True Blue LA - March 20: Dodgers 4, Team Australia 2Where The Dodger Dogs Are Always Grilledhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/49563/truebluela_fav.png2014-03-20T04:04:17-07:00http://www.truebluela.com/rss/stream/52929892014-03-20T04:04:17-07:002014-03-20T04:04:17-07:00Puig's bat, arm on display in Sydney
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<p>A home run and a runner thrown out at the plate by Yasiel Puig, and 14 strikeouts by Dodgers pitchers led to an exhibition win for Los Angeles.</p> <p><span>Yasiel Puig</span> had by far his best game of the spring in Thursday's exhibition game against Team Australia, with a home run to left field and a strike from right field to highlight the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>' 4-2 win in their final exhibition tune up before their opening series in Sydney.</p>
<p>Up 2-0 in the sixth inning, Team Australia threatened to add another run on a single to right field by Tim Kennelly. Mike Walker tried to score from second base but was thrown out by about 10 feet by Puig (GIF <a href="https://twitter.com/ChadMoriyama/status/446587574753038337" target="new">thanks to Chad Moriyama</a>):</p>
<p align="center"><img src="http://giant.gfycat.com/EqualThinCoot.gif"></p>
<p>In the eighth inning, still down 2-0, the Dodgers relied on the only two starting position players still in the game to rally. <span>A.J. Ellis</span> walked to open the inning, but two strikeouts later the Dodgers were just four outs away from getting one-hit by a rag-tag group of mostly minor league Aussie pitchers.</p>
<p>That's when Puig, hitting .122/.136/.195 in the spring entering Thursday and 5-for-44 to this point, launched a ball over the left field wall off <span>Matthew Williams</span>:</p>
<p align="center"><iframe src="http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/shared/video/embed/embed.html?content_id=31594749&topic_id=8878826&width=600&height=336&property=mlb" frameborder="0" height="336" width="600">Your browser does not support iframes.</iframe></p>
<p>Puig's first home run of the spring was the Dodgers' second hit of the game and, with two outs, tied the score at 2-2. Two walks, an error, a passed ball and a single later the Dodgers added two more runs for a 4-2 lead.</p>
<p>Don Mattingly told reporters before the game that he wanted to get eight innings out of non-roster pitchers <span>Zach Lee</span> and <span>Red Patterson</span>, and he nearly got his wish. Lee was solid for four innings, allowing one run with six strikeouts, while Patterson struck out four in his three innings, also allowing a single run.</p>
<p><span>Paco Rodriguez</span> (one) and <span>Chris Withrow</span> (two) combined to strikeout the side in the eighth. Dodgers pitchers struck out 15 batters during the game.</p>
<p>Rule 5 man <span>Seth Rosin</span> allowed the tying runs to reach base but pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save. Six different Dodgers have recorded saves this exhibition season: <span>Matt Magill</span> with two and <span>Sam Demel</span>, Carlos Frias, <span>Blake Smith</span>, <span>Tom Windle</span> and Rosin one apiece.</p>
<h4>Up next</h4>
<p>Next time, it counts for both the Dodgers and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> on Saturday, early morning Los Angeles time. The Dodgers will have a day off Friday, then will send <span>Clayton Kershaw</span> to the mound for his fourth straight Opening Day start in the first game Saturday, facing <span>Wade Miley</span> for Arizona.</p>
<h4>Thursday particulars</h4>
<p>Home run: Yasiel Puig (1)</p>
<p><b>WP - Red Patterson (1-1)</b>: 3 IP, 2 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>LP - <span>Matthew Williams</span> (0-1)</b>: ⅔ IP, 1 hit, 4 runs (2 earned), 3 walks, 2 strikeouts</p>
<p><b>Sv - Seth Rosin (1)</b>: 1 IP, 2 hits, 2 strikeouts</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/3/20/5528862/yasiel-puig-dodgers-australiaEric Stephen2014-03-20T03:44:01-07:002014-03-20T03:44:01-07:00Gonzalez leaves game with lower back tightness
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<p>Gonzalez played four innings and had two plate appearances on Thursday before exiting the game.</p> <p><span>Adrian Gonzalez</span> left in the fourth inning of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a>' exhibition with Team Australia on Thursday with tightness in his lower back, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dylanohernandez/status/446595523219165184">the team</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/kengurnick/status/446595566189821952">announced</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/markasaxon/status/446595656455847936">during</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/alannarizzo/status/446595791344238594">the game</a>.</p>
<p>During his at-bat in the top of the fourth inning against Ryan Rowland-Smith, Gonzalez fouled off a 1-1 pitch than appeared to, ever so slightly, stretch his back or right side after the swing. Gonzalez lined out to right field on the next pitch, then was replaced at first base by <span>Scott Van Slyke</span> in the bottom of the inning.</p>
<p>Van Slyke moved from left field, with <span>Mike Baxter</span> replacing him in the outfield.</p>
