Hisashi Iwakuma will face off against friend and offseason workout partner Kenta Maeda in today's game at Camelback Ranch. Franklin Gutierrez was scratched from the lineup because of the flu.
It may be just another Cactus League game for most baseball fans. But for the nation of Japan, today’s matchup between the Mariners and Dodgers takes on a little more meaning because of the starting pitching matchup.
Seattle will send right-hander Hisashi Iwakuma to the mound for the start, while Los Angeles will go with right-hander Kenta Maeda. Iwakuma is one of the most established current Japanese pitchers in MLB, while Maeda was signed to an incentive-laden, 8-year, $25 million contract in the offseason.