I could never imagine what it must be like to stand 60 feet, six inches from home plate and to have a line drive come right back at you after you've just thrown a 94-mph fastball. Three weeks ago, that's exactly what happened to Hiroki Kuroda. Most major leaguer pitchers have to deal with it. But Hiroki Kuroda is one of the very few who've been hit with that ball hit back to them.
Rusty Ryal swung at a Kuroda fastball three weeks ago in Arizona, and the ball plunked Kuroda on the right side of the head, ricocheting into the stands behind the Arizona on-deck circle and bouncing back onto the field near the backstop. Fortunately for Kuroda, he suffered no major injuries, only a slight concussion, and minimal post-concussion symptoms. And after a two week stay on the DL and a very effective bullpen session and rehab assignment with no ill-affects, Kuroda will return to the mound tonight against the Padres.
With the Dodger pitching staff continuing to lead the N.L. in team ERA, and the starters getting much needed boosts with the additions of Jon Garland and Vicente Padilla, anything they get out of Kuroda from here on out is certainly an added bonus.
But what has to be of concern from here on out at this point is the inconsistencies from the offense. The Blue continue to struggle to come through with runners on base of late, going 0 for 11 with RISP in Friday night's 2-0 loss to the lowly Padres.
And what makes it an even bigger concern is the fact the Dodgers have been blessed with an extrememly favorable schedule these last six weeks of the season, and since winning three of four at home to the Cubs two weekends ago, they're just one game over .500 in the first 11 games of the final six weeks of the season.
One can only hope they'd turn this offensive funk around and start hitting the way they did the first four months of the season. Hopefully, the new guy, Ronnie Belliard, can continue to spark the offense. It'd be nice if Raffy Furcal, James Loney and Russell Martin could feed off Belliard and have a decent month heading into October.
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