Rockies (5-2) at Dodgers (1-2)
12:05pm, Camelback Ranch, Glendale, AZ
The Dodgers announced their starting pitchers for their three-game series in Taiwan:
- Friday: Eric Stults vs LHP Ying-Chieh Lin, 2:37am Friday morning (Pacific time)
- Saturday: Josh Towers vs RHP Chien-Fu Yang, 10:37pm Friday night (Pacific time)
- Sunday: Charlie Haeger vs TBD
The first two games will be held at Tien Mou Stadium in Taipei, Taiwan. Hong-Chih Kuo is scheduled to pitch in Sunday's game, which will be held at Kaohsiung County Stadium.
In other news, Joe Torre said the club would likely name the starting second baseman next week after the club returns from Taiwan. "Blake's doing a good job," Torre said, praising Blake DeWitt, "I haven't seen enough defensively, offensively I see what you see. He's special, he played winter ball, he's done so much in a short time here. He's a big league player." Spring stats are mostly meaningless, but it is still fun to see an .889 in DeWitt's OBP column (he has four hits in five at-bats, plus four walks).
Torre also noted Doug Mientkiewicz had a cortisone shot, and is out today, but expected to be available tomorrow.
In other NRI news, Torre said Garret Anderson would likely see some time at first base in Cactus League games while the team is in Taiwan.
Casey Blake's back is feeling better today, says Tony Jackson of ESPN L.A., and Blake plans to test it later today but "won't do anything that hurts." He is out of the lineup, in favor of Ronnie Belliard.
Here are the lineups:
| Rockies |
Dodgers | |||
| RF | Gonzalez | SS | Furcal | |
| CF | Fowler | CF | Kemp | |
| 2B | Mora | RF | Ethier | |
| LF | Smith | DH | Manny | |
| C | Iannetta | 1B | Loney | |
| 3B | Stewart | 3B | Belliard |
|
| DH | Spilborghs |
2B | DeWitt | |
| SS | Barmes | LF | Paul | |
| 1B | Kindel | C | Ausmus | |
| P | Jimenez | P | Kuroda | |
Scheduled to pitch for the Dodgers today behind Kuroda are Haeger (making his second appearance of the spring) and the deadly trio of KuoGeoBro, otherwise known as Hong-Chih Kuo, George Sherrill, and Jonathan Broxton. Torre said the plan for KuoGeoBro was to get them each eight or nine innings, not counting appearances in minor league games.
The scheduled pitchers today for Rockies are Ubaldo Jimenez, Greg Smith, Justin Speier, Matt Reynolds, and the awesomely named Al Albuquerque. Inside the Rockies has the club's full travel roster for today's game.
TV: Prime Ticket (KABC's Josh Suchon is handling the play-by-play)