Some restoration drama at Big A

Angels’ Richards caps off a spring of renewal as Dodgers’ Hill eases spring concerns.

DODGERS 3, ANGELS 1

Dodgers left-hander Rich Hill put some distance between himself and his spring of discontent Friday night, while Angels right-hander Garrett Richards put the finishing touches on his spring time of renewal.

Hill allowed four hits in 32⁄3 scoreless innings in a 3-1 exhibition victory at Angel Stadium, striking out two and walking one, a marked contrast from the 8.03 earned-run average he posted in five Cactus League starts, when he walked 14 and struck out 13 in 121⁄3 innings.

Hill said he was not particularly worried about his spring numbers. After all, he posted an 11.25 ERA last spring, then a 2.12 ERA during the season. Still, he was pleased with his performance Friday.

“Everything is going in the right direction,” he said. “Today was a good outing, a good way to finish up spring training.”

He said his curve and slider were the sharpest they had been all spring.

“It was pretty weak contact throughout the game,” he said. “I think that’s an indication of how the ball is

coming out of your hand.”

Richards allowed one run and two hits in four innings, striking out three and walking one in a 57-pitch tuneup for his regular-season debut Wednesday in Oakland.

His only blemish was a 1and-1 slider that Justin Turner lined over the leftfield wall in the fourth for a solo home run, giving the Dodgers third baseman, who is batting .385, a teamleading four homers and 16 runs batted in for the spring.

That Richards will open the season in the rotation is something of a miracle considering his setback last spring. He tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow in May and seemed headed for Tommy John ligament replacement surgery.

Instead, he opted for stem-cell therapy, in which stem cells from his own bone marrow were injected into his elbow. A procedure that didn’t work for teammate Andrew Heaney worked for Richards, who pitched in the instructional league last fall and has looked strong this spring, his fastball clocked in the 96-mph range.

“I just feel very blessed, very thankful, for my teammates, who stood by me the whole time, for our training staff and doctors,” Richards said. “Everybody did such a great job with me, and I really appreciate it. It’s been a long time, and I’ve got to watch a lot of baseball, so it’s good to be out there competing again.”

Richards said any doubts about the integrity of his elbow were eliminated in the instructional league. He had to overcome a similar mental hurdle in the spring of 2015 when he returned from major left-knee surgery.

“I feel normal,” Richards said. “My body is finally feeling complete again. I’m over the knee, my arm feels good.”

Richards’ only concession to the elbow injury will be a pitch limit that the Angels hope to keep at around 100. A workhorse by nature, Richards threw 118 pitches and 115 pitches in consecutive April games last season.

“I don’t think we’ll see 110pitch outings from Garrett, but there’s nothing to say he won’t pitch deep into games,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said. “I think the extremes with Garret are something we’ll avoid. Early in the season, we’re not going to see him throw 115 pitches. It just doesn’t make sense.”

The Dodgers were encouraged by Hill’s command Friday night, when he walked one of 16 batters after walking 14 of 58 batters in Arizona. He struck out Albert Pujols looking at a curve to end the first. He pitched out of a two-on, two-out jam in the second and retired the side in order in the third.

Left fielder Andrew Toles helped Hill with a running, lunging catch of Jefry Marte’s drive to the wall in the fourth, and Hill finished his night by striking out Danny Espinosa looking at a fullcount curve.

The Dodgers scored twice off Angels reliever Kirby Yates in the eighth when Erick Mejia and Franklin Gutierrez led off with doubles and Cody Bellinger hit a two-out RBI double.

Angels right-hander Blake Parker may have solidified a bullpen spot when he struck out the side in the ninth, extending his consecutive strikeout string to 17 batters.

Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen struck out two of three in the fifth, and probable Angels closer Cam Bedrosian retired the side in order in the seventh. He has nine scoreless innings this spring. Angels reliever Mike Morin was optioned to triple-A Salt Lake after the game.