Dodgers Spring Training Highlights: Gavin Stone’s Strikeouts, Freddie Freeman’s Home Run & Chris Taylor Grand Slam Against Diamondbacks

Stone protected the comfortable lead by carving his way through the Diamondbacks lineup over four scoreless innings. He allowed just two hits and collected five strikeouts.

In four Cactus League games (three starts), Stone is 2-0 with a 0.93 ERA and 0.62 WHIP while holding opponents to a .161 batting average.

The Dodgers went quiet after their big first inning but Will Smith got them back on the board with an RBI triple in the fourth. Taylor’s RBI single extended the Dodgers’ lead in the fifth inning, and Shohei Ohtani and Freeman each had an extra-base hit that created more of a distance in the sixth.

The top four in the Dodgers lineup — Mookie Betts, Ohtani, Freeman and Smith — went a combined 8-for-13 with one double, two triples, a home run and five RBI.

Another encouraging development for the Dodgers was Gavin Lux appearing more comfortable at second base. He converted on multiple opportunities, including being part of a 6-4-3 double play with Betts.

Who is the Dodgers’ fifth starting pitcher?

Stone’s latest effort added onto his bid to make the Dodgers’ Opening Day rotation, which he is competing with Michael Grove, and to a lesser extent, Kyle Hurt and Ryan Yarbrough, to earn the fifth spot.