Major League Baseball

Dodgers 8, Mariners 1

Published Mar. 31, 2011 6:52 a.m. ET

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The mere fact that Erik Bedard was able to get through spring training healthy was a victory in itself for the Seattle Mariners' injury-plagued left-hander.

So, it didn't matter much to him what his pitching line was Wednesday night in an 8-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Bedard gave up five runs and six hits over four innings, finishing his spring slate 3-1 in six starts with a 3.15 ERA. The No. 4 starter in the rotation is scheduled to make his season debut Monday night at Texas - his first appearance in a regular-season game since July 25, 2009.

''I'm just happy that I'm healthy,'' Bedard said. ''That's the main thing. It's been a long couple of years. I worked hard in the offseason to get where I'm at, and it paid off. Here I am.''

Rubby De La Rosa allowed two hits over 5 2-3 scoreless innings, Corey Smith hit a three-run homer and Marcus Thames had a solo shot for the Dodgers in the final exhibition game for both teams.

After the game, De La Rosa was reassigned to the Dodgers' minor league camp in Arizona, and is likely to go to Double-A Chattanooga.

Bedard missed the entire 2010 seasons because of two shoulder surgeries - the first on Aug. 14, 2009, to repair a torn labrum and the other last Aug. 6 to have bone spurs removed.

''I feel fine,'' he said. ''Tonight, I was throwing strikes and they hit them. It doesn't really count, so you erase that and start over when I get my first start.''

He signed a one-year contract in December as a free agent, a month after the Mariners declined to exercise his $8 million option and opted to pay him a $250,000 buyout.

''Obviously, he's had some recent history with his arm and whatnot,'' Mariners manager Eric Wedge said. ''So for him to just go out there and throw free and easy and pitch like he has all spring has been fun to watch and I think he's really enjoyed it.

''He's one of our five guys that you start everything with, and he's earned it,'' Wedge added. ''We wanted to keep him right about 70-75 pitches tonight and he threw 73. We wanted to pull back a few of these guys in their last start, and that's what we did with him. He's had a fantastic spring and now it's time to go.''

The Dodgers, 80-82 last season after reaching the NL championship series the previous two years under former manager Joe Torre, open the season Thursday at home against the World Series champion Giants with Don Mattingly at the helm in his official managerial debut. Clayton Kershaw gets the start against two-time NL Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum.

''I really don't have any complaints with the way camp went and the effort that these guys have given us,'' Mattingly said. ''Spring training is about preparation. Now we've got to go play. Either your horses are going to run, or they're not.''

De La Rosa struck out six and walked none, finishing the spring 1-2 with a 2.29 ERA in six appearances and three starts. In his previous start on March 18, he pitched four hitless innings against San Francisco.

The 22-year-old right-hander, whose first name is pronounced 'Ruby,' was the Dodgers' minor league pitcher of the year last season and shared the organization's annual Jim and Dearie Mulvey Award this spring with outfielder Jerry Sands as the top rookies in camp.

''He's been lightening. He's fun to watch,'' Mattingly said of De La Rosa. ''Every time he pitches, you kind of go, 'Wow, I'm looking forward to this. Rubby's had a great camp. We heard about him in the winter, seen him in the winter development program here at the stadium, and all spring he's been good. Obviously, there's progress to be made with him and he keeps getting better.''

The Mariners, who lost 101 games last season and scored a major league-worst 513 runs, open at Oakland on Friday night with reigning AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez making his fourth career opening day start against Trevor Cahill.

The Dodgers finished spring training 14-21-1. The Mariners were 16-13-2, the first time they've had a winning preseason record since 2004.

Notes: Mariners LF Milton Bradley finished the spring with one homer, 14 RBIs and a .318 average in 17 games. Sunday marks the 11th anniversary of the trade that sent Bradley to the Dodgers from Cleveland, where he also played for Wedge. The Dodgers ended up trading Bradley to Oakland in December 2005 for a minor league prospect named Andre Ethier. ... Twelve-year veteran INF Adam Kennedy, who signed a minor-league deal with the Mariners on Jan. 10, had his contract selected by the team from Triple-A Tacoma and was added to the 40-man roster along with RHP Jamey Wright and RHP Chris Ray. Kennedy, 35, is playing for his fifth big league team after spending last season with the Washington Nationals. ... Wright pitched 12 innings in 11 appearances this spring without giving up a run.

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