Spring Game Thread #25: Dodgers vs. A’s

Today the A’s will once again take on the Los Angeles Dodgers, this time as the home team at Hohokam Stadium. They will look to get some offense going today as Monday night at the Dodgers’ spring training home Camelback Ranch the A’s were only able to push across one run. Ultimately the Dodgers were victorious, winning the game 3-1, despite an outstanding seven strikeout performance by the A’s now-offical Opening Day starter Kendall Graveman.

On the mound today for the Athletics is starting rotation hopeful Paul Blackburn. Blackburn is 0-2 this spring with a 3.86 ERA over 14.0 innings and five appearances (two starts). He’s also gotten 14 strikeouts over those 14 innings, while allowing seven walks.

Blackburn will face off against Dodgers’ starter Kenta Maeda who is 1-0 this spring with a 2.45 ERA in three starts. He’s pitched just barely over half the number of innings as Blackburn and has racked up eight strikeouts over that time. It could be bit of a pitcher’s duel today in Mesa.

The lineup for the A’s originally looked like this:

1. Matt Joyce, DH
2. Marcus Semien, SS
3. Jed Lowrie, 2B
4. Khris Davis, LF
5. Matt Olson, 1B
6. Stephen Piscotty, RF
7. Bruce Maxwell, C
8. Matt Chapman, 3B
9. Boog Powell, CF

However, the San Francisco Chronicle’s Susan Slusser recently reported that Davis has been scratched from today’s lineup.

That did not seem like a good sign until she followed up that report with this,

There is still no word on who will be replacing Davis in left field, but better for him to rest now and be ready to play when Opening Day arrives and there’s solace in the fact that the back-to-back 40 home run hitter isn’t suffering from an injury.

Now, let’s get ready for some A’s baseball!