Dodgers Beat White Sox, 5-4
GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI double and Zach Lee made his latest bid for the final spot in the Dodgers' rotation as Los Angeles beat the Chicago White Sox 5-4 in a split-squad game Saturday night.
Lee allowed two runs and eight hits over 4 2-3 innings in his fourth start this spring. He thought his performance was good enough to keep him in the hunt for the No. 5 slot in the rotation.
"For me, spring training has always been about competing for a starting job. It's about keeping the ball down in the zone. If you do that, you get guys out," Lee said. "To me it is as simple as that."
Gonzalez doubled to deep center field in the fifth to score Justin Turner, who reached on a single. Turner, working his way back from offseason knee surgery, went 2 for 2 with a double in the third. He's batting .647 this spring.
Gonzalez, who hit his second Cactus League homer Friday night, went 2 for 3 with a single in the first.
Los Angeles got back-to-back homers in the sixth, solo shots by Cody Bellinger and Willie Calhoun.
White Sox starter Carson Fulmer also worked 4 2-3 innings, permitting two runs and seven hits. After the game, he was reassigned to minor league camp.
STARTING TIME
White Sox: Fulmer, the No. 8 pick in the 2015 draft out of Vanderbilt, struck out four and walked three. "Each time I go out, I feel more comfortable," he said.
Dodgers: Manager Dave Roberts was pleased with what he saw from Lee, who worked his way out jams in the second and fourth. "His curveball was better," Roberts said. "His cutter was good. In the second, I thought his fastball got elevated a bit. But fortunately they got hit to our guys. But he worked ahead in the count. There were a lot of good things from Zach."
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: C Alex Avila left after the third inning of a 9-7 afternoon loss to the Reds at Camelback Ranch with a stiff back. He said he always has periodic problems with his lower back in spring training. "Usually, it's a lot worse," Avila said. He is day to day.
Dodgers: C Yasmani Grandal caught Clayton Kershaw in a bullpen session but didn't return throws because of lingering pain in his right forearm. . INF Kike Hernandez, who has filled in at shortstop for injured Corey Seager, is sidelined by soreness along his right side, where he was hit by a pitch last Sunday. . RHP Brandon Beachy threw off a mound for the first time since he felt pain in his elbow on March 18. . LHP Hyun-Jin Ryu, coming back from shoulder surgery, threw his first bullpen in four days. . RHP Yimi Garcia, who has had a sore left knee, threw a bullpen for the first time since Monday. . INF Alex Guerrero, who has appeared in only nine games, is still troubled by a sore left knee.
UP NEXT
White Sox: RHP Mat Latos makes his second spring start Sunday against Giants RHP Jake Peavy.
Dodgers: RHP Kenta Maeda is set for his fifth start Sunday against Reds RHP Alfredo Simon. Maeda goes into the game with a 1.32 ERA.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.
