The Dodgers led 6-2 going into the eighth, but the bullpen couldn’t hang on as the Mariners beat the Dodgers 8-6 in Tuesday’s night game.
Clayton Kershaw made the start, holding the Mariners to two runs on three hits with six strikeouts. He left in the sixth with one out after giving up a triple. Tanyon Sturze and Hong-Chih Kuo each held it out through the seventh until Mota gave up two runs in the eighth. Jonathan Broxton came on to close it out but was rocked for four runs to take the loss.
Manny Ramirez led things off for the Dodgers with a solo homerun in the first, the first this spring. Brad Ausmus did the same the next inning to make it 2-0. Orlando Hudson doubled in a run in the third, Casey Blake drove a solo homerun in the sixth, and Doug Mientkiewicz drove in two runs in the seventh.
The Dodgers face the Brewers Wednesday, and Manny is expected to start in left, with Eric Stults taking the mound.
Though it appears Jason Schmidt is indefinitely out of the fifth starter role, at least for the beginning of the season, he tossed three innings against single-A Brewers on Wednesday, giving up two runs in the first but settling down for the next two.
