Lima Proves a Shade Better

Jose Lima tucked the game ball into the back pocket of his jeans, secured the silver necklace with last year’s uniform number around his neck and laughed about his new platinum hair dye.

Blonds have more fun, indeed. That Lima is undefeated as a blond is coincidental; that he beat the Dodgers is not.

“I wanted to send a message,” he said. “I did.”

With the flash that only he can deliver and the skill that he appeared to have left behind in Los Angeles, Lima told off Dodger management on and off the field Wednesday. He stopped the Dodgers on one run and five hits over eight innings, lifting the Kansas City Royals to a 3-1 victory and channeling his anger into a performance intended to make a point.

“Could you tell?” he said.

Well, yes. He stared into the Dodger dugout, the uniforms reminding him of the men who let him go last winter. He frolicked around the field, jumping and hollering and pointing, arching his back and pumping his fist to the sky, doing all those things that generally annoy opponents, except that the Dodgers tolerated the show because he was theirs last year.

“He does it when he gives up 10 runs too,” Dodger pitcher Brad Penny said. “So what can you say?”

There wasn’t much for Penny to say. The Dodger offense again faltered against the Royals, a team that is 10-4 under new Manager Buddy Bell but still 19 1/2 games out of first place in the American League Central. Penny gave up three runs over seven innings on 124 pitches -- two short of his career high -- with a fastball up to 97 mph. He lost but as they say, he pitched well enough to win.

“But last game I pitched bad enough to lose,” he said. “I gave up five runs and got a no-decision. In games like these, you can’t give up more than one.”

Lima didn’t. Jayson Werth scored the Dodgers’ run, and he got into scoring position because of a throwing error by third baseman Mark Teahen. As first baseman Mike Sweeney reached into the baseline for the wide throw, Werth ran into him, and Sweeney left because of sprains to his left wrist and left elbow.

In no other inning did the Dodgers get a runner to second base. Lima, with a fastball that did not exceed 91 mph, struck out a season-high six.

“I haven’t pitched eight innings since Oct. 9,” he said.

That was the day Lima shut out the St. Louis Cardinals, in the playoffs. Since then, he had done nothing to make the Dodgers regret losing him. He had made 13 starts, winning none.

He won 13 for the Dodgers last year, tied for the team high. He still resents the Dodgers for not offering a multiyear contract.

“At least show me some respect,” he said. “I didn’t win 13 games by accident.... I wasn’t looking for a three-year deal for $20 million.”

General Manager Paul DePodesta, he said, could have shown that respect with a phone call.

“He’s 32 years old,” Lima said. “He’s my age.”

Funny thing is, DePodesta is looking for a starting pitcher right now. Might he call about Lima?

“He won’t,” Lima said.