SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Dodgers-Giants rivalry resumed in Arizona on Thursday, with Los Angeles spoiling San Francisco's spring training home opener with a 16-7 victory.
The game between the longtime rivals was played before a placid crowd of 5,803 at Scottsdale Stadium and was a pale comparison to what Dodgers manager Joe Torre saw in another famous rivalry in previous springs.
"The Yankees and Red Sox was nuts in spring. They sold banners and buttons and stuff. It was stupid. The fans wanted it that way," said Torre, who spent 12 seasons as the Yankees' manager before taking over the Dodgers in 2008.
"When I say stupid, I don't say it shouldn't have been done. The fans get that from their angst. It was funny. Thank goodness you went and played somewhere it was funny, as opposed to times we had to go through so often. We know the difference. Everybody knows when the bell rings."
This marked the first spring meeting between the teams since April 6, 1981, when the Dodgers stopped off in Phoenix to face the Giants on their way home from Florida.
These teams are now close by in Arizona after the Dodgers left their longtime home in Vero Beach, Fla., to open their new facility in the Phoenix area this year. The Giants have trained in Arizona since 1952.
"It was pretty weird," Giants starter Matt Cain said. "It's good to see these guys, but it's always also kind of nice to go into a season when they haven't seen us and we haven't seen them. Sometimes you think you have an advantage if you are a pitcher."
The Dodgers had 17 hits and had four-, five- and six-run innings in the first of three scheduled spring training games between the clubs.
Russell Martin hit his first home run of the spring, doubled, and drove in three runs for Los Angeles. He homered in the first inning off Cain and had a two-run double off Patrick Misch in a five-run third that made it 6-0. Blake DeWitt, Delwyn Young and Xavier Paul added RBI singles in the third inning.
Val Pascucci and Chin-lung Hu homered in the six-run ninth inning.
Aaron Rowand hit his first home run of the spring to start the Giants' four-run rally in the fifth. Travis Ishikawa and Kevin Frandsen followed with doubles. Randy Winn hit a sacrifice fly and Fred Lewis had an RBI single to end the inning. Ishikawa has four hits in his first five spring at-bats after going 3-for-3 with two homers against Cleveland on Wednesday.
Rich Aurilia, in Giants camp on a minor league contract, had two hits and scored twice in his first game of the spring.
Los Angeles left-hander Randy Wolf, who rejoined the team this offseason after spending 2008 with San Diego and Houston, retired all six batters he faced in his first start while throwing 21 pitches, 15 for strikes.
Wolf said he found a delivery he liked last season and kept a journal, then refreshed his memory by rereading the journal this offseason.
"I felt my mechanics were as sound as they could be last year, and I wrote them down in a journal to keep them fresh in my mind. When I write everything down, I remember it," he said.
Notes
Giants LHP Noah Lowry, attempting to return from two arm operations that cost him the 2008 season, had a setback when he felt tightness in his left elbow Wednesday. He won't throw again until the weekend. "His elbow has been a little cranky. With everything that has happened to this point, it's very questionable whether he'll be ready" for the start of the regular season, manager Bruce Bochy said. Lowry underwent surgery on his left forearm for a condition known as exertional compartment syndrome on March 7, 2008. He underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow on Sept. 30. Lowry experienced tightness in his left scapula early in spring training and has not thrown a full bullpen session. ... Lewis, who ran the bases for the first time Tuesday following offseason bunion surgery, stole second base in the fifth inning. He will be given a precautionary day off Friday. ... Nate Schierholtz (hamstring) and Pablo Sandoval also will be held out of Friday's game against Kansas City, Bochy said.
