Dodgers’ Chad Billingsley is scratched from Wednesday’s start
Chad Billingsley said Monday that the left hamstring he strained two days earlier felt good enough for him to avoid the disabled list but not good enough to make his next scheduled start.
With Billingsley unavailable, Manager Joe Torre said the final game of the three-game series in San Francisco on Wednesday could be a bullpen game.
Pointing to how the Dodgers have 13 pitchers on their roster and an off day Thursday, Torre said they might not have to make any roster moves if they can avoid overusing their bullpen in the first two games of the series.
Torre listed Jeff Weaver as a candidate to start and said James McDonald could also play a significant role. Weaver pitched three perfect innings Sunday against the Atlanta Braves.
The decision to skip Billingsley’s turn in the rotation came after he threw a bullpen session Monday.
“It felt like it was stretching,” Billingsley said. “The last few throws, I felt like a grab in there.”
Billingsley shook his head.
“You’ve got the Giants,” he said. “They’re right behind us, they’re playing well. It’s a tough start to miss.”
That being said, Billingsley said he was pleased with the way his hamstring felt.
“Being only two days later, being able to get on the mound, I take it as a step forward,” he said.
Torre said trainer Stan Conte thought Billingsley made “significant progress.”
Billingsley said he was optimistic about starting next week.
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Blake revisits controversy
Casey Blake said he didn’t have any plans to talk to Giants closer Brian Wilson about how he mocked the cross-armed gesture Wilson makes after every save.
“I don’t know what I’d say to him,” Blake said. “It happened a while ago.”
The incident in question took place at Dodger Stadium on May 10, when Blake hit a home run against Wilson and was caught by television cameras mimicking Wilson’s signature pose. Wilson, who makes the gesture as a tribute to his faith and deceased father, was upset.
Monday marked the first meeting between the Dodgers and Giants since then.
“I didn’t mean to disrespect him on a personal level,” Blake said. “I was happy I hit a home run.”
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Troncoso tiring
Ramon Troncoso said that his heavy workload might be taking a toll on him.
“You’re not going to feel the way you did in spring training,” he said.
Troncoso has given up six runs in his last two appearances, each only one-third of an inning long.
Since July 24, his earned-run average has soared from 1.67 to 2.76.
Troncoso has pitched 65 1/3 innings. He pitched 68 2/3 innings between the majors and triple A last season.
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Short hops
Manny Ramirez was moved from third in the lineup to fourth. “Just to do something different,” Torre said, adding that he wanted to move up Russell Martin, who had an on-base percentage of .483 in his last eight games. . . . James Loney sat because a left-hander, Jonathan Sanchez, started for the Giants. Mark Loretta started in Loney’s place. . . . Will Ohman, who has been on the disabled list since May 28 because of shoulder and elbow problems, is throwing off a mound.
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DODGERS TONIGHT
AT SAN FRANCISCO
When: 7:15.
Where: AT&T; Park.
On the air: TV: Ch. 9; Radio: 790, 930.
Pitchers: Randy Wolf vs. Joe Martinez.
Update: Wolf earned his 13th no-decision in the Dodgers’ 5-4 win over Atlanta on Thursday. In that game, Wolf gave up four runs and nine in seven innings. Wolf pitched at AT&T; Park on April 27 and was charged with three runs and six innings. He didn’t earn a decision. Martinez will be making his second career start. He won his first start, beating the Houston Astros on Wednesday by limiting them to three runs in five innings. The win marked the end of a four-month stay on the disabled list. Martinez suffered a concussion and three hairline fractures when he was struck on the right side of the head by a ball hit by Mike Cameron of Milwaukee on April 9.
-- Dylan Hernandez
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