Hiroki Kuroda receives cortisone shot in his left side, won't throw until the weekend
Stan Conte said it's just an effort to get over that final hurdle that is preventing him from coming back. Everyone has been pleased with Kuroda's recent bullpen, but there is still that last bit of discomfort that he is feeling in his left oblique muscle, and the belief is that this will get rid of it. He's still probably a couple of weeks from coming back, because he won't throw until this weekend and he'll still probably need a rehab start. ... It is COLD here tonight, even colder, I think, than it was in Denver yesterday, and the wind is blown HARD. Judging by the flags, it's going right to left.
I've got to admit, two of those first inning runs are on Matt Kemp. He failed to call off Ethier and misjudged the subsequent double. I'm glad Hudson chewed him out after the former.
Painful to see the Dodgers try to finish off close games without a Set Up Man to pitch the 8th Inning. How many blown leads in the 7th or 8th Innings does that make? Have to hope that Kuo and Wade come back and return to last year's form.
Have to put much of the loss on Kemp for the 1st Inning failure to make a play on the double (can Wolf take an extra 20 warmup pitches before starting the 1st Inning?)and also the GIDP he hit into in the 7th Inning when the Dodgers were primed to blow it open after taking a 4-3 lead. I spent the last couple Innings waiting for the eventual blown lead from whatever reliever's turn it was. Troncoso magic doesn't happen every night. Still can't complain too much with a 13-7 record.
I knew the game was lost when Kemp hit into the double-play ending the 8th for the Dodgers. This whole game was on Matt Kemp. Hopefully he comes ready to play tomorrow.
Michael:
Don't foget pitching to Molina in the bottom of the 8th...mistake by Torre. With 1b open, play that one by the book and maybe they get out of the 8th tied and the game changes.
But yeah, right now with Kuo a total question mark and Wade gone for who knows how long, teams have been taking advantage of the Dodgers having no consistent setup guy.
Face it, this might be a really rough next few weeks with them down one in the rotation and two in the BP...the hitters look as if they are beginning to press to make up for it. Hopefully it will end up they are the better for it...the season may have started too easily for them. It is good to build confidence/determination through some failure.
BTW, should we get up a collection for a set of cute mittens with Bedazzled Snow Men on them for Tony on these cold nights in CO & SF? :p