GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Anthony Reyes had another strong start in his bid to win a job with the Cleveland Indians.
Reyes pitched two-hit ball over five shutout innings, striking out two and walking none in Saturday's 6-4 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"It was another good day for Anthony," Indians manager Eric Wedge said. "It does a good job of moving around his fastball and the secondary stuff works off of that. He is throwing the ball where wants to throw it and how wants to throw it right now."
The 27-year-old right-hander won the 2006 World Series opener for St. Louis with eight sharp innings against Detroit but is just 12-25 in 44 regular-season starts and 15 relief appearances. He has a 0.75 ERA this spring training, allowing seven hits in 12 innings with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Reyes, who can't be optioned to the minors, could become the Indians' No. 4 starter.
"If he stays on track physically," Wedge said, "he, obviously, is one of our guys."
Reyes was 2-1 with a 1.83 ERA in six starts last season for the Indians, who acquired him July 26 for minor league pitcher Luis Perdomo.
"I did stuff in St. Louis that just didn't work for me," Reyes said earlier during spring training. "I feel like I'm in a better spot here."
Left-hander Jeremy Sowers, also bidding for a rotation spot, allowed four runs, six hits and two walks in 2 2/3 innings. Russell Martin hit a two-run home run and Doug Mientkiewicz had a run-scoring triple in the eighth inning off Sowers, who took the loss.
"He lost command of the fastball and he had to work hard there for a couple of innings," Wedge said. "He worked through it and didn't give in to it. I still like the way the ball is coming out of his hand."
James McDonald, the Dodgers' minor league pitcher of the year the last two seasons, pitched three hitless innings, struck out one and walked one.
Scheduled starter Hiroki Kuroda ended up not making the trip and instead started a Double-A game against Milwaukee. Los Angeles wanted to get an extended look at McDonald, a candidate to become its No. 5 starter.
Cleveland scored twice in the sixth when Matt LaPorta doubled off left-hander Shawn Estes to score Tony Graffanino. LaPorta came home on Jamey Carroll's single.
LaPorta acquired from Milwaukee last July in the trade that sent CC Sabathia to the Brewers, is hitting .394 with seven extra-base hits and four RBI.
"It's been good for him to kind of go through everything this spring," Wedge said. "He came out like gangbusters, and then had to work through some things and now he is picking it back up. He goes up there ready to hit, he looks to see the ball pretty good and obviously has pretty good power. He has the ability to use the entire field so those are all good things to see."
