Dodgers spring training 2015: Joc walks off the Padres, Matt Kemp, Will Ferrell, Ryu, etc.

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Associated Press photo

Associated Press photo

PEORIA, Ariz. — Will Ferrell pitched for the Dodgers today.

I already wrote about that here, but the sentence bears repeating. It’s not every day I get to write that.

Still, lest we forget, Garth Brooks got a total of 46 at-bats in spring training for the Padres (1998/99), Mets (2000) and Royals (2004). Kevin Costner went 0-for-3, scored a run and committed an error in a 2002 game for the San Bernardino Stampede against the Seattle Mariners. Billy Crystal batted leadoff for the Yankees in a 2008 spring game (against Paul Maholm). Tom Selleck got one spring at-bat in 1991 for the Tigers as he prepared for his role in Mr. Baseball. And Chad Gaudin pitched to Tom Verducci once. I talked to Gaudin about that after the game. I’ll share his thoughts here tomorrow.

Here’s what else happened today:

• Joc Pederson crushed a Jose Valverde fastball over Will Ferrell’s head (and the San Diego bullpen) for the only run in a 1-0 Dodgers win over the Padres:

The box score is here.

• Dodgers left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu started and retired all six batters he faced. Wil Myers, Matt Kemp and Justin Upton gave him some tough at-bats, but Ryu’s stuff was there. His curveball was in the low 70s and his fastball sat 91-92. Ryu’s back was bothering him at one point early in spring but he appeared in midseason form Thursday. Dodgers manager Don Mattingly pointed out that Ryu had five bullpen sessions under his belt by the time he arrived in camp, so maybe we shouldn’t have expected Ryu to look rusty even though this was his first Cactus League start.

• Dodgers shortstop Corey Seager made a nice play going up the middle to snag a ground ball and throw out Jedd Gyorko in the sixth inning.

• Kemp went 0-for-3 in his first game ever against the Dodgers. He struck out against Josh Ravin and flew out against Mike Bolsinger and Ryu. The crowd cheered him overwhelmingly, with only a spattering of late boos from the Dodgers side.

• A scout told me he was particularly impressed by Sergio Santos, who touched 94 on the gun. He’s retired all nine batters he faced in spring, four by strikeout, including two more on Thursday.