Kuroda Stands Tall in First Start Back

There was a bit of concern from Dodger fans and the club about Hiroki Kuroda’s mental state of mind when he took the mound Sunday. After taking a line drive directly to the head the last time he was on a big league hill, questions about Kuroda being a little shell shocked from the incident were floating around everywhere. With a solid performance in his return, however, the veteran righty answered any doubters he might have had.

Kuroda worked five, gave up three earned, and struck out three Sunday. Despite earning the loss, he looked like he has not missed a beat since his horrible injury and DL trip. With Kuroda back, the Dodgers’ starting staff looks stronger than ever heading towards the playoffs. There is going to be an odd man out in the rotation, but whoever it is will add even more depth to a bullpen with the best ERA in the NL.

Even though there was encouraging news with the return of Kuroda, the Dodgers still managed to drop two out of three to the Padres this weekend at home. These kinds of lapses in focus are keeping Colorado within striking distance. They only are sitting three and a half back in the division going into play Monday. With teams like Arizona, Pittsburgh, and Washington coming up on the schedule, though, the Dodgers still have plenty of opportunities to get Colorado’s mind back solely on the Wild Card.

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By: Charles Dimino
Los Angeles Dodgers Correspondent

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