Home Sweet Home-Dodgers Defeat Angels 4-1

Dodgers 4 12 0

Angels    1 5 1

WP- Sanchez

LP- Takahashi 

All was right with the world tonight. The Dodgers were back at Dodger Stadium, and Vin Scully’s wonderful voice filled the air of my living room.

The Dodgers were 14-14 going into tonight’s game, and were looking to redeem themselves after the thrashing they received last night in Anaheim.

Aaron Harang looked real good tonight in his last Spring outing before everything starts to count this Thursday. He sends the Angels down 1-2-3 in the first. Ervin Santana also pitched very well for the Angels. He only allows a single to Mark Ellis in the bottom of the first.

Harang allows a double to Vernon Wells, and he also walks Maicer Izturis in the second inning. He gets Bobby Wilson to ground out to escape the inning unscathed. In the bottom half Juan Rivera legs out a double on a line drive to Bobby Abreu whose throw is too slow coming back in to the infield. But the very next play Albert Pujols erases Rivera at second when he snares Tony Gwynn Jr.’s liner and rockets it back to Aybar to tag Rivera on the fielder’s choice. Then Gwynn is caught stealing by a mile with Juan Uribe at the plate. To end the inning Uribe does what he does best. He strikes out swinging in an uncontrollable fashion.

Harang is locked in, and sends the Angels down in order in the third inning. Aaron helps his own cause by singling off of Santana in the bottom of the third. Dee Gordon reaches on an error by Erick Aybar who has committed a few errors this series so far. Matt Kemp strikes out for the second time this game to end the inning.

Aaron Harang continues to shut the Angels down as they are sent back to the dugout in order in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Aybar once again errors allowing Rivera to reach base safely. Tony Gwynn singles, but useless Uribe proceeds to hit in to a double play to end any chance of the Dodgers scoring.

Aaron Harang pitches 4 scoreless innings, allowing 5 hits, 1 walk, and 2 strikeouts.

Matt Guerrier comes in to relieve Harang in the fifth inning. He gets the Angels out in order and strikes out Bobby Wilson. In the bottom of the fifth A.J. Ellis is hit by the pitch in the hand, and we all wince with fear. Justin Sellers comes in to pinch run for Ellis. Jerry Hairston, who is in now for Uribe, draws a walk. Dee Gordon singles to load the bases. Mark Ellis strikes out swinging. Matt Kemp’s sacrifice fly brings Sellers in to cross the plate, and the Dodgers are the first to get on the board, 1-0. Loney’s ground out ends the inning.

Angel Sanchez is brought in to pitch in the sixth for the Dodgers. Sanchez strikes out Morales. Aybar singles, and Abreu walks. With Albert Pujols batting, Aybar advances to third on a balk by Sanchez. Pujols proceeds to miss a homerun to left field by inches, and luckily Tony Gwynn is there on the warning track to make the catch. The run scores on the sac fly to even things up 1-1.

Hisanori Takahashi replaces Ervin Santana for the bottom of the sixth. Santana pitched 5 innings, allowing 6 hits, 1 run, 1 walk, and 5 strikeouts.

Juan Rivera starts the inning by singling off a hotly hit groundball to Aybar at short. That’s his third hit of the night. Tony Gwynn Jr. singles to left field, and pinch runner Matt Angle advances to second. Adam Kennedy bunts the runners over to second and third with Don Mattingly looking out from the dugout approvingly on Kennedy’s bunting ability. Donnie loves to bunt. Justin Sellers lops one into shallow left field for a single, and Angle comes home to score, 2-1. Jerry Hairston draws a walk to load the bases up with one out. Takahashi’s meltdown continues even after a coaching visit to the mound, and Matt Treanor singles to center field. He picks up both Gwynn and Sellers, 4-1 Dodgers. Josh Fields walks to load the bases up once again before Takahashi is finally taken out. Kevin Johnson comes in to squelch the fire, and doubles up the Dodgers to end the inning.

Angel Sanchez pitches the seventh inning for the Dodgers and has a nice quick 1-2-3 inning. Tim Federowicz hits a long single with two outs in the seventh inning. But Adam Kennedy whiffs to leave FedEx stranded.

Scott Rice, who went to the high school in the next town over from me, is given the ball in the eighth inning for the Dodgers. Rice starts off well, but then a near meltdown ensues with two outs a la Jonathan Broxton. Aybar reaches on a little infield grounder which is deflected by Rice with two outs. Abreu singles. Mark Trumbo walks to load the bases. Amarista grounds out to first for the final out, and the Dodgers leave the inning without any damage done. LaTroy Hawkins (born in 1972 by the way) comes in to pitch the bottom of the eighth for the Angels. He only allows a walk to Justin Sellers.

Shawn Tolleson pitches the ninth, and allows a lead-off single. With FedEx catching, we get perhaps a small glimpse of the future battery for the Dodgers here. He then gets the Angels to double up, and then a fly ball gives the Dodgers the win at Chavez Ravine!

The Dodgers go up to bat against Pauley in the bottom of the ninth even though they already had this one in the books.

We will keep you updated when we hear about A.J. Ellis.

This just in: Justin Sellers and Josh Linblom have made the team. Scott Rice, Josh Fields, and Luis Cruz have been reassigned. Sellers has been my pick from the beginning. He has excellent defensive skills, and does have some pop offensively from time to time.

Tomorrow afternoon will be the final Spring Training game! Nathan Eovaldi will go up against C.J. Wilson at 12:05 pm.

Go Blue!

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