Spring Training Game Seven – Cubs 3, Dodgers 7
WP – Pedro Baez (1-0, BS 1) LP – Armando Rivero (0-1) Save – None
Kris Bryant homered for the first time this spring and drove in two runs. David Ross went yard and doubled. Kyle Schwarber collected two hits off Clayton Kershaw. Kyle Hendricks pitched three shutout innings. Travis Wood struggled and the bullpen gave up all seven of the Dodgers’ runs as the Cubs lost Tuesday’s spring game in Mesa.
The Cubs scored first in Tuesday’s exhibition and put a run on the board against Clayton Kershaw. Javier Baez (1-for-4 with a run scored) singled with one out in the third and went to third on a Kyle Schwarber (2-for-3) single to right. Schwarber took second on Yasiel Puig’s throw to third.
Kris Bryant (2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI) singled to left and plated Baez for the early lead.
The Dodgers tied it up in the fourth against Travis Wood after Juan Perez lost a fly ball to center in the sun off the bat of Kike Hernandez. Andre Ethier scored on the ‘Arizona’ triple. After the Dodgers put another run on the board against Wood in the fifth, the Cubs tied the game in the home half.
Kris Bryant launched his first longball of the spring, a majestic shot to the berm in left center.
Travis Wood continued to give up solid contact while the Cubs’ defense did little to help him out. The Dodgers took the lead right back in the top of the sixth.
David Ross (2-for-3 with a double and a home run) tied the game at three in the bottom of the sixth with a long homer to left over the Cubs’ bullpen.
The game was tied at three entering the seventh. Armando Rivero struggled, gave up three runs while recording only two outs. And the go ahead run actually scored from second base on a 3-2 wild pitch. The Dodgers added on in the eighth and put the exhibition game away.
Shane Victorino (1-for-4) played the entire game as the Cubs’ designated hitter.
The Cubs offense managed three runs on nine hits, all three runs scored with two outs, and only one walk.
With Tuesday’s loss, the Cubs slipped to 1-6 in Cactus League play.
Kyle Hendricks had another good outing. Hendricks made his first start, second appearance of the spring. Hendricks faced 11 batters, retired the last seven in a row. Hendricks gave up two hits in the first, weak contact on two bloop singles … one by Yasiel Puig, the other by Andre Ethier. Hendricks struck out two and did not walk a batter in three innings of work.
Travis Wood replaced Hendricks in the fourth inning. Wood gave up a lot of solid contact and received little help from his defense. Wood was charged with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings due to extra outs cashed in by the Dodgers.
Juan Perez lost a ball in center off the bat of Kike Hernandez in the fourth that went for a triple. Andre Ethier scored from first and tied the game at one. In the fifth after David Ross made a sensational play to nail Rob Segedin at third base on a swinging bunt by Micah Johnson, Javier Baez airmailed a throw to first base trying to complete a 3-6-1 double play. Crawford ended up at second. Following a two-out walk to Yasiel Puig, Chase Utley singled to center and plated Crawford with the go ahead run.
Wood gave up another run in the sixth inning. Mark Ellis reached on an error by Javier Baez. Wood hit Trayce Thompson with one out. Micah Johnson doubled in Ellis with the third run of the day off Wood.
Travis Wood labored through his three innings Tuesday. Wood was charged with three runs on six hits with a walk, a hit batsman and a strikeout. Wood faced 17 batters and did not fool anyone in Dodger blue.
Armando Rivero picked up two quick outs in the seventh in relief of Wood before the wheels came off. Rivero has struggled in the past with completing innings in Spring Training and that was the case Tuesday. Rivero gave up three runs before he could record the third out. And the Dodgers scored the go ahead run on a wild pitch on a 3-2 offering to Cody Bellinger. Kyle Farmer scored all the way from second base to give the Dodgers the lead on the miscue. Joe Maddon had to go to his pen for minor leaguer Jeffry Antigua to pick up the elusive third out in the seventh.
The Dodgers added to the lead in the eighth off minor leaguer Miguel Mejia.
Spencer Patton retired all three batters he faced in the ninth inning.
Jake Arrieta makes his spring debut on Wednesday afternoon (2:05pm CST) when the Cubs take on Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians at Sloan Park.