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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Josh Beckett said he will be ready for the start of the Dodgers season after having a rib removed last July in a surgery to alleviate a nerve condition that was affecting his right arm "I dont have numbness and tingling, anymore," Beckett said Monday. No doubts, either. The right-hander is expected to battle newly acquired Paul Maholm for the fifth spot in the Dodgers starting rotation this spring. Beckett, the fifth starter before last years mid-season surgery, breezed through his first bullpen session Monday in Arizona. He threw 30 pitches with no sign of trouble. "Im not tentative," said Beckett, who reported to camp a day late so he could attend a wedding. "Im going to throw as hard as I can and see what happens. Right now, I feel great. Ill throw the ball until I blow out and Im hoping thats not for a few more years." The Dodgers signing of Maholm on Saturday is considered a hedge against the possibility of further injury to Beckett, a three-time All-Star whom the Dodgers acquired from Boston along with Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford and Nick Punto in a 2012 trade. "Josh is doing really well, but hes coming off tough surgery and theres not a lot of history with that surgery, so well see where things go," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. Beckett underwent the same surgical procedure that former St. Louis Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter underwent in July 2012. Carpenter went on to pitch in six more games in 2012 -- three in the regular season and three in the playoffs. But Carpenter did not pitch in 2013. He announced his retirement in November. Beckett said he has spoken to Carpenter. He said he was told Carpenters nerve condition was more severe than his own. Beckett also said the surgery was more complicated. Dr. Greg Pearl of Dallas performed both procedures. Carpenters experience and advice helped, he said. "It got me through the mental part," said Beckett, who was 0-5 with a 5.19 ERA when he landed on the disabled list on May 14. Neck problems and numbness in his right hand had troubled Beckett for the last few years. It got to the point where he learned how to drive with only his left hand. There were times, he said, when he couldnt feel the steering wheel with his right. "Its crazy how simple things become difficult to do," he said. The surgery, which also includes removal of some connective tissue, alleviated pressure on a nerve in his neck, he said. He never felt any pain. But there were moments when he had no control of his pitches. "I didnt know if I was going to throw it over the backstop," he said. "I had no idea where it was going to go." Beckett arrived in camp with his confidence bolstered by three workouts during the last couple of weeks in Texas. He threw off a mound twice, on Jan. 31 and again on Feb 3. Cold weather forced him inside on Feb. 6 where he threw 38 pitches off a flat surface. Beckett has no illusions about the competition he faces in camp. "Its just if hes healthy," Mattingly said. "Josh throws the ball good. Hes been a quality pitcher for a long time and he still has good stuff. How he bounces back, well see. Weve had nothing but positive reports all winter. Josh has never been in the bullpen. Obviously, its a competitive situation. Were not handing anything out for anybody. If hes healthy, well see." Beckett expects to have more time to prepare than the Dodgers calendar might indicate. They break camp in Arizona after a March 16 game and travel to Australia for a pair of regular-season games in Sydney against the Arizona Diamondbacks on March 22 and 23. "Im probably not going to start opening day in Australia," Beckett said. "Theyre paying a guy a lot of money to do that. Not all of us are getting ready for those days. Some of us have a little more time than it appears we do." NOTES: Outfielder Yasiel Puig is already in camp. Mattingly might open the season with the versatile Puig at the top of the Dodgers batting order. .The rest of the team is scheduled to report on Thursday. Devin Hester Womens Jersey . Hall had a goal and three assists in a 5-4 loss to San Jose on Tuesday, had an assist in each of Edmontons next two games the capped the week with a goal and two assists in the Oilers 4-2 win over Anaheim on Sunday. Tarik Cohen Jersey . Chris Johnson singled with two outs off left-hander Jerry Blevins (1-1), and Schafer pinch ran. With a 2-2 count, Schafer ran on the pitch and Upton dropped a single in front of Bryce Harper. Schafer already was rounding third when Schafer bobbled the ball. http://www.bearsfootballpro.com/Authentic_David_Montgomery_Bears_Jersey/ . It will then be back to business once the puck drops as the two clubs battle for key points in their respective playoff races. Watch the game live on TSN Canadiens and listen on TSN Radio 690 starting at 7:30pm et. Akiem Hicks Jersey . 