Dodgers Hold Off Team Mexico in Lively Spring Tune-Up

The Los Angeles Dodgers edged Team Mexico 7–5 Tuesday in an entertaining back-and-forth spring matchup just days before Mexico departs for the World Baseball Classic.

Los Angeles struck first with two runs in the second inning, but Team Mexico answered in the third with a three-run rally to briefly grab the lead. The Dodgers didn’t let it linger long, responding with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning to move back in front.

Mexico tied things again in the fifth, and the game settled into a tense rhythm before the Dodgers finally broke through in the eighth. Joe Vetrano sparked the rally with a run-scoring ground-rule double that bounced over the wall, bringing the dugout to life. Kendall George followed later in the inning with a sharp RBI single as Los Angeles pushed three runs across to take control.

Team Mexico scratched across a run in the ninth to make things interesting, but the Dodgers were able to shut the door and secure the 7–5 win.

Today’s Notes

Dalton Rushing may be starting to find his rhythm at the plate. The Dodgers catcher went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, including a double and an RBI triple. Catchers aren’t typically known for blazing speed, but Rushing showed some pretty good wheels turning that drive into three bases.

Andy Pages stayed hot as well, finishing 2-for-3 with two runs scored, a solo home run and a double. The outfielder continues to square the ball up with authority this spring.

On the mound, Tyler Glasnow worked 2.2 innings, striking out four while allowing four hits and three earned runs. Glasnow threw 51 pitches — 36 for strikes — and showed flashes of the power stuff the Dodgers expect from him as he builds toward the regular season. His fastball averaged 96.7 mph and touched 97.1 in the first inning, an encouraging sign early in camp. Glasnow recorded his strikeouts with a mix of fastballs, sliders, and curveballs, the kind of three-pitch combination that can keep even the best hitters uncomfortable in the box.

Emmet Sheehan followed with 1.1 innings, allowing three hits and one earned run while issuing two walks as he continues to work his way back into game rhythm.

Meanwhile, Santiago Espinal kept the infield competition storyline very much alive. Espinal went 2-for-3, scored a run, drove in another, and swiped a base — another steady performance in what has become one of the more intriguing roster battles in camp.