LA Dodgers (46-24) at Chi White Sox (33-36)

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la

Kuroda seeking elusive second victory

Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
As impressive as it is that the Dodgers have the best record in baseball, and that they've done it in spite of Manny Ramirez's absence, they've also done it with only one victory from Opening Day starter Hiroki Kuroda.
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Dodgers probable pitcher

Hiroki Kuroda

  • #18 RHP
  • (1-3) 3.86 ERA 21 SO
Kuroda gave the Dodgers six innings, but he allowed five runs and two homers to the A's. In his last two starts he's allowed nine earned runs in 11 2/3 innings and he's winless since an Opening Day victory, which includes an 0-3 mark in four starts since returning from nearly two months on the disabled list with a strained oblique. He touched 95 mph with his fastball, so health is not considered an issue.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 10-13 3.75 211.1 49 137 .251
Season 1-3 3.86 28.0 7 21 .235
June 0-3 4.43 22.1 6 19 .241

Series at a Glance

Standings - 06/23/2009 W L PCT GB Home Away
Los Angeles Dodgers (NL West) 46 24 .657 - 25-10 21-14
Chicago White Sox (AL Central) 33 36 .478 5.0 16-18 17-18
Stats - 06/23/2009 AVG R HR RBI SB SO ERA IP H BB SO
LAD .279 348 51 330 61 458 3.56 629.0 541 280 523
CWS .252 290 74 281 44 449 4.08 607.1 612 231 480
cws

Measuring up: Sox welcome top club

Scott Merkin / MLB.com
With the Dodgers entering Chicago as the clear-cut best team in baseball, their competitive presence serves as a good barometer for a talented White Sox team that remains tough to decipher.
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White Sox probable pitcher

John Danks

  • #50 LHP
  • (5-5) 4.48 ERA 70 SO
Danks had one of his best performances of the season on Wednesday against the Cubs, lasting seven innings and allowing one run on five hits while striking out nine and walking none. White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski called it Danks' best effort since last season's "Blackout Game" performance against the Twins in a one-game postseason playoff. Danks threw 71 of his 99 pitches for strikes and had command of all of his pitches, including his changeup, fastball, cutter and slider. Danks, who has struggled with his consistency this season, is 4-1 with a 1.79 ERA when he tosses six or more innings in a game this year. Lifetime against the Dodgers, Danks is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA. He faced the Dodgers only once, on June 26, 2008, and threw six innings, allowing no runs on four hits while striking out three and walking four.
  W-L ERA IP BB SO AVG
Career 23-27 4.28 408.1 137 338 .263
Season 5-5 4.48 74.1 26 70 .258
June 1-2 3.60 20.0 4 20 .213

Dodgers hitters vs John Danks

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Blake, Casey - - - - .278 18 0 0
De Jesus, Ivan - - - - - - - -
DeWitt, Blake - - - - - - - -
Ellis, A.J. - - - - - - - -
Ethier, Andre - - - - .333 9 1 3
Furcal, Rafael - - - - .333 3 0 0
Hu, Chin-lung - - - - - - - -
Kemp, Matt - - - - .333 3 0 0
Loney, James - - - - .167 6 1 2
Martin, Russell - - - - .000 6 0 0
May, Lucas - - - - - - - -
Paul, Xavier - - - - - - - -
Pierre, Juan - - - - .167 6 0 0
Ramirez, Manny - - - - .200 5 0 0
Repko, Jason - - - - - - - -
Robinson, Trayvon - - - - - - - -

White Sox hitters vs Hiroki Kuroda

  2009 2004-2008
Hitter AVG AB HR RBI AVG AB HR RBI
Armstrong, Cole - - - - - - - -
Beckham, Gordon - - - - .000 3 0 0
De Aza, Alejandro - - - - - - - -
Flowers, Tyler - - - - - - - -
Gartrell, Stefan - - - - - - - -
Konerko, Paul - - - - .333 3 1 1
Kotsay, Mark - - - - .167 6 0 0
Lillibridge, Brent - - - - - - - -
Nix, Jayson - - - - .000 3 0 0
Pierzynski, A.J. - - - - .000 3 0 0
Quentin, Carlos - - - - - - - -
Ramirez, Alexei - - - - .250 4 0 0
Rios, Alex - - - - - - - -
Teahen, Mark - - - - - - - -
Viciedo, Dayan - - - - - - - -

Dodgers ride Kuroda's stellar start (47-24) (33-37)

Dodgers 5, White Sox 2

Kuroda cruises

Ken Gurnick / MLB.com
After going 0-3 in four starts since coming off the DL, Hiroki Kuroda nailed down his second win of the season with a dominating outing. He struck out nine in 8 2/3 innings, getting offensive help from James Loney's two-run homer and Casey Blake's two-run single.

