Spring Training Recap: Grandal Shines, Dodgers Blow Lead In Tie
In the sixth, Alex Guerrero led off with a single and was driven in on a Gonzalez double that was misplayed in the outfield. Grandal continued his hot hitting with a hit off the wall in left-center. He was thrown out trying to turn it into a double, but he drove in his third run of the game. In the bottom half, the Indians put two runners on; however, after a strikeout, Horst was removed for right-hander Chin-Hui Tsao. He quickly got a double play ball to end the threat.
Both teams went down in order in the seventh, with Tsao notching two strikeouts. The eighth also was quiet, as the Dodgers went down in order and Tsao got another double play to get out of the bottom half. In the ninth, the offense was again shut out.
Minor-Leaguer Matt Shelton took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Destin Hood began the inning with a single to right. Audy Ciriaco doubled and Ryan Rohlinger followed with a blast over the wall in left field to make it 5-4. On the next pitch, Brett Hayes did the same to tie the game at five. Dustin Richardson came in to replace Shelton. He got an out and gave up a walk before he had to be removed due to injury. Blake Smith became the new pitcher and got a fielders’ choice on a broken bat for the second out. Kyle Jensen snagged a grounder for the third out.
The game ended in a 5-5 tie.
Dodgers 2015 Spring Training – Yasmani Grandal
Grandal showed good power with opposite field home run and good back control and patience in his first at bat driving in a run on a good pitch. Guererro continues his hit hitting and looked OK in Left. I think he sticks or is traded as he can hit and that is always valuable.
We should hang on to him. We are gonna need the offense.
Matt Shelton showed he can throw very impressive hanging curves and is not smart enough to stop throwing hanging curves even if they hit the first one out of the State!