He joined ESPN Chicago in July 2010 and covered the Chicago White Sox for ESPNChicago.com and ESPN Radio 1000 through the 2015 season. Norris will return to the Dodgers rotation on Thursday.
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Adam Frazier each had four hits, Sean Rodriguez homered and had four RBIs and the Pirates spoiled Brett Anderson’s return with a five-run burst in the first.
Pirates left fielder Starling Marte left the game in the eighth inning with upper back discomfort.
The Dodgers scored their lone run in the second inning. The Pirates have won each of Kuhl’s first six starts in the majors, their longest such streak behind a rookie since they won right-hander Jim Nelson’s first seven starts in 1970. He tried to work on his mechanics in two bullpen sessions this week, but nothing seemed to change.
McCarthy issued a bases-loaded walk to John Jaso for a 1-0 Pirates edge in the first. McCarthy apparently injured himself fielding a bunt in the start at Colorado.
Los Angeles has dropped consecutive games, with an off day sandwiched in between.
“It’s not really how your body feels, so to speak, it’s more how you manage yourself during the course of a game”, Hill said. But the revelation of the hip problem gives more clarity to the situation. “But as of now, it was one start (for Stripling)”.
“Those guys didn’t play particularly good defense behind Gerrit”, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.
“It has been a (revolving door) but I think each guy that has been given an opportunity has competed really well and given us a chance”, said Roberts, who has relied on spot starts from rookies Ross Stripling and Julio Urias, among others. “Obviously, he didn’t have that command, so we have to deal with it; and I think we will continue to do tests and have a decision tomorrow”.
And while none of those pitchers is named Clayton Kershaw, the Dodgers have managed to do more than stay afloat since their staff ace went down with a back injury. “So [the rehab start] checks a box as far as the blister and making sure he can get through an abbreviated start and give us a baseline of where we’re at”.
Hill is not the only pitcher the Dodgers expect back next week. Instead, the Dodgers will march on with the same strategy they have used in compiling a 24-15 record since Kershaw last threw a pitch: Get whatever they can from a starter and refuse to get bucked off of the horse.
Urias went the longest of the Dodgers’ six relievers, throwing 2 2/3 scoreless innings of long relief and earning the win. Bastardo’s leadoff walk of Howie Kendrick was the Dodgers’ only walk of the series. The last time it occurred was June 5, 1951. “We’ve won three straight series and we’re going into a tough park tomorrow in San Francisco”. He struck out five and walked none.
The Dodgers have their starting pitchers set for Tuesday and Wednesday when they begin a seven-game trip in Philadelphia, but have holes to fill after that. There were a lot of good things.
“We have the capability offensively to put up a crooked number in the first and keep adding on from there”.
“It’s a huge win for us”, Pederson said.
It helps that the offense has continued to produce.
While the Pirates were failing to capitalize, the Dodgers got 17 hits, including five doubles and Joc Pederson’s 17th home run, in a game that didn’t see a 1-2-3 inning until the bottom of the eighth.
How are the Dodgers winning without their best player? There’s enough stuff coming back just from surgery. “Nobody can sit down and say exactly what this is and what this is”. When you look outside of that, there’s a lot of noise and a lot of distractions.
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It makes little sense that the Dodgers should be as successful as they have been while overloading the disabled list to the point that it might violate the fire code.