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Series at a Glance

 

Danks outdueled

Jesse Temple / MLB.com
John Danks delivered his third consecutive quality start, but his opponent, Dodgers starter Hiroki Kuroda, was just a little better. Danks allowed three hits in seven innings. All three runs he allowed came in the first two frames as he retired 17 of the final 18 batters he faced.
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Dodgers 5, White Sox 2

LA Dodgers AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Pierre, LF 5 0 0 0 0 0 3 .329
Furcal, SS 5 1 1 0 0 0 3 .248
Hudson, O, 2B 4 1 1 1 1 2 2 .309
Blake, 3B 4 0 1 2 0 1 1 .300
Ethier, RF 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 .267
Martin, C 3 0 0 0 1 2 2 .244
Kemp, CF 3 1 0 0 1 1 3 .314
Loney, 1B 4 1 2 2 0 0 0 .282
Jones, M, DH 4 1 2 0 0 1 0 .375
Totals 33 5 7 5 5 7 14  

BATTING
2B: Furcal (13, Danks), Hudson, O (22, Danks), Jones, M (1, Thornton).
HR: Loney (5, 2nd inning off Danks, 1 on, 0 out).
TB: Furcal 2; Hudson, O 2; Blake; Loney 5; Jones, M 3.
RBI: Hudson, O (38), Loney 2 (49), Blake 2 (46).
2-out RBI: Blake 2.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Martin; Kemp 2; Hudson, O.
Team RISP: 2-for-10.
Team LOB: 7.

BASERUNNING
SB: Hudson, O (6, 2nd base off Dotel/Pierzynski).
CS: Ethier (3, 2nd base by Danks/Pierzynski).
 
Chi White Sox AB R H RBI BB SO LOB AVG
Podsednik, LF 4 0 0 0 0 1 0 .312
Ramirez, A, SS 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 .262
Dye, RF 4 0 2 1 0 0 0 .268
Thome, DH 4 0 0 0 0 2 2 .244
Konerko, 1B 3 1 1 1 0 1 1 .289
Pierzynski, C 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .285
Anderson, Br, CF 3 0 0 0 0 3 0 .245
Getz, 2B 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .246
Beckham, 3B 3 0 0 0 0 1 0 .185
Totals 31 2 4 2 0 10 3  

BATTING
HR: Konerko (10, 2nd inning off Kuroda, 0 on, 1 out).
TB: Ramirez, A; Dye 2; Konerko 4.
RBI: Konerko (44), Dye (40).
2-out RBI: Dye.
Runners left in scoring position, 2 out: Thome.
Team RISP: 1-for-2.
Team LOB: 2.
 
LA Dodgers IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Kuroda (W, 2-3) 8.2 4 2 2 0 9 1 3.44
Broxton (S, 18) 0.1 0 0 0 0 1 0 2.27
 
Chi White Sox IP H R ER BB SO HR ERA
Danks (L, 5-6) 7.0 3 3 3 2 5 1 4.43
Thornton 0.2 1 2 2 1 0 0 2.67
Dotel 0.1 1 0 0 2 1 0 3.29
Poreda 1.0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0.00

HBP: Ethier (by Danks).
Pitches-strikes: Kuroda 103-70, Broxton 3-3, Danks 106-66, Thornton 13-7, Dotel 15-6, Poreda 18-11.
Groundouts-flyouts: Kuroda 12-5, Broxton 0-0, Danks 7-8, Thornton 1-1, Dotel 0-0, Poreda 2-0.
Batters faced: Kuroda 30, Broxton 1, Danks 26, Thornton 4, Dotel 4, Poreda 5.
Inherited runners-scored: Broxton 1-0, Dotel 2-2.
Ejections: Chicago White Sox Manager Ozzie Guillen ejected by HP umpire Joe West (8th).
Umpires: HP: Joe West. 1B: Ed Rapuano. 2B: Paul Schrieber. 3B: Paul Nauert.
Weather: 79 degrees, clear.
Wind: 9 mph, In from LF.
T: 2:28.
Att: 22,251.
June 23, 2009

Box score official statistics approved by Major League Baseball Office of the Commissioner