Daal Gets Chance to Start Tonight

Omar Daal wants to be a starter so badly, he demanded a trade after he was not named to the Dodger rotation in late March.

General Manager Dan Evans told Daal’s agent there was no way the team was going to move a pitcher with a staff that had two starting pitchers coming off elbow surgery. Daal was an insurance policy, Evans said, and starting opportunities were certain to come.

The opportunity is here.

Daal, a left-hander who has made 124 starts for three other teams, will start for the Dodgers for the first time today at Dodger Stadium against the San Diego Padres. He is replacing right-hander Kevin Brown, who reinjured his throwing arm last Saturday against the Padres in San Diego.

Daal is 1-0 with a 2.16 earned-run average in four relief appearances this season.

“I’ve been throwing two or more innings every time I’ve gone out there so I’m not worried about starting,” Daal said. “I’m just going to take it pitch by pitch, hitter by hitter and inning by inning.”

Daal, 30, is in his second tour with the Dodgers. He was originally signed as a nondrafted free-agent in 1990 and made 99 relief appearances in 1993-95 before he was traded to the Montreal Expos for minor league pitcher Rick Clelland.

Daal also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, Arizona Diamondbacks and Philadelphia Phillies before returning to the Dodgers last November in a trade for minor league right-handers Jesus Cordero and Eric Junge.

Daal was 13-7 with a 4.46 ERA in 32 starts and 1852/3 innings last season for Philadelphia.

“He’d be a starting pitcher for most other teams in baseball--we just happen to be stacked with a bunch of good ones,” pitching coach Jim Colborn said. “He’s a great luxury and we’re really lucky we’ve got reserves like him.”

Brown played catch for 10 minutes from 75 feet Wednesday at Dodger Stadium.

Dodger officials said he experienced no pain and that swelling continues to subside.

Outfielder Shawn Green went two for five and drove in a run in the Dodgers’ 6-3 victory over the Colorado Rockies. He is now 12 for 14 with 10 runs batted in against Colorado left-hander Mike Hampton.

Green raised his season average from .216 to .232, but also struck out twice against Hampton and once against Kent Mercker. He was seven for 35 during the trip.

“I have a ways to go,” Green said. “It’s kind of an annual April for me. I just have to try and battle and do what I can to ride it out.”

ON DECK

Opponent--San Diego Padres, four games.

Site--Dodger Stadium.

Tonight--7.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 tonight, Channel 13 Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

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

Records--Dodgers 8-7, Padres 8-7.

Record vs. Padres--1-2.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

OMAR DAAL

(1-0, 2.16 ERA)

vs.

PADRES’

BRIAN TOLLBERG

(0-2, 11.20 ERA)

Update--The Dodgers finished their nine-game trip 5-4 and are home for four days before making a six-game trip to Pittsburgh and Chicago. The Padres, who won two of three against the Dodgers last weekend, just won two of three against the San Francisco Giants

Friday, 7 p.m.--Hideo Nomo (1-2, 2.60) vs. Brian Lawrence (2-0, 1.66).

Saturday, 7 p.m.--Odalis Perez (1-1, 2.61) vs. Bobby Jones (1-0, 2.92).

Sunday, 1 p.m.--Andy Ashby (1-1, 4.24) vs. Brett Tomko (0-1, 1.93).

Tickets--(323) 224-1448.

Gary Klein