<p>Every other starting position player for the Dodgers had at least three plate appearances. Gonzalez wanted to play seven innings, <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/THEREAL_DV/status/446596370065936384">per David Vassegh of KLAC</a>. Gonzalez was 1-for-2 in his two plate appearances, but he also had the team's only hit in the first seven innings.</p>
<p>The Dodgers rallied for four runs in the eighth inning to take the lead.</p>
<p>Gonzalez after the game <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/dodgers/status/446608555617955840">said he was fine</a> and expects to play in the two opening series games on Saturday and Sunday against the Diamondbacks.</p>
<p>Gonzalez has averaged 159 games played per season for the last eight years, with a low of 156 games in 2006.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/3/20/5528922/adrian-gonzalez-lower-back-tightness-dodgers-australiaEric Stephen2014-03-19T21:29:42-07:002014-03-19T21:29:42-07:00Lee gets the start for Dodgers in exhibition
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<p>Non-roster pitchers Zach Lee and Red Patterson should pitch quite a few innings in tonight's exhibition game in Sydney.</p> <p>About 57 hours after they landed in Australia, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.truebluela.com/">Dodgers</a> will play their first game in Sydney on Thursday night, or Thursday morning back home in Los Angeles. <span>Zach Lee</span> gets the start for the Dodgers in their exhibition game against Team Australia from Sydney Cricket Ground.</p>
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<h4>Starting Lineups</h4>
<table class="sbnu-legacy-content-table" align="center" border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2"><tbody>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#157dec" width="125"><font color="#ffffff"><b>Dodgers</b></font></td>
<td colspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#00483a" width="125"><font color="#ffbe00"><b>Team Australia</b></font></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Gordon (L)</td>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Mitch Dening (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>RF</td>
<td>Puig</td>
<td>SS</td>
<td><span>Brad Harman</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>SS</td>
<td>Ramirez</td>
<td>3B</td>
<td>
<span>Stefan Welch</span> (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Gonzalez (L)</td>
<td>LF</td>
<td><span>Luke Hughes</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>CF</td>
<td>Ethier (L)</td>
<td>1B</td>
<td>Mike Walker (L)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>3B</td>
<td>Uribe</td>
<td>RF</td>
<td><span>Tim Kennelly</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>LF</td>
<td>Van Slyke</td>
<td>C</td>
<td>Ryan Battaglia</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>C</td>
<td>Ellis</td>
<td>2B</td>
<td>Logan Wade (S)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>P</td>
<td>Lee</td>
<td>P</td>
<td><span>Ryan Searle</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<span><b>Location</b>: Sydney Cricket Ground<br><b>Time</b>: 1:05 a.m. PT<br><b>TV</b>: ESPN Australia (possibly MLB.tv)<br><b>Radio</b>: none<br></span>
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<p>Lee, in his first big league camp this year, pitched in a pair of Cactus League games after getting sidelined earlier in camp with a strained lat. He allowed four runs (three earned) in 4⅔ innings, with five strikeouts and two walks (one intentional).</p>
<p><span>Red Patterson</span>, like Lee a non-roster invitee to Dodgers big league camp, will likely pitch in relief of Lee in this exhibition game, an effort by the Dodgers to save as many major league pitchers as possible for the two regular season games against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.azsnakepit.com/">Diamondbacks</a> over the weekend. Patterson was the only one of 30 Dodgers on the plane to Australia to have already been cut; he was <a target="_blank" href="http://www.truebluela.com/2014/3/11/5497046/red-patterson-cut-dodgers">reassigned to minor league camp on March 11</a>.</p>
<p><span>Ryan Searle</span> gets the start on the mound for Team Australia. The 24-year-old right-hander split time between the Arizona Rookie League and low Class-A Daytona in the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/">Cubs</a> system in 2013. He was 2-3 with a 5.67 ERA in eight games for Daytona, including two starts, with 28 strikeouts and eight walks in 27 innings. Searle reached Triple-A once, in 2012, pitching 6⅔ scoreless innings in two games for Iowa.</p>
<p>The Dodgers' starting lineup outside of Lee is filled with regulars, with all eight likely Opening Day starters starting. It makes sense given that the team hasn't played in a game for three days, something manager Don Mattingly brought up on Saturday at Camelback Ranch.</p>
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<b>More Sydney exhibition</b>: <a href="http://www.truebluela.com/2014/3/5/5472786/trent-oeltjen-australia-roster-dodgers-diamondbacks" target="new">Team Australia roster</a>
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<p>"In the exhibition game, I still want my guys to play. We're leaving here, not playing for a few days," he said. "I'm sure my guys would want to play."</p>
<p><span>Dee Gordon</span> gets the call in the leadoff spot, which was predictable with <span>Carl Crawford</span> back in Arizona.</p>
https://www.truebluela.com/2014/3/19/5528268/zach-lee-start-dodgers-australia-exhibitionEric Stephen