Cleveland Indians battle past Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 – MLB Spring Training
Cleveland Indians battled past Los Angeles Dodgers 4-3 at the Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona on Monday, March 19 in their Cactus League encounter of the 2012 Major League Baseball Spring Training Session.
The 2011 NL Cy Young Award winner, Clayton Kershaw looked in prime form. The Starter pitched into the sixth inning but he could not stop the Indians from earning a well deserved victory. Kershaw allowed just one run in just over five innings. Striking out
two and walking two, he looked on top of his game play. Indians’ centre fielder Michael Brantley had to leave with a hamstring injury.
"Physically, I feel good," said Kershaw. "I just need to get better fastball command. I had a good changeup. My curveball was good, but my slider was flat. In a perfect world, you throw all four pitches fine. Until then, there is stuff to work on."
"He has thrown the ball probably the best of anybody in camp," Acta said. "His secondary pitches are better. He used to rely only on a two-seam fastball. His slider has been swing and miss. We're taking the best 25 players to start the season. It is not
about being put into a role.”
The Indians will be delighted with their performance in their crucial spring game against the Dodgers. Making the most of available opportunities, the Indians established firm control over the contest. With just five wins in fifteen spring games this season,
the Indians are clearly struggling to gain momentum.
Their win over the Dodgers can be of great importance as it will give them a chance to play with more confidence and authority during second half of this spring. It will be interesting to see if the Manny Acta and his men can continue their heroic run throughout
2012 season.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, will be very disappointed to end up on the losing side. There were several good performances by Dodgers’ pitchers but their batting lineup’s failure denied them a chance to improve their win-loss record. Dodgers’ fans will
be eager to see their team bounce back strongly in their upcoming spring games.
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