They’re not all going to be perfect, not during the regular season and most certainly not during spring training. Of course, all Clayton Kershaw has to do these days to live up to expectations is throw a shutout every time he takes the mound, if not a perfect game.
He was something decidedly less than that Sunday afternoon in Peoria, Ariz., struggling with his control in 3 1/3 wobbly innings during the Dodgers’ 5-2 victory over the Mariners.
Kershaw threw 65 pitches -- 38 for strikes -- in his third spring outing, giving up one run, four hits and three walks. He wasn’t missing by a lot, but just consistently. Maybe it was just coincidence, but it should be noted he was pitching for the first time to catcher Yasmani Grandal.
It probably also should be noted Kershaw had a 9.20 earned-run average last spring and, as you might recall, went on to have a pretty decent season.
The pitchers who followed him all found their spots. Taiwan’s Chin-hui Tsao, Sergio Santos, Adam Liberatore and Joe Wieland each threw at least one inning, and none has given up an earned run this spring.
Tsao threw 1 2/3 innings, and has now struck out five without a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Wieland threw the final two innings but was the victim of an unearned run in the ninth when Darnell Sweeney made a throwing error.
The Dodgers scored four runs and nine hits, two each from Carl Crawford and Howie Kendrick, who both drove in a run. Darwin Barney added a two-run homer in the eighth.
Not all the Dodgers are hitting, however. Yasiel Puig, back after missing one day with an illness, was hitless in three at-bats and is now hitting .176. Juan Uribe had the same result and is now hitting .111 this spring.
For what it's worth, the Dodgers are now 7-2-4 this spring.