[新聞] LATIMES:Kuo makes it his night
Kuo Makes It His Night
With the Dodgers needing a good start, he pitches six shutout innings and gets his first win in a 5-0 victory over the Mets. Lead increases to 11/2 games.
By Steve Henson, Times Staff Writer
September 9, 2006
NEW YORK — It's a longstanding Taiwanese custom: Successfully stand an egg
on its end at exactly noon on the day of the Dragon Boat Festival, and luck
will come your way.
The throng of Taiwanese Americans who descended upon Shea Stadium for
Taiwanese Heritage Night watched Dodgers pitcher Hong-Chih Kuo, their
countryman, successfully stand six eggs end to end on the scoreboard in his
first major league start for his first victory.
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And luck certainly came the Dodgers' way Friday. They got the bounces, the
calls and the ballgame, defeating the New York Mets, 5-0, rebounding
impressively from their one-sided loss a day earlier and increasing their
lead to 1 1/2 games over the San Diego Padres in the National League West.
The Dodgers have been desperately seeking starters, so Kuo's effort vaulted
him into the rotation. Manager Grady Little said the rookie left-hander would
start Thursday at Chicago, enabling Greg Maddux to have an extra day of rest
and start Friday in the opener of a four-game series against the Padres at
Dodger Stadium.
"He earned the right to pitch again," Little said of Kuo.
Using a 95-mph fastball and a devastating slider, he gave up three harmless
singles, struck out seven and benefited from dazzling double plays started by
shortstop Rafael Furcal in the fourth and fifth innings.
"I got ahead of hitters, that was a big thing," said Kuo, who threw 90
pitches.
The biggest play might have come in the first inning. Kuo has battled control
problems throughout his career, and he walked Jose Reyes to lead off the
inning. Reyes moved to second on Paul Lo Duca's groundout but was thrown out
trying to steal third even though replays indicated he slid under Wilson
Betemit's tag.
Carlos Beltran walked and Carlos Delgado ended the inning on a hard line
drive to center field. Given a reprieve, Kuo settled down, retiring the next
seven in a row. Brett Tomko, Jonathan Broxton and Takashi Saito each pitched
an inning to complete the four-hit shutout.
"I relaxed after [catcher] Russell Martin threw out Reyes," Kuo said. "I just
went inning by inning, doing my best."
His early jitters were understandable. He was only the third Taiwanese
pitcher to make a major league start, and Taiwan Heritage Night included two
Taiwanese women singing the national anthem and the first pitch being thrown
out simultaneously by six Taiwanese American politicians. The Mets issued 75
media credentials to reporters from Asian news outlets.
Turns out Kuo had no clue.
"I didn't know anything about it," he said. "I guess I was too focused on
getting ready for the game."
Kuo is beginning to reach the potential the Dodgers have seen since signing
him for $1.25 million in 1999. He twice had ligament replacement surgeries in
his elbow and pitched only 42 innings in his first five years with the
organization.
Worried about his fragile arm, the Dodgers used him as a reliever until six
weeks ago, when he moved into the starting rotation at triple-A Las Vegas as
a way to build arm strength. He pitched so well that Little kept him in mind
for a spot start when he was recalled the last week of August.
Control has been Kuo's problem — he'd walked 31 in 35 1/3 major league
innings coming into the game and was 0-4 this season. But after the first
inning he got ahead of hitters with fastballs and put them away with his
slider.
"He's better as a starter because he can walk one or two and pitch his way
out of it," Furcal said. "As a reliever coming into a tight situation, you
can't afford walks."
The early lead helped. The Dodgers scored twice in the first when Furcal and
Kenny Lofton scored on a two-out throwing error by third baseman David
Wright. Furcal and Nomar Garciaparra homered in the fifth, and the last run
came an inning later on doubles by Martin and Lofton.
That was enough offense for Kuo. The lift he gave the Dodgers was vital,
unexpected and as improbable as standing an egg on its end at noon.
"I had doubts when I was recovering from my injuries," he said. "I came back,
and this is a good feeling."
*
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steve.henson@latimes.com
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