Sunday, March 3, 2024
Copyrighted by Sarah Morris, 2024
On a pleasant Sunday afternoon at Camelback Ranch, the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies 7-to-4. Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman had huge offensive performances.
Making his third spring training appearance, Gavin Stone allowed a single in the first inning but nothing else. Coming off a difficult rookie season, he has been wonderful this spring. While Emmet Sheehan is questionable for the Opening Day roster since he is dealing with body soreness, Stone might make the Opening Day roster.
Unlike in the 2023 season, Stone looks confident and has better control. While he allowed a single to open the second inning, he didn’t allow anything else. Stone pitched a perfect third.
To open the game for the Dodgers, Mookie Betts, Shohei Ohtani, and Freddie Freeman singled for a run.
Ohtani scored on a sacrifice fly by Will Smith. Freeman scored on Max Muncy’s sacrifice fly. Teoscar Hernández singled and moved to second on Jason Heyward’s single. Gavin Lux ended the rally with a deep flyball.
With one out in the second, Betts doubled. Ohtani tripled in Betts. Freeman had an infield single scoring Ohtani. Smith singled. Hernández was hit in the elbow. For Heyward, the bases loaded, but he struck out to end the rally.
In the third, Andy Pages walked. Betts singled. Ohtani singled in Pages.
Michael Grove picked up after Stone left. Grove hurled a perfect fourth. With Sheehan battling body soreness, Grove will have a chance to make the Opening Day roster. So far, Grove has had a great spring training. Grove allowed a run after beginning the fifth with two strikeouts. In the sixth, Grove showed fatigue as he allowed another run. With one out, Dave Roberts lifted Grove.
In the fifth, Muncy blasted a solo home run.
Stephen Gonsalves continued the sixth and allowed a single that scored a run. He got out of the inning.
Smith was hit by a pitch and left the game routinely in spring training.
Gus Varland began in the seventh by facing Kyle Karros, Eric Karros’ youngest son, who struck out. Varland allowed a double and a run after a stolen base. Varland managed to get out of the jam without allowing anymore runs.
T.J. McFarland allowed a bunt single and a stolen base but pitched well in the eighth.
Dinelson Lamet, a non-roster invitee, allowed a single to Karros and was victimized by a throwing error by Chris Owings, an infielder vying for a job. Lamet doesn’t have good command of the strike zone.
For the last out of the g ame, Dave Roberts brought in Kevin Gowdy, who ended the game with a ground ball.
