Major League Baseball

Dodgers' Ryu has final tuneup for Australia

Published Mar. 16, 2014 8:32 p.m. ET

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GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) Hyun-Jin Ryu had the final tuneup for his season debut, pitching into the sixth inning Sunday for the Los Angeles Dodgers during a 3-3 tie with the Colorado Rockies.

Adrian Gonzalez drove in two runs for the Dodgers in their last spring training game before leaving for Australia, where they will open the season next weekend with a two-game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ryu is scheduled to pitch the second game, on Sunday.

The Dodgers were scheduled to leave Phoenix for Sydney at about midnight.

Ryu allowed two runs and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings. He struck out three and threw 88 pitches in a game that was stopped after nine innings.

''I'm very satisfied,'' said Ryu, one of 30 players set to travel to Sydney. ''I need to work on my curveball. I missed on a couple of those. But I'm very happy with my pitch count. I think I'll be comfortable throwing 95-100 pitches.''

The left-hander's day ended one batter after Nolan Arenado sent a 2-2 pitch to left for a solo home run, his first this spring.

Gonzalez's fourth-inning single scored Carl Crawford, who is skipping the Australia trip to be with his pregnant fiance. Crawford opened the inning with a double off Colorado starter Jordan Lyles, who gave up three runs and five hits over 4 1-3 innings.

Gonzalez scored in the second on Juan Uribe's double.

The Rockies got an unearned run in the second when a challenge from manager Walt Weiss was upheld. Matt McBride raced home from third on a sacrifice fly by Jordan Pacheco.

Right fielder Yasiel Puig's throw to catcher A.J. Ellis was accurate and on time. The plate umpire initially ruled that McBride was out. Weiss challenged. The challenge was upheld when video replay showed that Ellis failed to tag McBride.

McBride stepped to his right and just far enough to elude Ellis' attempted tag.

''It was good to see the system work,'' Ellis said. ''I knew right away that I didn't tag the guy.''

The Rockies tied it in the seventh on an RBI single from Charlie Blackmon.

STARTING TIMES

Rockies: Lyles, acquired from Houston on Dec. 13, is given an outside shot at cracking the starting rotation. ''There's lots of competition here,'' he said. ''I had opportunities in Houston, but I didn't take advantage of them. That's on me. I've got to be better here.''

Dodgers: Ryu said he didn't know what to expect in Australia. The Korean left-hander has never been there. He had only one expectation: ''We have a long, long journey ahead of us,'' he said.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Rockies: Shortstop Troy Tulowitzki didn't play. He is nursing an injured left calf, which was struck by a pitch from Arizona's Wade Miley on Wednesday. Tulowitzki did some work Saturday in the batting cage.

Dodgers: Matt Kemp, who was not on the roster for Australia, continues to make progress in his comeback from microfracture surgery on his left ankle.

After playing three innings in center field and getting a single in two at-bats during a Triple-A game Saturday against Kansas City, Kemp took Sunday off. He was scheduled for another minor league game Monday.

''He is progressing to the point where spring training really starts now for him,'' manager Don Mattingly said.

STAYING HOME

In addition to Crawford, key players who will not be with the Dodgers in Sydney include starting pitchers Zack Greinke, Dan Haren and Josh Beckett. Reliever Brandon League also will continue to work at the Camelback Ranch complex.

MAKING MOVES

The Dodgers selected the contracts of Chone Figgins and Justin Turner. Both are expected to fill utility roles. Shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena, a Cuban defector, was optioned to the minors.

Arruebarrena arrived in camp Thursday. He had been in Haiti, waiting to get a work visa. He signed a $25 million, five-year contract on Feb 22.

Figgins gets paid at the rate of a $900,000 salary while in the majors and $120,000 in the minors, and he can earn $475,000 in performances bases on plate appearances: $25,000 each for 200 and 275; $50,000 apiece for 300, 325, 350 and 375; and $75,000 each for 400, 425 and 450.

Turner gets paid at the rate of a $1 million salary while in the majors and $120,000 in the minors and gets the same performance-bonus opportunities that Figgins has.

JET LAG

The Dodgers are pulling out all the technological stops in an attempt to alleviate jet lag. They've been given special lamps that they're supposed to use in their Sydney hotel rooms. The light is intended to keep them awake at certain hours. Mattingly also is wearing a watch-like device that is intended to monitor his bio-rhythms.

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