3. Trevor Ariza left them talkin about 40. Ariza made eight 3-pointers and scored a career-high 40 points to help the Washington Wizards win their sixth straight game, 122-103 over Philadelphia on Saturday night. Tarik Cohen Womens Jersey . The two-time Olympic halfpipe gold medallist informed ESPN on Monday he plans to compete in Apsen, Colo. PHOENIX -- The perils of baseballs new replay rule figured prominently in the Arizona Diamondbacks 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants Tuesday night. In the fourth inning, the Diamondbacks A.J. Pollock raced home on a passed ball and was called safe by home plate umpire Eric Cooper. Replays showed Giants pitcher Matt Cain appeared to tag Pollock before the runner crossed the plate. But there was nothing Giants manager Bruce Bochy could do about it. He had used up his challenge moments earlier in a failed attempt to reverse a safe call on a pickoff attempt of Pollock at first. "Good thing I made that play close at first," Pollock quipped. "It was all part of the master plan." Even Arizona manager Kirk Gibson seemed to think Pollock should have been called out. "It looked to me like it wasnt good for us," Gibson said, "but he called him safe." Bochy already had been out of the dugout twice when he chose to challenge the pickoff play. "What else are you going to do if you think they didnt get the call right?" he said. "Unfortunately they are not all going to go your way or get overturned, but that is the gamble you take. Sure there could be another play but you dont know that." The run cut the Giants lead to 4-3. "He was out. I had him," Cain said. "I saw what Cooper saw. He saw that it looked like he went over the plate but he went through the top of my glove to go over it. " Pollock broke out of an 0-for-13 start to the season with three hits, scoring twice and driving in a run. Wade Miley (1-1) gave up four runs in the first inning, and then blanked the Giants for the next six, retiring 15 in a row in one stretch "The offence did a great job of kind of picking me up," he said. "I was down. I gave up the four-spot and was able to kind of overcome it. I knew if I just held it right there, weve got a pretty good lineup in here, and wed have a pretty good chance to get back on top." Gerardo Parra had two hits and the sacrifice fly that scored to the go-ahead run in the sixth inning. Brandon Belt hit a three-run home run in the first, his secoond homer in as many games.dddddddddddd Addison Reed, who gave up the game-winning home run to Buster Posey Monday night, pitched a scoreless ninth for his first save with the Diamondbacks. Pinch-hitter Hector Sanchez reached second with one out in the ninth when Arizona rookie shortstop Chris Owings misjudged a pop fly to short left and it dropped for a double. But Brandon Crawford fouled out to the catcher and Juan Perez struck out looking to end the game. Pollock, dropped from the leadoff spot to No. 8 in the order, beat out an infield single in the first, singled and scored in the fourth, then doubled in a run and scored the go-ahead run in the sixth. Paul Goldschmidt was 2 for 4 with an RBI double, extending his hitting streak to 23 games. Owings had two hits and a stolen base. Juan Guiterrez (0-1) went two innings to take the loss in relief of Cain. The Diamondbacks scored twice in the sixth to take the lead. Owings singled with one out, stole second and scored on Pollocks ground-rule double to left-centre. Miley singled, an then Pollock scored from third on Parras sacrifice fly to left, sliding in barely ahead of Perezs throw. San Francisco jumped on Miley in a hurry. Singles by Angel Pagan, Pablo Sandoval and Posey brought in the first run. Then Belt hit Mileys 1-0 pitch into the swimming pool area in right field and it was 4-0. Arizona got two in the bottom of the first. Parra led off with a single and came home on Goldschmidts double to deep right-centre. Goldschmidt scored on Martin Prados single. Cain left with a 4-3 lead after five innings. He gave up two earned runs, struck out two and walked two. Will Harris pitched a scoreless eighth for the Diamondbacks. Notes: Posey is 8 for 17 in his career against Miley. ... In Wednesday nights third game of the four-game series, Tim Hudson makes his Giants debut, while Trevor Cahill (0-1) goes for Arizona. ... The Diamondbacks Miguel Montero walked three times, once intentionally. ... Arizonas Mark Trumbo twice grounded in to inning-ending double plays. ... The attendance of 18,974 was just under 30,000 below Monday nights turnout. ' ' '