MESA, Ariz. (AP) — Clayton Kershaw broke a tooth when was hit in the face by a line drive in the third, then he finished a sharp five-inning outing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a 3-2 loss to the Oakland Athletics in a game between split squads Friday.

Andy Parrino’s soft liner struck Kershaw on the left side of his face. Third baseman Juan Uribe picked it up and threw wildly past first base, setting up the A’s only run.

“It was a cutter right on me,” A’s infielder Andy Parrino said. “I didn’t hit it too well and I don’t think he saw it too well. “This early you never want this kind of thing to happen.”

Kershaw fell in front of the mound then was examined by Dodgers trainer Stan Conte before throwing a warmup pitch. He remained in the game and allowed one run on three hits overall. He struck out four and did not walk a batter.

“My initial feeling was he was going to be OK,” Dodgers catcher A.J. Ellis said. “I think it just fooled him. I saw him get up right away.”

Kershaw also had a hit.

Sonny Gray and Barry Zito each had solid outings for the Athletics. Gray allowed two runs on four hits in 5 1-3 innings. Zito, in the hunt for a spot in the starting rotation, pitched three perfect innings, striking out five.

Zito focuses on starting and does not even consider questions about possibly making the Athletics as a long-man in the bullpen.

“Pitching is all timing and every outing is another opportunity to get that timing,” he said. “Right now I’m in a starting position and I’m getting innings like a starter.”

De La Rosa leaves with groin injury in loss to A’s

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Jorge De La Rosa’s first Cactus League start was cut short when the left-hander aggravated a lingering groin injury in the third inning of the Colorado Rockies’ 3-2 loss to a split-squad of Oakland Athletics on Friday.

De La Rosa, scheduled to start Colorado’s home opener on April 10, had his spring debut pushed back twice due to a groin strain. He pitched two scoreless innings Sunday in a B game.

De La Rosa labored through the first two innings. After Billy Burns’ one-out single in the third, De La Rosa immediately looked to the dugout. He was quickly removed.

“It was a ground ball hit to the right side and he broke off the mound. That’s when he felt it,” manager Walt Weiss said.

The team said it was left groin tightness. De La Rosa, who declined to speak to reporters, was charged with two runs and three hits. He threw 45 pitches, five fewer than his limit.



Reds rally late for 6-5 victory over Giants

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Joey Votto hit his first home run of the spring in the first inning and his Cincinnati Reds teammates went on to rally for five runs in the top of the ninth for a 6-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Friday night.

A two-run double by Chris Dominguez gave the Reds the go-ahead runs in the ninth.

Right-handers Tim Hudson (Giants) and Anthony DeSclafani (Reds) had solid efforts to start the game.

Hudson made his third start of the spring after having surgery to clean debris from his right ankle in early January. He gave up a run on one hit - Votto’s home run - and struck out four in 3 2/3 innings.

DeSclafani, acquired in an offseason trade with Miami for right-hander Mat Latos, gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits with two walks and three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.