187, their most since 2004 (203 HR).
  • Los Angeles led the Majors with a .988 fielding percentage, while committing the fewest errors (75) of any big league team.
  • Los Angeles pitchers combined to post a 3.44 ERA, the fifth-best mark in the Majors, and tied for the big league lead with the Cubs with 21 shutouts.
(Banana mania continues unabated, pic via Jon SooHoo/LA Dodgers 2016)

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