The Athletics handed the Los Angeles Dodgers a 11-7 loss at Hohokam Stadium on Sunday in spring training play. Despite Alex Call's 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI effort at the plate, the Dodgers could not overcome a sizable deficit. On the mound, Justin Wrobleski turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of scoreless ball with three strikeouts. The Athletics out-hit the Dodgers 14-9 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Dodgers continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Alex Call was the standout at the plate, going 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Dodgers will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Andy Pages added to the attack, going 2-for-3 with a home run and an RBI, Nick Senzel provided support, going 1-for-1 with a double and an RBI, and Ryan Ward also contributed, going 1-for-3 with a double and an RBI. The Dodgers showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Leo De Vries led the Athletics offense with a 2-for-4 with two home runs and six RBI day. Andy Ibáñez also contributed, going 4-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI. Colby Thomas added a 2-for-5 with a double and two RBI effort as well. The Athletics offense proved to be too much for the Dodgers pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Justin Wrobleski got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 0 earned runs on 2 hits with three strikeouts. He threw 43 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.3 innings of work, allowing 10 earned runs while striking out seven. The Dodgers continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting.
Among the relievers, Kyle Hurt stood out with 1.0 innings of 2-run work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Dodgers struck first, plating a run in the first inning. The Dodgers tacked on two runs in the second. The Dodgers pushed across a run in the third. The Dodgers plated three runs in the fourth. Athletics answered with two runs in the fourth. Athletics tacked on four runs in the fifth. Athletics pushed across a run in the sixth. Athletics plated four runs in the eighth. The Athletics were able to score in four separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Athletics out-hit the Dodgers 14-9, with 1 error committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 8,217 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Dodgers will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.