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One day after Josh Wall threw 62 pitches in a relief appearance, the Dodgers optioned the right-hander to Triple-A Albuquerque on Tuesday. In his place, pitcher Javy Guerra was recalled from the Isotopes.
Guerra, who pitched in relief the last two seasons and saved 29 games for the Dodgers, was getting stretched out in Triple-A, with 15⅔ innings in four starts. Guerra was 0-2 with 16 strikeouts and seven walks with the Isotopes this season. He last pitched on Friday, throwing 85 pitches in five innings.
Guerra, who was optioned to Triple-A on Mar. 17, will wear number 48. His old number, 54, was taken by Matt Guerrier, who gave his number 55 to Ramon Hernandez. As always, it all relates back to Aaron Harang.
Wall was 0-1 with an 18.00 ERA in six games for the Dodgers, as he allowed 14 runs and 17 hits in seven innings, with six walks and seven strikeouts. Seven runs and eight hits came in just two innings Monday night against the Rockies.
"He took a beating, that's for sure. But it's the position he's in right now. Obviously he got hit a little bit. But there is something to taking that ball again that next inning," manager Don Mattingly said of Wall on Monday night. "He could have very easily said he couldn't go again. That told me a lot."
With Wall's two innings, and Skip Schumaker's ninth inning, the Dodgers were able to avoid using the back three of their bullpen on Monday, which leaves Ronald Belisario, Kenley Jansen, and Brandon League available to pitch tonight.
If Hyun-jin Ryu continues his streak on Tuesday against the Rockies, the Dodgers won't need to use any other relievers. Ryu has lasted at least six innings in all five of his starts, tied for the fifth longest streak of six-inning outings to begin a Los Angeles Dodgers career. The only streaks longer were Claude Osteen (eight, 1965), Don Sutton (eight, 1966), John Ely (seven, 2010), and Aaron Sele (six, 2006).
Ryu, in search of win number three on Tuesday, leads the Dodgers and is tied with Madison Bumgarner for 10th in the National League with a 4.25 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Game info
Time: 7:10 p.m.
TV: KCAL