Mookie Betts and Jason Heyward each hit their first home run of Spring Training to help lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a 4-2 win over the Texas Rangers in a rain-shortened game (seven innings) at Surprise Stadium.
Betts got the Dodgers going early with a homer against Andrew Heaney, who was making his first start of the spring. The long ball was indicative of the 2022 season for both players.
Betts set a Dodgers franchise record for most leadoff home runs in a single season, and Heaney went through a stretch where he struggled to keep opponents in the park.
After the Rangers pushed a run across in the bottom of the first inning, Heyward led off the second with a home run to put the Dodgers back ahead.
They added onto that with James Outman’s two-out RBI single in the third inning, and his sacrifice fly in the fifth. The productive performance came hours after Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Outman remains under consideration for a role in center field.
Dustin May pitched into the second inning of is first start this spring, allowing one run that scored when Chris Taylor couldn’t handle a hard-hit ball at shortstop and Betts failed to cut off a drive to the gap.
May collected three strikeouts and topped out at 98 mph on his fastball.
“I definitely think there’s some more in the tank,” May said after coming out of his start. “That was my first outing of spring, so I definitely think that I have some more once the real games start and the real adrenaline starts to kick in.”
The Dodgers also received strong pitching performances from Brusdar Graterol and Caleb Ferguson. It was Graterol’s second appearance of the spring and Ferguson’s first.
Jimmy Nelson also made his 2023 debut, but failed to retire any of the three batters faced as heavy rain passed through the area. Ben Harris received defensive help from Yonny Hernández to escape the bases-loaded jam without allowing a run.
Pitching prospect Gavin Stone showed flashes of his potential in a scoreless sixth inning.
Dodgers end Rangers winning streak
By improving to 3-2 this spring, the Dodgers ended the Rangers’ winning streak that had been a Cactus League-best at three games.
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