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Sports Mar 19, 2022
Clayton Kershaw in 2015. | Photo courtesy of Arturo Pardavila III/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)
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Clayton Kershaw pitched 1 1/3 hitless innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers opened spring training play Friday by tying the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-3, in Glendale, Arizona.
Kershaw retired the Brewers in order in the first in his first game since Oct. 1 when he was removed after allowing three runs and five hits in 1 2/3 innings against Milwaukee and was placed on the injured list the next day because of left forearm discomfort, missing the postseason.
The left-hander walked the first batter he faced in the second, Hunter Renfroe. The next batter, Keston Hiura lined out to center fielder Cody Bellinger, and Kershaw was relieved by 22-year-old right-hander Aldry Acosta, who has never pitched above Class A in his four seasons pitching in the Dodger organization.
Acosta walked the first batter he faced, Mike Brosseau. One out later, Mario Feliciano doubled in Renfroe and Brosseau, with the first run charged to Kershaw.
The Brewers increased their lead to 3-0 in the fifth. Feliciano led off with a single off non-roster right-hander Sam Gaviglio, moved to second when Willy Adames reached first on a two-out fielder’s choice and scored on Christian Yelich’s single.
Matt Beaty’s fifth-inning sacrifice fly drove in Chris Taylor with the Dodgers’ first run. Taylor led off with a double and moved to third on Gavin Lux’s ground out.
Non-roster outfielder Jason Martin, an alumnus of Orange Lutheran High signed by the Dodgers as a free agent in November after playing 58 games for the Texas Rangers in 2021, homered in the sixth.
Non-roster infielder Andy Burns, who played nine games for the Dodgers in 2021, homered with one out in the bottom of the ninth before a crowd at Camelback Ranch announced at 8,581.
Extra innings were not played.
The Dodgers began spring training play nearly three weeks later than originally planned. They were initially scheduled to begin spring training play Feb. 26 but were not able to because of Major League Baseball’s lockout of its players.
The Dodgers are scheduled to play in Southern California for the first time this year on April 3 in an exhibition Freeway Series game at Angel Stadium against the Los Angeles Angels, with the first game of 2022 at Dodger Stadium the following day against the Angels.
The Dodgers are scheduled to open the regular season April 8 at Colorado and play their home opener April 14 against the Cincinnati Reds.
Just like in 2021 when their season ended with a six-game loss to the eventual World Series champion Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series, the Dodgers are the favorite to win the World Series, according to FanGraphs.
The baseball statistics and analysis website conducted 20,000 simulations of the season, with the Dodgers winning the World Series in 18.7% of them. The Toronto Blue Jays are second at 12.1% and the Braves third at 10.2%.
FanGraphs projects the Dodgers will win a major-league best 97.7 games, and the National League West title by 10 games over the San Diego Padres.
FanGraphs also says the Dodgers have a 97.6% chance of qualifying for the expanded 12-team playoffs and an 80.4% chance of winning the National League West.
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