Jeff Weaver starts the San Diego series for the Dodgers on Tuesday. (Chris Carlson/AP)
The final off-day of the season Monday afforded the Dodgers the chance to give one last shot at juggling their starting rotation, but there are no simple solutions for a staff that has struggled with injuries and inconsistency.
"It's not like we have a big, dominant starter," pitching coach Jim Colborn points out. "All of them are great competitors, and they relish the chance to get in there and win the game."
Edwin Jackson earned a spot start Sunday, filling in for the injured Jose Lima and pitching effectively enough to help the Dodgers as they posted seven runs in the last three innings for a dramatic, 7-6, victory. Jackson's performance didn't qualify him for savior status, but he proved he can make a valuable contribution to what is destined to be a mix-and-match approach to the final cycles of the season.
"I wasn't disappointed," manager Jim Tracy said of Jackson's outing, which started with four innings of one-run ball before yielding four more runs in the fifth. "Consistency of command was the only real thing that got him. He had a good fastball and he threw some terrific changeups, but when you're 4 2/3 innings in and you're right at 100 pitches, you know there have been some deep counts."
With question marks still looming about Lima and the returning Brad Penny, Jackson could prove valuable in long relief, giving the Dodgers a full run through opposing orders and helping to bridge any gaps to the solid back of the bullpen, where Giovanni Carrara, Yhency Brazoban, and Eric Gagne have proved all but invulnerable to late-inning surges.
Jeff Weaver moves his start up a day in the rotation to take on the Padres in the series opener Tuesday. Weaver has been the most consistent starter as far as getting deep into games, having pitched at least six innings in his last 12 starts, while posting a 6-2 record.
Wednesday is a red-letter day for the Dodgers, as Brad Penny comes back from six weeks on the DL without the luxury of a minor league rehab. He's pitched two short simulated games, working up to 50 pitches Wednesday and Friday, and Tracy hopes to see him reach 75-85 pitches in his first start, giving him an outside chance at seven innings, if he's efficient enough.
"It'll be a good challenge for him, having been out for a month or so," Colborn observed. "We'll keep a close eye and see how many times he warms up. Seven innings would be a lot to warm up, up and down, up and down, the first time back."
Penny came to the Dodgers in a deadline trade with the Marlins, and was 1-1 with a 1.04 ERA in two starts before straining his right biceps. He rates his own condition as 100 percent, brushing aside any concern about starting a critical game without the benefit of a rehab tune-up.
Brad Penny / P
Born: 05/24/78
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 250 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
"I've always been able to throw strikes," Penny said Sunday, clearly eager to get back on the mound and end the frustration of watching the pennant race from the bench. "There's nothing I can do about it, so I just have to deal with it."
Thursday brings Wilson Alvarez, pitching on eight days' rest. Alvarez hasn't won since Aug. 17, against Florida. After a pair of games when he couldn't finish the second inning, he made three bullpen appearances before returning to the rotation last Wednesday against the Padres, letting up four runs in five innings for the loss.
Odalis Perez starts on his regular schedule Friday. Perez has made 18 quality starts for the Dodgers this season, but also has a team record and Major League-leading 18 no-decisions.
Saturday is another question mark, with the Dodgers hopeful that Jose Lima can return from a hairline fracture in his right thumb, sustained while fielding a Phil Nevin comebacker in his Tuesday start against the Padres.
Jose Lima / P
Born: 09/30/72
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 205 lbs
Bats: R / Throws: R
"It's fine," Lima said of the thumb after missing his start Sunday. "I could pitch with the fastball and changeup today, but they don't want to take the risk of re-hurting it. I got to get some rest and get the swelling down. I'll be pitching Saturday in San Francisco. Get ready for the playoffs."
If Lima is still unavailable, Jackson has shown he has the stuff to keep the Dodgers competitive, and Elmer Dessens remains another alternative.
Don't look for Hideo Nomo to start again this season. In four starts since a stint on the DL with rotator cuff inflammation, Nomo has gone 1-1 with a 9.00 ERA, including a sharp downturn in his last two starts, giving up 12 runs over just five innings. Tracy feels Nomo can help the club out of the 'pen, coming in for short stretches and strategic matchups, where his diminished velocity will be less of a factor. He'll battle for time with surprisingly effective callups like Mike Venafro and Scott Stewart, who have contributed to giving LA one baseball's best bullpens, trailing only St. Louis in bullpen ERA.
"They saved our bacon," Colborn says of the September additions. "They've done a very good job. Everyone has. We've had some rough starts, so we've had to go to the bullpen quite a bit. They've kept us winning games. It's fun seeing it."
If the Dodgers can keep some distance between themselves and the Giants, they'll earn the luxury of setting up their staff to be rested and healthy come the postseason. With the likelihood of a race to the wire, however, they may explore the option of one or two strategic starts on three days' rest.
"You always would consider that as an option, but to be honest with you, I haven't thought about it this year," Colborn said. "All our guys are strong, interchangeable pieces. Whoever goes out there, there's an excitement and energy for them. They have as good a chance as any body else."
Owen Perkins is a contributor to MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
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Brad Penny / P
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