Dodgers 5, Chicago White Sox 0.

Hyun-Jin Ryu

Hyun-Jin Ryu threw two scoreless innings in his first Cactus League start Friday. (Associated Press photo)

GLENDALE, Ariz. — A 0-0 pitchers’ duel through six innings turned in the Dodgers’ favor on a two-run home run in the seventh inning by Joc Pederson. Pederson ripped into a 2-2 pitch from Jake Petricka, showing some impressive opposite-field power in lifting the ball high over the left-field fence.

The Dodgers tacked on three more runs in the eighth inning. Dee Gordon walked and stole second base, then scored on an RBI double by Mike Baxter. Clint Robinson followed with a two-run home run that provided the final score.

Hyun-Jin Ryu, making his first Cactus League start of 2014, did not allow a run in two innings. Brian Wilson, Kenley Jansen, Chris Perez, J.P. Howell, Jamey Wright and Matt Magill finished the game with seven shutout innings. The White Sox were limited to three hits and three walks.

The box score is here. Some more notes:
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Daily Distractions: Chad Billingsley will try to take a big step forward tomorrow.

Chad Billingsley

Dodgers pitcher Chad Billingsley will attempt to throw curveballs off a mound for the first time tomorrow. (Associated Press photo)

When the Dodgers needed to add shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to their 40-man roster last week, they faced an important decision. Ultimately, Justin Sellers was designated for assignment to open a roster spot, but the Dodgers could easily have placed Chad Billingsley on the 60-day disabled list instead.

“We’re not prepared yet to set a timetable of 60 days for Chad,” general manager Ned Colletti said at the time.

That could change soon.

Tomorrow, Billingsley is scheduled to throw curveballs off a mound for the first time since having Tommy John surgery last April. The right-hander has been throwing curveballs off flat ground and fastballs off the mound since camp opened. However, the stress on his surgically repaired elbow — specifically, the ulnar collateral ligament that was transplanted from his left forearm — has been relatively light.

The curveball, Billingsley said Wednesday, “puts the most torque on the elbow.” At least one study has produced a different conclusion (specifically, that the fastball and curveball require the same amount of elbow torque), but the fact that he hasn’t attempted to throw the pitch with full force yet makes it a new test.

If he passes the test and emerges pain-free, Billingsley said he’ll be cleared to throw sliders. Adding the slider would give Billingsley the full arsenal he needs to face live batters in a rehab game.

In his last bullpen session Tuesday, Billingsley said his fastball topped out at 87 mph — the fastest he’s thrown the pitch since camp began. His fastball has was topping out around 95 mph prior to the surgery, but comparing games to bullpen sessions is unfair.

“When you’re throwing bullpens it’s hard to go max effort and hit a really high velocity,” Billingsley said. “You’ve got to have adrenaline, the hitter’s presence in the batter’s box.”

Billingsley recently said that, in a best-case scenario, he would be able to start a minor-league game by the end of camp.

We’ll know tomorrow whether or not that scenario is still realistic.

Some bullet points for a Rare Disease Day:
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Morning injury updates on Zack Greinke (calf), Matt Kemp (ankle), Ross Stripling (elbow).

Zack Greinke

Zack Greinke threw three pitches in his first Cactus League start on Thursday before exiting with a cramp in his right calf muscle. (Associated Press photo)

Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said that Zack Greinke will receive treatment today on his strained right calf muscle and could be throwing a bullpen session as early as tomorrow.

That was a fairly optimistic outlook one day after Greinke couldn’t get through two batters in his first Cactus League start. Greinke could even play catch today, Mattingly said. He was seen walking through the clubhouse without discomfort.

“Zack actually came in pretty good today,” Mattingly said.

