Top Prospect Parker Gives Up 2 Runs, A's Lose To Dodgers
GLENDALE, Ariz. (CBS / AP) -- Chris Capuano was pleased with his first spring outing for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Capuano threw two scoreless innings as the Dodgers breezed to a 7-2 win over the visiting Oakland Athletics on Thursday.
"I felt pretty good throwing the ball," Capuano said. "I thought I had pretty decent stuff. I thought it was a good first outing."
"The first inning I had some jitters," he said. "I think I crossed my poor catcher Tim (Federowicz) a couple times.
"He came out and apologized to me, but I told him I was actually messing up the signs and not to worry about it.
"The second inning, I felt much more relaxed and under control throwing the ball."
Also for the Dodgers, Alex Castellanos hit a solo homer.
For the A's, top prospect Jarrod Parker, acquired in an offseason trade with Arizona for Trevor Cahill, gave up two runs in two innings.
"It was rough," Parker said.
Also for the Dodgers, Adam Kennedy went 2 for 2, while Mark Ellis and Andre Ethier both drove in a pair of runs.
Parker missed the 2010 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He made his big-league debut Sept. 27 and pitched five shutout innings for the Diamondback against the Dodgers.
He is battling for a rotation spot for the A's.
Pitching to the Dodgers' first four hitters, Parker allowed two walks and run-scoring hits by Ellis and Matt Kemp before retiring the side.
"It's a good way to simulate a jam," he said.
"But I put myself in it. I don't want to walk guys like that. But it's a good to battle through it and take some positives out of it."
In the second inning, he hit the leadoff batter and allowed a hit to Kennedy before getting the next three batters.
"I didn't have as good a command as I'd wished. I kind of rushed through and battled with my delivery. But I'm healthy. That's what's important right now."
"Obviously, not his best outing," manager Bob Melvin said. "But I like the way he came back in both innings and was able to finish."
NOTES: For the A's, the debut of Cuban outfielder Yoenis Cespedes could take place as soon as Saturday, against Cincinnati. Cespedes, who signed a four-year, $36 million contract, has seven hits in two simulated games at the A's minor league fields, including a line-drive homer on Thursday. "I don't want to lock myself into it," Melvin said. "We want to make sure we make progress and he feels comfortable in the outfield, feels comfortable running the bases. But I think there's a good chance this weekend he's in there." ... Ethier, who played at Arizona State, and the Dodgers hosted Cory Hahn, a top prep baseball player in California who was paralyzed from the chest down playing in one of his first games at ASU last year. ... The Dodgers added two players to their roster: pitcher Brent Leach, who made his big league debut for the Dodgers in 2009 and played in Japan last year; and pitcher Javier Solano. ... Josh Fields, the former Chicago White Sox third baseman, is off to a 4-for-5 start for the Dodgers. "I'm going to throw him over at third base a little more," manager Don Mattingly said. "His swing really looks good."
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