DODGERS NOTEBOOK: CORA LOOKED UPON TO PROVIDE BOOST.Byline: Brian Dohn Staff Writer PHILADELPHIA - Dodgers manager Jim Tracy's options for finding offense are limited, but he's turning to an unlikely but deserving player in an attempt to add a boost to the lineup. Alex Cora José Alexander (Alex) Cora (born October 18, 1975 in Caguas, Puerto Rico) is a utility infielder for the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. University of Miami career started for the third consecutive day, and second in a row at shortstop. It's a strong indication Tracy is moving toward a more strict platoon at shortstop, where switch- hitting Cesar Izturis has fared miserably from the left side. The left-handed batting Cora is hitting .292 since the All-Star break and hitting .299 against right-handers. Izturis, who has the worst on-base percentage among National League regulars at .246, is batting .197 left-handed with a .214 on-base percentage. ``(Cora) gives us another opportunity to add something offensively right now,'' Tracy said. ``You have to do that, that's all. I'm not disenchanted dis·en·chant tr.v. dis·en·chant·ed, dis·en·chant·ing, dis·en·chants To free from illusion or false belief; undeceive. [Obsolete French desenchanter, from Old French, with Cesar. I've said it since spring training, that Cesar Izturis is here to continue to develop offensively, but defensively we still feel he's off the charts. But you're not asking me this question in May, you're asking me this question in August.'' Tracy said the decision to play Cora is derived from the lack of offense the middle of the lineup is generating. Since the All-Star break, left fielder Brian Jordan n. Baseball The player who defends right field. Noun 1. right fielder - the person who plays right field outfielder - (baseball) a person who plays in the outfield Shawn Green Shawn David Green (born November 10, 1972, in Des Plaines, Illinois) is a 6' 4" left-handed Major League Baseball player. Green is the starting right fielder for the New York Mets.[1] Green was a 1st round draft pick, and has been a two-time major league All-Star. and third baseman third baseman n. Baseball The infielder stationed near third base. Noun 1. third baseman - (baseball) the person who plays third base third sacker Eric Karros While Cora doesn't provide the power of production, he has been getting on base and generating scoring opportunities. He went 1 for 5 with an RBI RBI abbr. Baseball runs batted in Noun 1. rbi - a run that is the result of the batter's performance; "he had more than 100 rbi last season" run batted in double against the Phillies. ``If things happen in the middle of our order that we saw happening (before the All-Star break) that was very, very exciting, I wouldn't be answering the question like that,'' Tracy said. ``Right now we are in a situation where it shows up one day, it's gone for three, it shows up one day and it's gone for two more. This guy (Cora) is swinging the bat right now as well as anybody on the club.'' --Brown rehab: Dodgers right-hander Kevin Brown The name Kevin Brown can refer to several different people, including the following:
n. Baseball A run scored without the aid of an error, used in computing earned run averages. Noun 1. earned run - a run that was not scored as the result of an error by the other team in 3 2/3 innings in his first rehab start for Triple-A Las Vegas. Brown, who had back surgery June 11, threw 50 pitches (32 strikes) and yielded one hit. He struck out three and walked two and reported no problems. The Dodgers are expected to announce today where Brown's next start will come, with the likely destination Edmonton on Aug. 9. There was no gray area left for whether Brown would rejoin the Dodgers on their homestand, which begins Tuesday, rather than make another minor- league rehab start. ``He'll have at least one more start, but it was a very, very positive outing,'' Dodgers general manager Dan Evans said. ``He had real good life on all his pitches. He showed real good athleticism. There were no problems with the elbow, back or anything else.'' Brown's outing was watched by Dodgers senior adviser John Boles, who reported to Evans that Brown's fastball ranged from 87 to 93 mph. Evans said it was consistenly 90-91 mph, which is about 3 mph under Brown's norm. If all goes well with the second rehab start, Brown could make his return to the Dodgers during their next road trip. The club is tentatively targeting a return during the Aug. 16-18 series at New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . --Odds and ends: Saturday's game was broadcast by Fox, which came on the air and announced the Dodgers had a players-only meeting to address their recent slide. However, the meeting was to vote to authorize player representative Paul Lo Duca Paul Anthony Lo Duca (born April 12, 1972 in Brooklyn, New York) is a catcher in Major League Baseball who plays for the New York Mets. Previously, Lo Duca played for the Los Angeles Dodgers (1998-2004) and Florida Marlins (2004-2005). to be the active voice when it came time to vote about setting a strike date. DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA Time: 10:35 a.m., Veterans Stadium. TV/Radio: Ch. 13; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish). Matchup: Two days after he was supposed to start, LH Omar Daal (8-6, 4.12 ERA) will face his old team. Daal, who went 15-16 with a 4.52 ERA in his one-plus season with the Phillies, was traded to the Dodgers for a pair of minor-league pitchers. Daal is 6-5 with a 5.27 ERA in 12 starts. Phillies RH Brett Myers (1-1, 4.91), one of Philadelphia's top prospects, was battered in his second major-league start. He allowed five earned runs and didn't record an out in the fourth inning. He won his major-league debut by allowing one run in eight innings July 24 in Chicago. - Brian Dohn CAPTION(S): box Box: DODGERS vs. PHILADELPHIA (see text) |
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