The news was not as upbeat for Ross Stripling, who will undergo a “contrast MRI” on his right elbow after reporting discomfort, Mattingly said. The 24-year-old informed the club that he first felt pain in the elbow “five, six” days ago but didn’t tell the team until after he pitched the final two innings Wednesday against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

“He didn’t tell any trainer, he didn’t tell any coach,” Mattingly said. “It’s one of the things we talk about with young guys. It happens every spring. You ask them to let somebody know and they don’t want to tell anybody because they want to compete and show that they’re going to be whatever. Ross is a great kid but it does go back to that same old thing that happens every spring. Hopefully it’s a situation that puts him a little bit behind schedule. A lot of times we feel that if you’re going to take care of it, it may put you behind schedule for two days instead of a week or 10 days, which really pushes you back.”

There is no news on Matt Kemp, who was scheduled to undergo an MRI today on his surgically repaired left ankle. Kemp actually had the MRI Thursday, but Mattingly said that team Dr. Neal ElAttrache would not be relaying the results until “sometime this weekend.”

Kemp took the field with teammates as usual for stretches but still hasn’t been cleared to run. The team is in no rush to have Kemp on the field for the season-opening series in Sydney, Australia on March 22-23. The 29-year-old outfielder figures to begin the season on the disabled list regardless of the MRI results.

Dodgers 4, Diamondbacks 3.

Alex Guerrero

Alex Guerrero went 2 for 4 as the designated hitter Thursday. (Associated Press photo)

On an afternoon in which scheduled starter Zack Greinke was pulled two batters into the game, the Dodgers got their first Cactus League victory.

Miguel Rojas broke a 2-2 tie in the seventh inning, scoring from second base on an RBI single by Brendan Harris. Harris smacked a line drive to right field off Marcos Mateo, a right-hander who split last season between Double-A and Triple-A. Arizona right fielder Matt Tuiasosopo made a good throw to home plate, but it was slightly up the first-base line. Catcher Blake Lalli reached back to the plate a moment too late to tag Rojas.

Alex Guerrero drove in Justin Turner with an insurance run in the eighth inning off Diamondbacks left-hander Eury De La Rosa.

Juan Uribe tied the game with a solo home run in the fourth inning off Diamondbacks right-hander R.J. Hively, who hasn’t pitched an inning above high Single-A ball in his life. It was the Dodgers’ first home run of the spring.

The Dodgers got on the board in the bottom of the second inning when Adrian Gonzalez dropped a double just inside the left-field line, then scored on an RBI single by Uribe.

Chris Withrow had the unenviable task of relieving Greinke with a 1-1 count on Cliff Pennington. The 24-year-old right-hander, who’s on the bubble for a bullpen job this spring, came in cold and had to warm up on the mound. He retired Pennington but couldn’t get out of the second inning, allowing a walk, a single and an RBI double, followed by a strikeout and an RBI groundout. Five of the nine batters Withrow faced reached base.

The box score is here.

A couple more notes:
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Zack Greinke removed from first Cactus League start with right calf injury.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Zack GreinkeDodgers right-hander Zack Greinke was removed from his first Cactus League start Thursday afternoon three pitches into the game with a mild right calf strain.

“It felt like nothing really,” Greinke said. “There was something there. Stuff like that will happen all the time, then the next pitch it’s gone. This time the next pitch, it wasn’t gone and it took a little while. Usually if you walk it off it goes away, but it didn’t go away. So that was kind of the thing that was different.”

Greinke needed one pitch to retire leadoff hitter Tony Campana on a fly ball to left field. The next batter, Cliff Pennington, took a ball and a strike from Greinke before head athletic trainer Stan Conte visited the mound. Conte and Dodgers manager Don Mattingly watched Greinke take a couple practice pitches and discussed the situation before Greinke walked off on his own power with Conte.

“The first (warmup pitch) that I threw, I didn’t really push off with my leg and it was fine,” he said. “I’m sure I could’ve pitched a whole game not pushing off during the season but right now it’s a risk/reward. I say I’m sure I could’ve — maybe I couldn’t have. The one pitch that I didn’t push off on, I didn’t feel it too much. Then the second one I tried to push a little bit more and I did feel it.”

Chris Withrow came in from the bullpen to finish the at-bat with Pennington.
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