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Monday was an interesting day at Dodgers camp at Camelback Ranch, and not just because it featured the all too rare sight of Sandy Koufax in uniform. Monday was the first day for pitchers to throw live batting practice to the starters, and the results were predictably one-sided.
"Today was live pitching practice and not live hitting practice," manager Don Mattingly said after practice.
Pitching to hitters gives the pitchers a different perspective than pitching to nobody in a bullpen session, and for hitters it's much different than facing pitches from a coach behind a screen.
"It's nothing you can sit here and judge because most guys are taking and not hitting so much but trying to track and get the timing down," Mattingly said.
Clayton Kershaw was among the pitchers to throw to hitters on Monday, while Zack Greinke and Hyun-jin Ryu will throw live BP on Tuesday. Kershaw faced Andre Ethier.
Kershaw vs Ethier - live BP vine.co/v/b671naK7lVZ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 18, 2013
Matt Kemp was also among Kershaw's victims at the plate on Monday.
"Aw man, the first curveball, that can mess up your whole day," Kemp said after practice.
It's something Don Mattingly predicted would happen before practice on Monday morning, as pitchers are far ahead of the hitters at this point.
"It brings hitting to a halt. You hear a lot of complaints from the hitters when you get to this point, but it's part of the process to be able to see these guys throw," Mattingly said. "It's part of the process, just continuing the foundation for our work."