Kazmir gets a start, strikes out 4 Dodgers

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Scott Kazmir, a starter his entire career, finally got a shot to do so for the Giants on Sunday and worked three good innings against the Dodgers.

“It did feel good out there to be able to get my normal routine,” Kazmir said, adding that manager Gabe Kapler had mentioned “I need to be able to differentiate the warmup routine and be a little bit quicker when I’m in the bullpen, but today felt familiar, that’s for sure.”

The only major mistake Kazmir made at Camelback Ranch was leaving a changeup up to the Cactus League’s hottest power hitter, Corey Seager, who belted a solo homer, his sixth, in the first. The Dodgers added a run in the second, but Kazmir might have gotten out of the inning unscathed had shortstop Brandon Crawford tagged lead runner Max Muncy after fielding a grounder by Gavin Lux rather than choosing to go to first base. The next batter, Kelbert Ruiz, singled in Muncy from second.

“The cutter was there, I was able to repeat my delivery,” Kazmir said. “There’s a lot of stuff out of the stretch to still work on, maybe get a little bit more behind the ball .... For me to go out there and throw strikes and stay ahead of hitters for the most part was the goal, and I was able to do that.”

“I thought he made some good pitches, moved the ball up and down well,” catcher Buster Posey said.

Kazmir also got to face most of the Dodgers regulars, striking out four — including Mookie Betts looking at a fastball in a 123 third inning. Kazmir said facing “that type of caliber of players really kind of it speeds up the learning curve . ... You get a lot of feedback on how your stuff plays.”

Kazmir, 37, is nominally in the hunt for a rotation spot as he tries to restart his bigleague career for the second time, but he’s indicated he’d be OK opening the season in TripleA Sacramento’s rotation. Might conversations about his bullpen warmup routine suggest he’s potentially in the Giants’ plans as a long man?

“Wherever the chips fall, that’s how it’s going to be,” he said. “I’m just going out there and trying to get better every day.”

Kapler said the team isn’t getting locked into any one particular role for Kazmir, but they are preparing him as a “bulk innings’ pitcher, be that out of the bullpen or rotation “with a lean toward starting.”

⏩ Posey missed four days with tightness in his surgically repaired right hip, but caught three innings Sunday and had two atbats. Posey called the issue common and said he felt good Sunday. “I think this is an opportunity to get it as good as I can leading up to the season,” he said. “Right now, we are afforded a little bit of wiggle room with how much stress I’m putting on it and we’re trying to make some gains each day, keeping things as loose as possible.”

⏩ Evan Longoria hit his teamhigh fourth homer of the spring; he’s still relegated to DH by plantar fasciitis but could be at third base by the end of the week. Longoria has a 1.711 OPS this spring, leading Posey to say: “I told him as well as he’s hitting as a DH, he’s got at least another five years in the American League when this contract’s up. He said he’s good with that.”

⏩ With Kevin Gausman staying on turn after Saturday’s day off, he and Johnny Cueto are pitching on the same day — Gausman will start against the White Sox on Monday and Cueto in a fiveinning simulated game. Kapler said he plans to name an Opening Night starter within the next few days.

⏩ Top outfield prospect Heliot Ramos, who has three homers this spring, was among five players reassigned to minorleague camp Saturday; Kapler said that some “upperlevel experience” in the minors will be valuable for Ramos, 21, who has played only 25 games above Class A. Kapler said Ramos probably will need 250300 plate appearances at DoubleA and TripleA, “maybe more and we want to see a certain level of production with Heliot . ... There’s no denying his talent and his physical tools.”