Giants Shuffle Rotation in Effort to Gain Edge

San Francisco Giant Manager Dusty Baker shuffled his rotation over the weekend so that right-hander Jason Schmidt, who is 2-0 with a 1.84 earned-run average against the Dodgers, will start the opener of a crucial four-game series in Dodger Stadium tonight.

Dodger Manager Jim Tracy made a similar move two weeks ago so that right-hander Hideo Nomo, who has a career 10-3 record and 2.52 ERA against the Giants, could start last Wednesday’s game in Pacific Bell Park and tonight’s game at home.

Nomo also has had success against the Giants’ two top hitters, limiting Barry Bonds to a .219 average (7 for 32) with two homers and four runs batted in and Jeff Kent to a .179 average (7 for 39) with two homers and three RBIs.

The hard-throwing Schmidt, who has emerged as the staff ace in the second half, was supposed to start Sunday against San Diego, but Baker held him in favor of rookie Kurt Ainsworth, who gave up three runs and three hits in 5 2/3 innings of the Giants’ 4-1 loss to the Padres.

Schmidt, who gave up two runs and six hits and struck out six in 7 2/3 innings of the Giants’ 5-2 win over the Dodgers on Tuesday, will start on one extra day of rest. He gave up a run and four hits and struck out 10 in seven innings of the Giants’ 3-1 win over the Dodgers on July 28.

Right-hander Ryan Jensen, who was scheduled to start Wednesday night, was bumped from the rotation for the Dodger series.

“It’s obvious the move was made to set up the best matchups possible,” Tracy said.

*

Dodger right-hander Andy Ashby, who gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings Sunday, missed his previous start because of a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand; now left-hander Odalis Perez has a blister on the middle finger of his pitching hand.

But Perez, who was pulled from Saturday’s 16-3 win over the Rockies after five innings and 60 pitches, doesn’t believe his blister, which has bothered him for the last two starts, will prevent him from pitching Thursday night.

ON DECK

Opponent--San Francisco Giants, four games.

Site--Dodger Stadium.

Tonight--7.

TV--Fox Sports Net 2 all four games.

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

Records--Dodgers 84-65, Giants 85-64.

Record vs. Giants--6-9.

TONIGHT

DODGERS’

HIDEO NOMO

(14-6, 3.28 ERA)

vs.

GIANTS’

JASON SCHMIDT

(11-7, 3.52 ERA)

Update--The Dodgers are 1-5 against the Giants at home this season, but Tracy discounts San Francisco’s season-opening obliteration of the Dodgers, when the Giants swept a three-game series by the combined score of 24-2. Since then, the Dodgers have gone 6-6 against the Giants, limiting them to an average of 3.3 runs a game.

Tuesday, 7 p.m.--Omar Daal (11-8, 3.80) vs. Kirk Rueter (12-8, 3.23).

Wednesday, 7 p.m.--Kevin Brown (3-4, 4.81) vs. Russ Ortiz (12-10, 3.57).

Thursday, 7 p.m.--Odalis Perez (14-9, 3.07) vs. Livan Hernandez (11-15, 4.40).

Tickets--(323) 224-1448.