News
Lengthy outing needed from Kershaw
Los Angeles (15-8) vs. San Diego (11-11), 7:10 p.m. PT
By Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
05/01/09 2:59 AM ET
LOS ANGELES -- After Clayton Kershaw's worst start as a professional last week at Coors Field in Denver, manager Joe Torre met with the 21-year-old left-hander.Kershaw is being force-fed, as talented as he is. But the Dodgers need him now, with Hiroki Kuroda stuck on the disabled list and the club not getting consistent starts from James McDonald or Eric Stults.
Torre and the Dodgers need Kershaw to mature in a hurry.
"We talked," Torre said. "He's the same as J-Mac sometimes, he needs to try to keep the game at a manageable level. At times, he tries to overthrow and overdo it, he tries to speed things up when he needs to slow them down. It's just inexperience. But we did have a conversation before he threw [between starts] so he would get a feel of what he needs to do."
What Kershaw needs to do is pitch deep into the game, considering that the Dodgers' bullpen has pitched 12 2/3 of the past 17 innings. He did it only three starts earlier, when he struck out 13 in seven innings in a no-decision against the Giants. But he followed that with 4 1/3 innings in Houston, then allowed nine runs in 4 2/3 innings in Colorado.
Torre said he's comfortable he has enough rested arms to get through another day, "unless we get a starter knocked out in the third inning -- but I expect him to have a good game."
With an eight-man bullpen for the first time, Torre used five relievers Thursday night. He definitely won't have Jeff Weaver, who pitched four innings in relief of McDonald, or Cory Wade, who pitched a clean inning coming off the disabled list and won't be used immediately on consecutive days.
But Ramon Troncoso and Guillermo Mota did not pitch Thursday, nor did Hong-Chih Kuo, although he was warming up and nearly was used on consecutive days. Will Ohman and Ronald Belisario pitched, but both should be available Friday night.
Pitching matchupLAD: LHP Clayton Kershaw (0-2, 7.29 ERA)
Kershaw was victim to a Coors Field trap, following a walk with a home run twice in the same inning. He had three runs added to his total when Matt Kemp misread a bases-loaded triple. Kershaw lasted only 4 2/3 innings, the shortest outing of the three starters in the Denver series. The nine earned runs were the most he's allowed in his brief career and he's now suffered consecutive defeats while allowing 15 earned runs in nine innings. SD: RHP Jake Peavy (2-3, 5.74 ERA)
Peavy is coming off his second rough start in a row, having allowed five runs in five innings in a loss to the Pirates on Sunday. That marked the second time in as many starts the 2007 Cy Young Award winner has struggled. He allowed six earned runs in his previous start. Peavy hasn't been able to steer away from high pitch counts. He needed 100 pitches to get through five innings against the Pirates, as six strikeouts and four walks certainly didn't help. If there's one saving grace, it's that Peavy has a career mark of 13-2 with a 2.39 ERA against the Dodgers. Tidbits
The 7-0 start at home is the third best in Dodgers history behind 1946 (9-0) and 1947 (8-0). ... Manny Ramirez, self-proclaimed "double maniac," had his 514th, tying Edgar Martinez for 38th all-time. ... Mark Loretta's tying RBI pinch-hit single in the seventh inning on Thursday raised his average to .474 (9-for-19), and he's 7-for-10 pinch-hitting. ... Dodgers vice president/assistant general manager Kim Ng and Ann Meyers Drysdale, widow of Don Drysdale and general manager of the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury, both received the 2009 Trailblazer Award at the Kids in Sports Circle of Excellence Awards luncheon today at the Grammy Museum at LA Live. ... Ng and longtime club photographer Jon SooHoo will be honored by the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California this Sunday at the organization's 34th annual gala dinner. Tickets
Buy tickets now to catch the game in person.
On the Internet
MLB.TV
Gameday Audio• Gameday
• Official game notes On television
• PRIME On radio
• KABC 790, KHJ 930 (Español) Up next
• Saturday: Dodgers (Randy Wolf, 1-1, 4.31) vs. Padres (Chris Young, 2-1, 5.74), 7:10 p.m. PT
• Sunday: Dodgers (Chad Billingsley, 4-0, 2.14) vs. Padres (Chad Gaudin, 0-0, 0.00), 1:10 p.m. PT
• Monday: Dodgers (Eric Stults, 2-1, 5.50) vs. Diamondbacks (Doug Davis, 2-3, 2.91), 7:10 p.m. PT
Ken Gurnick is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
