Julio Urías, who was named as the Dodgers‘ Opening Day starter this morning, made his return to the team after playing for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
In the worst of his three spring starts, Urías allowed eight hits and four earned runs across five innings. All four runs scored in Urías’ final inning of work, including two home runs. Urías only struck out one batter in the start while walking three.
Urías finished the spring with a 3.86 ERA. He and the Dodgers will turn the page towards Opening Day on Thursday, when they will take on Zac Gallen and the Diamondbacks.
Max Muncy had a big day at the plate. He went 2-3 with two RBI, a double and a home run. The homer is his second of spring training as he took Brewers starter Wade Miley deep in the first inning. Muncy is batting .282 with a .942 OPS this spring.
After a down first half of 2022, Muncy turned it around after the all-star break and is carrying that momentum into the new year. His bat will play a big role in the Dodgers’ pursuit of a World Series this season.
J.D. Martinez also homered in the tie. Batting third, Martinez went 1-2 with the home run, a walk and two runs scored. After starting the spring on a cold streak, Martinez has tallied 11 total bases in his last five starts.
Trayce Thompson went 1-2 with an RBI double and a walk. Still only batting .103 this spring, a successful day is a good change of pace for the outfielder. He will attempt to recapture his successful 2022 season when he posted a .901 OPS after being acquired by Los Angeles.
In relief, Evan Phillips and Shelby Miller made impressive appearances. They both set down the Brewers in order, facing the minimum in a scoreless inning apiece.
Alex Vesia and Caleb Ferguson ran into trouble in their outings. Vesia allowed a walk and a hit while only getting one out, and then Ferguson came in and allowed both inherited runners to score. The two left handers had big bullpen roles in 2022, but have struggled at times this spring.
In other news
In his press conference Friday morning, Dave Roberts confirmed that Julio Urías would start Opening Day. It is the first time in his career that Urías has gotten the Opening Day nod.
After the tie with the Brewers, Michael Grove was optioned, confirming that Ryan Pepiot has earned the fifth spot in the rotation to open the year. Victor González was also optioned, leaving a spot for Andre Jackson to begin the season in the Dodgers’ bullpen.
Next, the Dodgers host the Royals for their final Camelback Ranch game this spring before the Freeway Series begins Sunday. Dustin May is scheduled to start against Kansas City.
