Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis was able to pitch out of trouble in his four innings against the Dodgers in Wednesday’s Cactus League game.
(Doug Pensinger, Getty Images)
DODGERS 7, ROCKIES 3
At Camelback Ranch
Glendale, Ariz. — Much is expected of Rockies right-hander Chad Bettis.
The Rockies anticipate there will be a few gems tossed during the season, but most off all they are counting on Bettis’ bulldog mentality and ability to keep his team in the game.
He displayed that quality Wednesday against the Dodgers, pitching his scheduled four innings, giving up two runs on five hits, walking two and striking out two.
“His first inning was a long inning, but he was able to buckle down after that,” Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado said. “I think that’s what we need. I think last year, our pitchers would get into trouble in one inning and the next inning it would be the same old inning. When you throw a lot of pitches in one inning, you have to be able to shore it up.”
Bettis gave up a leadoff walk and a double and a run in the first, but he used a groundball double play to face the minimum in the second.
“That’s one of the positives I took out of today’s outing,” manager Walt Weiss said. “He expects to do well and he expects a lot out of himself. He has a great mentality and never gives in. He believes he can can execute pitches to get out of jams.”
The one pitch Bettis wanted back was a changeup he left high in the zone in the fourth inning. Dodgers right fielder Yasiel Puig scorched it for a solo homer onto the grassy berm beyond the left-field fence.
“It was up. It was a poor pitch, right to the barrel of his bat,” Bettis. “It’s one of those pitches you want back, but it’s spring training and you learn to make adjustment.”
HITS
** Arenado went 2-for-3 with an RBI and is now hitting .593. The Dodgers went into an extreme shift to the left side during his at-bat in sixth, but he crushed the ball down the third-base line for an RBI double.
** Second baseman Cody Wolters, acquired off waivers before the start of camp, continues to rake. He batted 1-for-3 and is now hitting .482.
MISSES
** Prospect Carlos Estevez had a rough eighth inning. He lacked command and the Dodgers took advantage, scoring three runs runs on two hits in two-thirds of an inning. Two runs came across when Estevez uncorked a high wild pitch that catcher Dustin Garneau had trouble locating.
** Right-hander Christian Bergman struggled a bit, giving up two runs on two hits in his three innings. Bergman, bidding to be Colorado’s long reliever, did strike out three.
WHAT’S NEXT
The Rockies host the Angels at Salt River Fields, 2:10 p.m. MDT (MLB TV, no radio)
Rockies’ pitchers — RHP Jeff Hoffman, Jon Gray, David Hale, Miguel Castro
Angels’ starter — LHP Jose Alverez
