If you are among those who consider spring training games ‘meaningless games,’ you might want to steer clear of 21-year-old Dodgers right-handed pitching prospect Dennis Santana, who made his major league spring training debut in front of 5,725 fans at Camelback Ranch on Thursday afternoon. I can assure you that it was anything but meaningless for the 6′-2″ / 160-pound San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic native.

I can also assure you that it was even less meaningless for Santana’s father Jose, who made the long journey from the Caribbean island to Glendale, Arizona for the sole purpose of watching his son pitch in person.

There is absolutely nothing like a father and son selfie.
(Photo courtesy of Jose Santana)

Santana entered Thursday’s game in the top half of the sixth inning with the Dodgers holding onto a precarious 2-1 lead over the Cleveland Indians. On his very first pitch, the extremely popular right-hander gave up a sharp single to left field off the bat of Indians catcher Yan Gomes. This was followed by a four-pitch walk to Indians first baseman Yonder Alonso, and just like that Santana was in serious trouble.

But instead of panicking, and just as he did countless times for the Dodgers Advanced Single-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes during the 2017 season, Santana bore down and got Cleveland’s designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion to ground into a 6-4-3 double play, and Indians third baseman Richie Shaffer to ground out harmlessly to Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner. As quickly as Santana had gotten himself into trouble, he escaped from it to collect his first major league hold, albeit in a spring training game.

Hardly meaningless.

Two on with nobody out? No problem.

“He make it look easy,” the elder Santana told ThinkBlue LA following the game.”He make great!”

Great indeed.

After quickly getting into trouble in his spring training debut on Thursday afternoon, Dodgers right-hander Dennis Santana worked his way out of it even quicker – much to the pleasure of his father Jose, who made the trip from the Dominican Republic to witness it. (Photo courtesy of @DennisSantanaRD)

That’s the good news.

The bad news is that the Dodgers, after powering their way to a 7-1 lead over the Tribe (with the help of a three-run home run by Dodgers second baseman Jake Peter in the bottom of the seventh inning) actually lost the game 8-7 after a disastrous six-run eighth inning and one-run ninth inning by Terry Francona’s Indians.

Fortunately, it was only a meaningless spring training game, right?

…just don’t try to convince Dennis or Jose Santana of that.