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dd88
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Post subject: Vicente Padilla to start Game 5
 Posted: Oct 19, 2009 - 11:46 PM PST
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Vicente Padilla will start Game 5 of the National League Championship Series for the Dodgers on Wednesday, as manager Joe Torre sent 21-year-old left-hander Clayton Kershaw to the bullpen for Game 4 as a long reliever.
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Padilla is on a roll, having allowed one run in 7 1/3 innings while dueling Pedro Martinez in the Dodgers' Game 2 comeback win in Los Angeles. That was coming off his seven scoreless innings in the Game 3 NL Division Series clincher in St. Louis.
Kershaw imploded in the fifth inning of Game 1 at Los Angeles, where he threw four scoreless innings of one-hit ball, then allowed five runs and couldn't get out of the fifth inning while walking three and setting an NLCS record with three wild pitches.
Torre indicated Kershaw was still likely to start Game 6 if the series returns to Los Angeles, but he was needed for standby duty Monday night because long reliever Chad Billingsley pitched 3 1/3 innings after Game 3 starter Hiroki Kuroda lasted only 1 1/3 innings Sunday night.
Before confirming the decision, Torre gave an indication why Padilla would be picked.
"Based on what I've seen and knowing how I try to ride the hot hand, all that stuff," Torre said. "You don't know how long a stretch like that can last."
With Randy Wolf starting Monday night, the Dodgers rotation now shapes up as Padilla in Game 5, Kershaw in Game 6 and either Kuroda or Wolf in Game 7.
Torre said Kuroda insists there was nothing physically wrong to explain his disappointingly brief effort, which came after a three-week layoff because of a herniated disk in his neck.
"He was fine," said Torre. "Absolutely no physical problem. Just one of those things that happens. It was a little unusual, his bullpen before the game was really good, but he was nothing close to the same guy in the game."
Torre said he would have no hesitation starting Kuroda again, but also hinted that Billingsley could re-emerge in the rotation as well.
"We don't know what we're doing the rest of the series starting or the bullpen," said Torre. "[Kuroda] certainly is a candidate for either, whatever we decide to do."
Apparently, so, too, is Billingsley, who was bumped from the rotation by Kuroda's return. Billingsley allowed two runs in 3 1/3 innings of relief in Game 3.
"I thought he threw the ball good," Torre said of Billingsley, who was named to pitch Game 4 of the Division Series that the Dodgers swept in three games. "He got good hitters out making good pitches. We're in a situation in the postseason where everybody is available. He certainly is in the mix, no question."
With the Dodgers coming into Game 4 trailing in the series, 2-1, Game 5 will either be an opportunity for the Dodgers to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series, or a chance to stay alive. The Phillies beat the Dodgers in the NLCS last year in five games. After three games, the Dodgers' team ERA is 6.92. |
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