PHOENIX -- The value of Peter Lambert's two-inning stint Thursday extended beyond its duration.

Colorado's top pitching prospect yielded three runs, including Cody Bellinger's two-run, fifth-inning homer. But Lambert also provided glimpses of his potential when he struck out A.J. Pollock and Justin Turner back-to-back in the fifth inning of the Rockies' 7-7 Cactus League tie against the Dodgers.

The simple, yet significant, fundamental Lambert learned about pitching revealed itself clearly on this brilliant afternoon at Camelback Ranch: Excellent stuff must be paired with superior location against big league hitters. Lambert's lack of fastball command accounted not only for Bellinger's homer, but also for Chris Taylor's double that set up Los Angeles' fourth-inning run.

"Gotta keep the ball out of the middle of the zone," said Lambert, the right-hander.

Rockies manager Bud Black, who amplified the importance of spotting fastballs to Lambert, was upbeat about the 21-year-old's performance, despite the extra-base hits.

"This kid's coming," Black said. "You saw a good delivery. ... This is a little bit of baptism under fire in a big league game. But he has a good head, this young kid. He's going to learn these lessons."

This is the second Major League spring camp that Lambert, a non-roster invitee, has attended.

"I'm more relaxed," he said, "but I'm still trying to learn and get as much out of it as I can."

Bettis continues progress

Right-hander Chad Bettis did exactly what every starter tries to accomplish in Spring Training. He increased his stamina and sharpened his assortment of pitches.

Bettis lasted three innings against the Dodgers, one more than he logged Saturday in his spring debut against Arizona. He surrendered two runs, down from three against the D-backs.

"I thought his pitches had action," Black said. "Good changeup, spun a couple of breaking balls -- it was a good Spring Training outing for Chad."

Bettis, who the Rockies are counting on to deepen their starting rotation, felt satisfied with his outing overall.

"There were some things I wanted to work on and refine from my last start and there's still some more work that I need to put in," Bettis said. "But I'm really happy with where I am right now."

Specifically, Bettis believes that his sinker and slider need more fine-tuning during the remainder of the spring. "Whether I get good results or bad results, it's just a learning process," the right-hander said.

Bettis was noticeably happy with his conditioning.

"I don't feel like I hit that wall," he said. "To know that I could have gone out for 10 or 15 more [pitches] ... I feel like, physically, I'm in a good spot.

Up next

Rockies right-hander Jon Gray, who allowed one run in two mostly sharp innings against Seattle in his Cactus League debut Sunday, will confront the Oakland A's on Friday in Mesa, Ariz. Other possible Colorado pitchers include left-handers Tyler Anderson, Harrison Musgrave, Chris Rusin and Mike Dunn, as well as right-hander Ryan Castellani.