MLB Player News

The good news for Diamondbacks pitcher Wade Miley is that he earned the starting nod on opening day, albeit due to an injury to teammate Patrick Corbin. The bad news is that he was forced to match up Saturday against super Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw at the Sydney Cricket Ground in Australia. The result was predictable.

Miley performed decently, but was thoroughly outpitched by Kershaw in a 3-1 defeat. The Arizona southpaw surrendered three earned runs on three hits in five innings before his removal for a pinch-hitter. He was doomed by a two-run homer by Los Angeles outfielder Scott Van Slyke in the fourth inning, but he did strike out eight.

Miley could be destined for a clash against San Francisco when the Diamondbacks return to the United States for a regular season series. But the team has yet to announce its rotation for those games.

Apparently it doesn't matter where Clayton Kershaw pitches. He's even lights-out on a cricket ground in Australia. The Dodgers ace was his typical nasty self Saturday in Sydney.

Kershaw earned the distinction of being the winning pitcher in the earliest regular season game ever played. He surrendered just one run on five hits in 6 2/3 innings, walking one and fanning seven Diamondbacks for a 3-1 triumph. He departed after throwing 102 pitches.

He would have left with a shutout had he not thrown a wild pitch in the sixth inning that allowed Arizona slugging first baseman Paul Goldschmidt to move to third after a double. A groundout allowed him to score.

The victory brought some personal revenge for Kershaw, whose team lost all three of his starts to the Diamondbacks in 2013 despite him giving up just five runs to them in 21 1/3 innings. Kershaw took the defeat in first of those three outings.

The performance got Kershaw off a wonderful start in justifying the seven-year, $215 million contract he signed in the offseason. He will seek to continue striving toward that end when the Dodgers return to the states. They play at San Diego, but their pitching rotation for that series remains undecided.

Diamondbacks third baseman Martin Prado is batting cleanup in his team's regular-season opener against the Dodgers in Australia.

Prado made 28 of his 149 starts last season in the No. 4 spot in the order, batting .296/.349/.470 in 115 at-bats from that spot in the lineup. The entire Diamondbacks lineup: CF A.J. Pollock, 2B Aaron Hill, 1B Paul Goldschmidt, 3B Prado, LF Mark Trumbo, C Miguel Montero, SS Chris Owings, RF Gerardo Parra, P Wade Miley.

Dodgers first baseman Adrian Gonzalez is batting cleanup in the team's starting lineup for Saturday's season opener against the Diamondbacks in Australia.

Gonzalez was scratched from Thursday's exhibition with back tightness but was fully expected to be in the lineup for the opener. The Dodgers full batting order: RF Yasiel Puig, 2B Justin Turner, SS Hanley Ramirez, 1B Gonzalez, LF Scott Van Slyke, 3B Juan Uribe, CF Andre Ethier, C A.J. Ellis, P Clayton Kershaw.

The Diamondbacks placed three pitchers under roster exemption Friday: Bronson Arroyo, Patrick Corbin and Brandon McCarthy.

The three starting pitchers will be ineligibile for the team's two-game series in Australia against the Diamondbacks.

The Dodgers placed pitchers Dan Haren, Zack Greinke and Brandon League under a roster exemption Friday.

The three pitchers will be unavailable for the team's series in Australia, and they'll roll with a 10-man bullpen in lieu of carrying extra starting pitchers on the 25-man roster.

Braves pitcher Julio Teheran allowed two earned runs on two hits and one walk while striking out four in six innings in his team's 3-0 loss to the Tigers Friday.

It was a fine outing for Teheran, who has surrendered just three earned runs in 19 innings this spring. He owns a 1.42 ERA and 17:3 K:BB ratio and should have one more tune-up for the regular season next week.

Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright struck out seven batters in eight scoreless innings while giving up just three hits and no walks in his team's 2-0 win over the Nationals Friday.

"My command was good and I had a good mix going -- sinking it, cutting it, four-seam [fastball] and curveball," Wainwright told MLB.com after the game. "I threw a couple really good changeups. Today was exactly what I wanted to do in incorporating everything and going out to pitch like I would in the regular season."

Wainwright owns a 2.04 ERA and 12:1 K:BB ratio in 17 2/3 innings this spring.

Marlins starter Nate Eovaldi has enjoyed a fine spring, but was merely mediocre Friday against a Houston team using its 1-A lineup.

Eovaldi was lifted after reaching his pitch limit through 4 1/3 innings. He gave up two runs on six hits, but was hurt by three walks. He fanned three.

Rockies pitcher Juan Nicasio put together another up-and-down performance Thursday, in a 4-3 loss to the Brewers.

Nicasio started the game out strong, limiting the Brewers to just one walk in his first three innings of work, before the wheels came off. Over his last 2 2/3 innings, he was tagged for three runs on three hits with a pair of walks, finishing with three strikeouts on 81 pitches in 5 2/3 innings of work.

Nicasio is locked into the rotation, but has given up three runs in his last 10 innings of work. He has a 3.71 ERA with 14 strikeouts and four walks in 17 innings of work.