The Dodgers poured it on with a six-run sixth against the Mariners in a 10-7 Cactus League win in Peoria Friday night. Yency Almonte nearly blew the victory with a three-run ninth, but the cushion the Dodgers created early kept them ahead.
The warm night in Arizona helped three home run balls fly high for the Dodgers. Teoscar Hernandez homered in back-to-back nights for the Dodgers. Kyle Tucker hit his first home run in Dodger Blue. James Tibbs III also hit a three-run shot for his third spring homer.
Miguel Rojas didn’t waste any time with a booming leadoff double to deep center field. Rojas took advantage of some lazy defense by Seattle and swiped third base. Tucker drew a walk, and Hernandez flexed his power with a three-run shot before the first out of the game was recorded.
Knack pitched a solid inning in the first, but the Mariners made him work in the second.
The former 2020 second-round pick is vying for a spot in the rotation for the Dodgers. He’s only entering his second big-league season as a 28-year old. Knack pitched consecutively this spring training while Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are away with Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
The early-season injury to Blake Snell and Gavin Stone’s shoulder issues give Knack the opportunity. While Knack and Blake Treinen both struggled in a spring loss to the Rockies last week, Knack made more promising contact in his last outing.
Rhylan Thomas attacked a changeup from Knack to make it a 3-2 game in the bottom of the third with a two-run double. Brock Rodden got a hold of a fastball to tie the game with a RBI double.
Knack struck out four batters in two innings of work, but he also allowed three runs on three hits with a walk.
The aforementioned Treinen came in to pitch in the fifth inning with the 3-3 tie still intact. He didn’t instill much confidence by walking the first two batters he faced. It took 30 pitches in the inning, but Treinen pitched around three walks to escape with the game still tied.
Tucker broke the tie in the top of the sixth with his first home run of the spring with the Dodgers. The tie-breaker was a solo shot off reliever Robinson Ortiz.
The Dodgers collected their fifth and sixth run thanks to a Santiago Espinal infield single and Nick Senzel force out that brought home Michael Siani. The Dodgers kept pouring it on in the sixth. Tibbs III picked up his third home run this spring to make it 9-3.
Ben Casparius walked two batters in the seventh before he was replaced by Matt Lanzendorfer for his Cactus League debut. The left-hander, drafted out of the University of Virginia, walked two and allowed a run. He also picked up his first strikeout in Dodger Blue.
Yency Almonte swept back right into our lives when he returned to the mound for the Dodgers in the ninth inning. This would be his second stint with the team as he fights for a roster spot.
Down to their last strike, Colt Emerson hit a three-run shot for the Mariners. Almonte looked terrible, but he had enough cushion and was able to close up shop and secure the spring win. The Dodgers are now 14-6 in Cactus League play.
Up next
The Dodgers and White Sox, roomies, battle each other for the final time this spring at Camelback Ranch at 1:05 p.m. PT on SportsNet LA. Justin Wrobleski starts for the Dodgers and Mike Vasil for Chicago.
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