The Dodgers look to win their opening series tonight against the Giants, and will attempt to do so by sending Hiroki Kuroda to the hill against Barry Zito.
Kuroda made his first start against the Giants on July 28, 2008, and he gave up seven runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Since then, however, Kuroda has been very good, allowing 10 runs in 39 2/3 innings over six starts, for a 2.27 ERA with seven walks and 27 strikeouts. There are a lot of small sample sizes in play here, but Kuroda has fared well against nearly all of the current Giants:
| Current Giants vs. Hiroki Kuroda | |
| Player | Career vs. Kuroda |
| Andres Torres | 0-4, 2 strikeouts |
| Freddy Sanchez | 2-12, 2 strikeouts |
| Aubrey Huff | 1-4, double, strikeout |
| Buster Posey | 1-4, walk, strikeout |
| Pat Burrell | 1-11, walk, 3 strikeouts |
| Pablo Sandoval | 3-8, double |
| Miguel Tejada | 2-14, strikeout |
| Aaron Rowand | 1-11, walk, 3 strikeouts |
| Mike Fontenot | 1-11, strikeout |
| Mark DeRosa | 0-8, 3 strikeouts |
| Nate Schierholtz | 0-7, strikeout |
| Totals: 97 PA, .138/.165/.160, 3 BB, 18 K |
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Zito was in a car accident in West Hollywood on Wednesday night, but he has been recovering. Zito still has neck soreness, but Zito said he was "95 percent certain" he would make his start tonight, according to Andrew Baggarly of the San Jose Mercury News.
Zito allowed just 11 runs (10 earned) in six starts last year against the Dodgers, but didn't have a win to show for it despite a 2.41 ERA. The Giants scored just seven runs in those six starts, and never more than two runs in any game. The one win the Giants had in those six games came on July 31, a 2-1 win in San Francisco, and those two runs came in the eighth inning after Zito had left the game on a Pat Burrell home run off Jonathan Broxton.
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Game Time: 5 p.m.
TV: ESPN2