No Minor Feat Carries Herges to His First Start

Three years ago, Dodger right-hander Matt Herges couldn’t win for losing, going 0-9 with an 8.87 earned-run average for triple-A Albuquerque and double-A San Antonio.

As the defeats stacked up, Herges felt lost.

“When you lose your confidence you are done, and I had none,” he said. “And when hitters see that, they feast.”

Now Herges is on the other end of the food chain. Tonight he will make his first major league start, a role he earned by going 8-0 in 44 relief appearances this season.

“I’m not going to try to change too much,” he said. “I’ll stick with what’s been working.”

Primarily, that has been a two-seam fastball with good sinking action. Until this season, Herges threw a four-seam fastball that had greater velocity but less movement.

*

Gary Sheffield said the thumb injury that sidelined him Sunday is not serious. After treatment by trainers, he said he hopes to play tonight.

“It shouldn’t be a problem,” he said. “I picked up a bat and felt a sting, but it will bounce back.”

Sheffield jammed the thumb sliding into second base in the ninth inning of the Dodgers’ 10-inning, 4-2 loss to the Brewers on Saturday. He was thrown out trying to steal on a close play.

“I was angry at the call and I didn’t notice the pain right away,” said Sheffield, who played in the 10th inning. “Once the adrenaline stopped I felt it.”

*

The Dodgers acquired outfielder Bruce Aven from Pittsburgh. The Pirates will receive either a player or cash, to be determined by Sept. 15.

The Dodgers placed Aven, 28, on the 40-man roster and optioned him to triple-A Albuquerque. Essentially, he takes the place of Kevin Gibbs, an Albuquerque outfielder traded along with outfielder Todd Hollandsworth and minor league pitcher Randy Dorame to the Colorado Rockies for Tom Goodwin on July 31.

Aven was batting .250 with five home runs in 150 at-bats for the Pirates. He was on the disabled list from June 20 to July 17 with a strained left hamstring. Last season, Aven batted .289 with 12 home runs and 70 runs batted in for the Florida Marlins.

His stay in the minors may be short.

“[Aven] brings experience off the bench and strengthens our options over the final two months of the season,” Dodger General Manager Kevin Malone said.

ON DECK

* Opponent--Chicago Cubs, three games.

* Site--Dodger Stadium.

* Tonight--7.

* TV--KTLA tonight; Fox SportsNet2 Tuesday and Wednesday.

* Radio--KXTA (1150), KWKW (1330).

* Records--Dodgers 58-52, Cubs 51-59.

* Record vs. Cubs--2-0.

* Tickets--(714) 663-9000.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

MATT HERGES

(8-0, 3.00 ERA)

vs.

CUBS’

RUBEN QUEVEDO

(0-3, 7.28 ERA)

* Update--In his first major league start, Herges will face Quevedo, a rookie right-hander looking for his first victory. Quevedo posted a 23-22 minor league record after signing with the Atlanta Braves as a free agent in 1995. Kerry Wood was scheduled to start Tuesday for the Cubs but was placed on the disabled list Sunday. He will be replaced by rookie Phil Norton. Darren Dreifort, 4-0 since the all-star break, will pitch after six days of rest.

* Tuesday, 7 p.m.--Darren Dreifort (8-7, 4.61) vs. Phil Norton (0-0, 5.40).

* Wednesday, 7 p.m.--Kevin Brown (10-4, 2.34 vs. Jon Lieber (10-5, 3.80).