It's never advisable to put too much stock into spring training, but Monday's game between the Dodgers and Angels at Tempe, Ariz., was the first opportunity for a side-by-side comparison of the two teams.
The fact the Dodgers won the game 9-1 wasn't important. Spring is a time for evaluation, not results. But these players and performances were noteworthy as the second week of exhibition games began:
-- Financial concerns prevented the Dodgers from going after a left fielder with power, but Juan Rivera might be good enough to fulfill their needs. Rivera had a two-run double in the first inning, a home run leading off the third and a run-scoring ground out in the fifth, giving him four RBIs and improving his spring average to .250. The Dodgers picked up Rivera last July in a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, and he delivered 11 homers and 74 RBIs in a combined 132 games. Can he be the same hitter who crushed 25 homers as recently as 2009 with the Angels? That's what the Dodgers hope to see this spring.
-- Angels starter Jered Weaver made his second spring start but threw 35 pitches in the first inning and was unable to finish the second after reaching his pitch count. Not to worry, though. Weaver, scheduled to be the team's opening-day starter next month, is simply getting in his work. He faced eight batters in the first inning and struck out Josh Fields and Dee Gordon to start the second before a double by Adam Kennedy and an error by third baseman Mark Trumbo ended his day. Weaver, however, looked strong, seemed to be hitting his spots and had several batters fooled. He'll be fine.
-- The transition from first base to third is going to come slowly for Trumbo. In his second start, he showed some growing pains, bobbling a routine grounder off the bat of Matt Kemp in the second inning for an error. In his defense, Trumbo may have been distracted by a base runner crossing in front of him, but those are things third basemen must deal with. He also was tested quickly by Gordon's leadoff bunt to start the game and handled the ball cleanly, although his throw was too late to catch the speedy Gordon. Trumbo is clearly a work in progress.
-- Dodgers starter Aaron Harang had a solid start, giving up three hits and one run in three innings, but the team's relievers were even more impressive, combining to throw six scoreless innings. It's unlikely any of them – Angel Guzman, Chris Winthrow, Will Ledezma and Scott Rice – will make the team, but bullpen depth is an issue on virtually every team at some point during the season. Manager Don Mattingly will feel a sense of relief if he knows he has pitchers who can be summoned from the minors for occasional help.
-- Angels second baseman Howie Kendrick could prove to be a superb No. 2 hitter in the lineup. He had two singles and is hitting .533. Kendrick is 8 for 15 in five games with five runs scored and four RBIs. He has yet to strike out.
-- Albert Pujols momentarily came back to earth. He was 0 for 3, dropping his batting average to .429. But it took a running catch by Kemp in center field to take away a hit in the first inning. If the season started tomorrow, Pujols would be ready.
