Internet went down in the press box last night, so I never posted after the game, but the Dodgers lost to the Royals 10-9 after mounting a ninth-inning comeback. … Team is headed back to Los Angeles after the game and will get a much-needed off day tomorrow before playing the Angels in Anaheim on Thursday night. … Dodgers will close out this part of spring training with a perfect day in the desert, just a gorgeous morning. Brewers complex is in kind of a bad neighborhood, but the complex itself is beautiful, and there is a great view of the mountains beyond center field. This game is NOT a sellout. I checked last night, and they were still about 3,000 short. But you can already tell the Dodgers are going to be HUGE draw down here. This move in long overdue.

Saito had been slated to pitch in tonight’s game with the Royals, but instead, he was left back at PHX Muni with tightness in his right buttocks. Allegedly, he would have been able to pitch if this were a regular season game, but this is a precaution. Not sure what it means for his schedule the rest of the way, but I’ll try to find out. … Jeff Kent had a good day running sprints on the outfield grass and rounding the bases. He also too batting practice and ground balls. He still has an outside chance of being ready for opening day, so we’ll see. … Beautiful complex here in Surprise.

Chad Billingsley struggled, mostly because he tried to use his changeup more than he has in the past, something he plans to do during the regular season. He was touched for five runs over four innings and now has an 8.31 ERA for the spring. Esteban Loaiza gave up three runs on six hits over three innings, but Chan Ho Park struggled his last time out, too, so the fifth spot in the rotation still belongs to Loaiza, even though Torre has yet to officially bestow it upon him. … James Loney went 3 for 4 with a double. Juan Pierre went hitless in four at-bats, his average dropping to .188. … Dodgers fall to 9-16-2. At the Royals tomorrow night.

The fact both of them are out of options appears to be working in their favor. Kuo is having a good spring, with a 2.35 ERA in five appearances (7 2/3 innings). Delwyn is hitting just .146, but he has cut WAY down on his strikeouts since early in camp.
This is Torre:
“I think (being out of options) has to be (a factor). To me, you have to think in terms of that. It’s a matter of `Who do you take instead of … ?’ and it has to make sense. If it’s an equal playing field, why lose somebody of value? I believe those two guys have value. They’re both young, and Kuo is left-handed.”

And hi from Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, the quaint little home of the N.L. champion Colorado Rockies. This isn’t the most modern facility in the Cactus League, but it sits in a beautiful setting, with a lush golf course behind it and a lot of palm trees and other foliage beyond the outfield wall. It used to be a dump when the Cleveland Indians trained here, but the Rockies had it redone shortly after they came into the league back in the mid-90s, and they did a great job with it. The ushers and security people here are among the best anywhere, very friendly and professional, which is also true of Coors Field in Denver. I don’t know that I appreciated that when I was covering the team back in the late ’90s. It was the first team I had ever covered, so I probably thought things were done that way everywhere. But as a visiting writer, it’s a very nice thing to encounter when you walk into a strange ballpark, and I haven’t been here since 1999. … Chin-lung Hu is in the lineup playing third base today, with Tony Abreu at SS and Ramon Martinez at 2B. Everything else is basically the same, with an outfield of Pierre, Kemp and Ethier. Gary Bennett is catching, Billingsley pitching. Off to the clubhouse. Check with ya later.