Mattingly ready

Don Mattingly said he was “definitely excited” as first pitch approached for his first game as Dodgers manager Thursday. He bought a luxury box for the “20 to 30″ family and friends who traveled for his debut. “I feel a little better than I thought I would,” he said. “I thought I’d be more edgy.”

He said predecessor Joe Torre called earlier in the week to wish him luck “before going to Hawaii.” He said Torre also “scolded” him for the Dodgers’ bench-clearing confrontation with the Padres Saturday, the second such incident for the Dodgers this spring.

“I didn’t mind what happened the other day,” said Mattingly, who earlier said he liked the “spirit” his team showed in an exchange of hit batters that resulted in umpire warnings to both clubs.

– Ken Gurnick