Spring stats don't really matter, but today was great nonetheless, if only for the reason that baseball is back! The Dodgers opened their exhibition season with a 8-3 win over the White Sox at Camelback Ranch.
Some notes from the game:
- Blake DeWitt, who started at second base, had a hit and a walk, and scored a run
- Manny Ramirez, today's designated hitter, had singles in his first two at-bats
- Reed Johnson drove in runs in his first two plate appearances, once via groundout and once with a single
- Russell Martin, bigger and bulkier this spring, stole a base in the sixth inning
- Jamey Carroll, who entered the game for Casey Blake, had two stolen bases
- Vicente Padilla retired all six men he faced (four groundouts, two flyouts)
- Ramon Ortiz allowed a pair of hits in his two innings, but no runs and struck out three
- The Dodgers used 21 position players and seven pitchers in today's game
From this morning: Steve Dilbeck of the L.A. Times took a guess at the Dodgers' opening day roster, and right now I agree with him on all 25 (short version: DeWitt, Garret Anderson, Stults, McDonald, and Weaver are on the squad).
Tomorrow's game is on Prime Ticket at 1:05pm. Eric Stults will start, and be followed on the mound by James McDonald, Eric Gagne, Jeff Weaver, Travis Schlichting, Cory Wade, & Russ Ortiz.
Before the game, at 10am, regular season single-game tickets go on sale: online, via phone (866-DODGERS), or at Dodger Stadium. If you show up to the stadium tomorrow and buy at least one ticket, you will receive two free tickets to the Dodgers’ exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians on April 1.
Tomorrow night, Matt Kemp is co-hosting (with his agent, Dave Stewart) "Ante Up For Autism," a fundraiser for autism research featuring, among others, Chad Billingsley, James Loney, Casey Blake, Russell Martin, Danica Patrick, Donovan McNabb, Rickey Henderson, Frank Robinson, Dusty Baker, David Justice and Torii Hunter.