Rusty Backs and Errors are Rampant in Second Spring Loss

Dodgers 2 6 4

Rockies  5 8 0

WP- Pomeranz (1-0)

LP- Capuano (1-1)

S- Gardner

Before Tuesday’s errorfest of a game against the Colorado Rockies, we learned that Matt Guerrier had some back stiffness, James Loney couldn’t play due to a calf strain caused by his new shoes, and Ronald Belisario came down with strep throat. This could very well be the Spring of rusty backs, because if you remember Clayton Kershaw complained of some minor back stiffness in the very beginning of Spring Training, and Andre Ethier was unable to play Saturday after some back stiffness acted up. He tweaked his back after he picked up some boxes in the offseason. Luckily most of these injuries are mild in nature, and other than Blake Hawksworth and Rubby De La Rosa, we don’t have any other players headed to the DL. Knock on wood.

Rockies pitcher Drew Pomeranz pitched two scoreless innings and struck out two Dodgers. A Dee Gordon error in the first inning would be the first of four errors committed by the Dodgers in the loss which now puts them at 6-2-2 in Cactus League play. In the second inning, Capuano walked Charlie Blackmon with two outs and hit Tyler Colvin before three runs would score off two Colorado singles, a throwing error by Andre Ethier, and a wild pitch by Capuano. Capuano, in his second start, pitched 2 1/3 innings, allowing two hits, two walks, and striking out four.

The Dodgers scored a run in the sixth inning when Scott Van Slyke tripled and scored on a Treanor groundout.

Another throwing error in the seventh inning, this time by Jerry Hairston Jr. (he had two bumbling errors in the game), allowed Ben Paulsen to reach safely with two outs on the board. Wilkin Castillo proceeded to double off Ryan Tucker, sending Paulsen home and giving the Rockies a 4-1 lead.

In the eighth inning, the Dodgers score their second run of the game off a FedEx double and a Luis Cruz single. The Rockies score one more time in the top of the ninth inning. Andrew Brown doubled off of pitcher Matt Chico, and DJ LeMahieu singled in Brown.

After Hairston’s pair of errors, I’m still befuddled to why Justin Sellers will most likely not make the team. Yet I anticipate Sellers coming up at some point when infield support is needed due to injury or a certain designated fielder’s lack of production pushes him out of the lineup. Which by the way, Uribe has only one hit so far this Spring.

Tonight is a rare evening Spring Training game at 7:05 pm. Clayton Kershaw will make his second start against the Reds in Goodyear ballpark. Josh Lindblom, Jamey Wright, Michael Antonini, and Will Savage will all get a chance to pitch as well. Kersh will then fly back to L.A. to accept his 2011 Sportsman of the Year Award presented to him by the Los Angeles Sports Council in an award ceremony at Club Nokia.

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