DODGERS NOTEBOOK: LO DUCA BATS 2ND IN LINEUP SHUFFLE.Byline: Rich Hammond Rich Hammond Los Angeles Daily News sports writer. Instrumental in bringing the Los Angeles Kings hockey organization closer to the fans. He is the atypical "what a guy" to Kings fans everywhere. Rich Hammond on himself. Staff Writer The Dodgers' constant search for balance in their batting order Noun 1. batting order - (baseball) a list of batters in the order in which they will bat; "the managers presented their cards to the umpire at home plate" lineup, card took another twist Saturday afternoon when 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). moved to the No. 2 spot in the lineup. Lo Duca Lo Duca is the surname of the following people:
n. Baseball A measure of a batter's performance obtained by dividing the total of base hits by the number of times at bat, not including walks. Noun 1. into Saturday's game but has just two home runs, and part of manager Jim Tracy's decision was a desire to provide more protection for 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. in the No. 3 spot. ``It's a little bit of a different look, but not a drastic change,'' Tracy said. ``With the way Brian Jordan ``Beltre, right now, is not exactly swinging the bat the way he was 10 days ago, and Lo Duca hasn't had the power, but I don't want to suggest through the media that that's the problem.'' The move also was facilitated by the presence of Arizona's left-handed starter Brian Anderson Brian Anderson may refer to:
Leadoff hitters must possess certain traits to be successful: they must reach base at a proficient rate and be able to steal bases. Dave Roberts to the bench and put normal No. 2 hitter Cesar Izturis into the leadoff position. Tracy's shuffle didn't do much for the Dodgers on Saturday, but that can be attributed to a fine performance by Anderson. Lo Duca didn't reach base in three at-bats, same for Beltre, who was dropped to the No. 7 spot. Jordan, batting cleanup for just the fourth time this season, drove home the game's only runs with a two-run home run in the fourth inning. ``I do like this lineup, because it offers you something from top to bottom,'' Tracy said. ``This lineup, collectively, has a chance to thrive if every guy does his part. ... We have to structure it so we have an answer if teams decide to (pitch around Green).'' The lineup changes meant a return to the No. 8 spot for second baseman Mark Grudzielanek, who has hit in the Nos. 2, 5, 6, 7 and 8 spots this season. ``He's interested in one thing, and that's winning,'' Tracy said. ``(Grudzielanek) is way beyond all that (talk of lineup changes).'' --Another look: Reliever Terry Mulholland (sore back) is eligible to come off the disabled list, but Tracy said Mulholland would throw in the bullpen today before the team made a decision about his return. --Golden oldie old·ie n. Something old, especially a song that was once popular. oldie Noun Informal an old song, film, or person Noun 1. : Reliever Jesse Orosco, activated Wednesday from the disabled list (strained left oblique muscle), pitched a scoreless ninth inning Friday night against Arizona and reported no problems. ``If it had been three, four or five weeks, I would have been more concerned about my performance,'' Orosco said. ``It was really only one week, with another week to get myself ready to come back.'' Orosco has pitched only 9 2/3 innings this season but provides a valuable service with his ability to get left-handed hitters out. Mulholland's return will give the Dodgers another lefty out of the bullpen, but Orosco isn't exactly concerned about his workload. ``A guy in my situation is not going to throw 80 or 90 innings like some other guys,'' Orosco said. ``I'm usually only going in to face one or two guys, but if Skip needs me to pitch a couple innings and take the load off the other guys, that's fine, too.'' DODGERS vs. ARIZONA Time: 1:10 p.m., Dodger Stadium. TV/Radio: Ch. 13; 1150-AM, 1330-AM (Spanish). Matchup: Dodgers LH Kazuhisa Ishii (8-1, 2.90 ERA) makes his first start against the Diamondbacks and is coming off a game in which he won but pitched below his already lofty standards. Ishii earned the victory in a 8-4 Dodgers victory over Milwaukee last Tuesday but allowed four runs and three walks in 6 2/3 innings. Arizona RH Miguel Batista (2-2, 5.28) was just the opposite of Ishii in his last start Tuesday. He allowed one hit in nine innings but the Diamondbacks lost 1-0 in 10 innings to San Francisco. Batista has won his past four decisions against the Dodgers. - Rich Hammond CAPTION(S): box Box: DODGERS vs. ARIZONA (see text) |
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