Dodgers – Cubs Spring Training Live Game Thread

Clayton Kershaw takes the mound against the Chicago Cubs, who are widely seen as this year’s World Series favorite and the only feed we have of the game is the audio from the Cubs side of this.

In other words, MLB strikes again.

Anyway, stay tuned right here for updates as they come. Today’s lineup can be found here.

ICYMI: Dodgers News: Utley Talks Suspension, Infamous Slide

First Inning:

Yasiel Puig and Andre Ethier both get base hits, leading to a strikeout from A.J. Ellis that strands Puig at third. No score through the Dodgers’ half of the first.

Schwarber gets on base but gets caught stealing and there is no score through one.

Second Inning:

The audio feed cut out, but we didn’t miss anything. No score.

/plays Jeopardy music.

WE HAVE AUDIO AGAIN! A couple get on against Kershaw, but he tallies three strikeouts and no score through two. Kershaw struck out four through those two innings.

Third Inning:

The Dodgers go down in order in their half of the third and offense seems like it’ll be tough to come by today.

Kershaw stays in for a third inning, but gets roughed up a bit. He gives up three singles, leading to an earned run against him — the such first of the spring. Nothing else comes of the inning, however.

Fourth Inning: Dodgers trail 1-0

Ethier singles with one out. Kike drives a ball to center that gets lost in the sun, scoring Ethier! It’s scored as a triple for Hernandez. Tie score. Nothing else comes of the top of the inning as we head to the bottom part.

Joe Blanton in for Kershaw. David Ross promptly drives a double off the centerfield wall. He gets himself out of that little bit of trouble with three lazy flyballs, though and on comes the fourth!

Fifth Inning: Scored tied 1-1

Segedin starts the inning with a double! Then, Johnson softly grounds the ball to the catcher and the throw gets Segedin at third. A Crawford grounder and bad throw leaves him on second. Utley would hit a single, scoring Crawford and taking advantage of the error. Nothing else comes of the top of the fifth, but the Dodgers take the lead.

Kris Bryant hit what the Cubs’ announcers called a “majestic” homer run, tying the score. Nothing else going, though.

Sixth Inning: Score tied 2-2

The Dodgers would scramble to get two on early in the inning; then, with two on and two out, Johnson drilled a double, scoring Ellis. Dodgers lead 3-2!

Pedro Baez takes the mound for Blanton. David Ross was so happy to see the change, he drove a homer to left that tied the game again. Nothing else comes of the inning, and we’re tied at three, heading to the seventh.

Seventh Inning: Score tied 3-3

The Dodgers didn’t appear to have anything going in their half of the seventh, but a two-out rally that featured two singles, a wild pitch and a triple plates three! The inning ends, but the Dodgers did their damage.

/stretches.

An infield single and fly ball to right gets the runner to second, but nothing comes from it as Carlos Frias comes and and handles the next two batters.

Eighth Inning: Dodgers lead 6-3

Johnson starts the inning with a single and stolen base, then Corey Brown steps up for some insurance on a single, scoring Johnson. Nothing else comes of the inning, but the Dodgers add to their lead, heading to the bottom of the eighth.

Frias stays in for the bottom of the eighth and looks sharp. He puts the Cubs down in order and we head to the ninth.

Ninth Inning: Dodgers lead 7-3

Nothing going for the Dodgers in their half. Three outs to go.

The same can be said about how the ninth goes for the Cubs and the Dodgers win!

Analysis: Kershaw wasn’t super sharp, but he took care of business when he had to, so that was good to see. The Dodgers’ defense was much cleaner, going the full game without an error on the books. Lastly, the offense coming up with timely hitting has been fun to watch (whenever we can actually, you know, watch).