Hiroki Kuroda made his MLB debut Friday night in San Diego. He made quite an impact as he went seven strong innings, giving up only one run (a Brian Giles homerun in the sixth) on three hits, four strikeouts, and no walks. In just one game, Kuroda has proved that the Dodgers’ 3 year, $35.3 million deal for him will likely be well worth it.
Kuroda could have gone longer than seven, being that he threw only 77 pitches. But Torre instead called upon Chad Billingsley from the bullpen to finish the game, giving up only one hit. Billingsley’s first actual start is now moved to Tuesday, as he flips with Loaiza who will now pitch Monday (both against the Dbacks).
Kuroda’s battery-mate Russell Martin was moved up to the two slot, which may have helped as he got his first hit of the season (a 2-RBI single). Loney, Ethier, and Jones also had RBI hits. The team drew seven walks, and four of those runners ended up scoring. The Dodgers had trouble hitting through Padres starter Justin Germano, yet their bats came alive after Germano was pulled to score six runs in the seventh inning alone.
Next up: The Dodgers face the Padres in a 1pm start today. Brad Penny will look for his second win of the season against Padres ace Jake Peavy.
