The Dodgers ran the gamut of losses on Saturday, experiencing an excruciating 8-7 bottom-of-the-ninth loss to the Giants and a 19-7 blowout at the hands of the Kansas City Royals.
In Scottsdale, Tim Redding was touched for four runs in four innings against San Francisco. Tony Gwynn Jr. had three hits and Andre Ethier socked triple and drove in three runs. Trayvon Robinson also had a three-bagger in addition to a run scored.
In Surprise, Ted Lilly felt the full force of the Royals’ offense, giving up six runs in less than three innings of work. Three of the four pitchers who followed Lilly each surrendered four runs. Both Matt Kemp and Juan Uribe doubled, and Trent Oeltjen hit a three-run homer.
The Dodgers will be split apart again for Sunday, with one squad in Sin City to play the Cubs while the other remains in Glendale to play the White Sox. Rubby De La Rosa gets the start in Las Vegas, while Hiroki Kuroda will take the mound at Camelback Ranch, followed by Jonathan Broxton.
Jon Garland will be on the disabled list for four to six weeks as a result of a strained oblique muscle he suffered in a game Wednesday. Garland will likely start the season on the DL. Vicente Padilla, who was signed to act as both a start and reliever, underwent surgery for a nerve in his right arm in late February, and he is not expected to be available until May. In the meantime, the Dodgers may look to John Ely or Redding to fill out the rotation until Garland can return. The Dodgers do not require a fifth starter before April 12 thanks to well-placed off-days.
Casey Blake left the game in Scottsdale after sacrificing due to lower back spasms. Blake told reporters after the game that he felt better. He will miss a few games.
Kuroda confirmed to reporters that his family in Japan is safe. Japan has been devastated by a massive earthquake and subsequent tsunamis; other Japanese players are having difficulties contacting loved ones, including former Dodger closer Takashi Saito.
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Original Story:
http://socalsportshub.com/2011/03/13/...
